Toulouse-Lautrec Painted Provocative Images

At the end of the 19th century, Paris, France was an epicenter for art and theater in Europe. One area in particular, Montmartre, was famous for its bohemian lifestyle and many of its resident artists. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) spent much of his time in Montmartre and was deeply involved in the decadent life of the theater, as well as spending much of his time at the famous cabaret “Le Moulin Rouge”.

His full name was Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec Monfa and was born to an aristocratic family. He had multiple medical issues in his youth which resulted in him only reaching a height of 5 feet as an adult. Because of his disabilities, he turned to painting.

The painting “Le Lit” or “The Bed” was painted in 1893 and depicts two sleeping figures facing each other under heavy covers. The figures could be two women, which could seem transgressive given the time the artwork was produced. Nevertheless, this painting is much more subdued as the figures could also be of the opposite sex.

Although his career was cut short by his untimely death at the age of 36, Toulouse-Lautrec, along Cézanne, Van Gogh and Gaugin, is known as one of the greats of the Post-Impressionist era.