| There is so much more to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec than the avant-garde artisan-printmaker of most art historical literature. Significantly, Lautrec positioned himself as both a traditional fine artist and a modern, commercial designer, targeting audiences comprised of Montmartre locals, sophisticated patrons, and his fellow artistic circle. During the end of the nineteenth century, a battle between industry and tradition emerged. Prints and posters were examples of the fleeting nature of modernity, and, although they did not completely substitute for traditional works of art (i.e., paintings and sculpture), many began to supplement their collections with lithographs at a rate that caused anxiety among the traditionalists. With the support of influential publishers, dealers, and collectors, Lautrec propelled the color lithographic print and poster beyond the ephemeral in late nineteenth-century France and toward a more respected and collected work of art that became worthy of serious acclaim. This thesis looks deeply into the support network and critical discourse contemporary to Lautrec in order to recover his extraordinary success in manipulating the controversial and commercial medium of color lithography and in creating an iconic identity for himself as well as for the "French poster" as we know it today. |
