Important French painter and printmaker (1864-1901) whose lively, colorful portrayals of the people and places of fin-de-siècle Paris take a place among the most iconic images of the era. Toulouse-Lautrec’s immersion in art stemmed largely from his isolation following a disfiguring teenage accident that failed to heal properly, preventing his legs from growing further while his torso continued to develop normally. Extremely scarce ALS in French, signed "Henry," three pages on two adjoining sheets, 5 x 8, no date. Intimate letter to his mother. In part (translated): "I am still in the throes of the second preview. What a day!! But what success. The exhibition received a slap that it will recover from perhaps, but that will give it a great deal to think about." He closes the letter, "I send you my love." In very good condition, with central horizontal and vertical fold, a couple partial separations to horizontal fold and hinge, a couple small repairs to folds, trivial tack hole to one page, and a couple brushes to text.
Toulouse-Lautrec first began to exhibit his paintings in a Montmartre cabaret in 1884. Described by the contemporary critic Gustave Geffroy as 'the quintessential chronicler of Paris,' Toulouse-Lautrec enjoyed critical acclaim and his work was sought after by collectors. The painter was particularly close to his mother, Adèle Tapié de Celeyran, who had long supported his artistic ambitions. By 1893, he was crippled by alcoholism and moved in with his mother while being spurned by other family members for his drunken behavior and the subjects of his paintings. In 1899, she abruptly left Paris, which prompted him to suffer a mental collapse and he was committed to a sanatorium. A rare and revealing letter describing the reception of the artist's work. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.
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