Trapped in a deformed and sickly body, as a boy Count Henri de
Toulouse-Lautrec turned to painting for solace. Although he came
from an aristocratic family that could be traced back thousands
of years and grew up in a castle, he broke with family tradition
by choosing to live the bohemian life of a painter. Living in
Paris' Montmartre, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec recorded the life
around him by painting scenes of nightclubs, race tracks, and
even brothels. He enjoyed going to these places with friends.
While he was there, he made rough sketches of the scenes around
him which he later turned into brightly-colored works of art. In
addition to painting, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec did illustrations
for books and designed numerous lithographs and posters using
methods he himself created. Sadly, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec got
caught up in the lifestyle he was painting and the need for
acceptance and turned to drink. Even though institutionalized,
the alcohol took control of his life, and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
died in 1901 at t