Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Known for: Montmartre posters and cabaret paintings

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born into French aristocracy and suffered two leg fractures in childhood that left him unable to walk normally, a condition that may have contributed to his close identification with the performers, prostitutes, and outsiders of Montmartre nightlife. His lithographic posters for the Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergère — flat color, simplified silhouette, bold typography — established the visual language of modern graphic design. He died at 36 of alcoholism and syphilis.