Are some of Toulouse Lautrecs art pieces considered posters or just paintings?
At the time, not only was the portrayal of a woman kicking her leg in the air considered indecent, but the poster’s skewed perspective and abstract composition distressed viewers with its vivid, avant-garde style. Regardless, the concept of the poster had been born as it achieved its intended purpose: to attract attention to itself and (hopefully) covey a message. In recent times, many have displayed Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec posters in their homes as decorative wall art. These posters often illustrate the Moulin Rouge cancan dancers in white ruffled bloomers, which is fairly tame subject matter by today’s standards. But in 1891, when this type of promotional was displayed in the streets of Paris, it caused quite a stir. I have several very good posters which are not authentic.
Toulouse Lautrec made several lithographs expressly as posters. Lithography is a printing technique that allows high print runs without a loss on quality. His posters are considered art today, but their function originally was as posters advertising theatre productions. His paintings were never used as posters in their time – that happened later, in the era of museum shops.
