Britannica
Sources used in this answer
When did Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec decide to become an artist?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
At the Moulin Rouge, oil on canvas by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1892ā95; in the Art Institute of Chicago.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec resolved to become an artist in 1881, only after he had passed his baccalaureate examinations.1
While he began sketching at the age of 10, his dedication to art intensified following a series of accidents in 1878 and 1879 that left his legs atrophied. These injuries required long periods of convalescence, during which he turned to art to occupy his time. Following his formal decision to pursue art professionally in 1881, he sought training from several teachers, including RenƩ Princeteau, LƩon Bonnat, and Fernand Cormon, before eventually establishing his own studio in the Montmartre district of Paris.1