Which features of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s work anticipated Fauvism and Cubism?

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s work anticipated the movements of Fauvism and Cubism through his innovative approach to formal abstraction and two-dimensionality.1

Several key features of his style contributed to this influence:

• Abstraction of Line and Color: Toulouse-Lautrec moved away from anatomical correctness, instead employing freely handled lines and intense colors that generated a pulsating rhythm. His use of large, flat color areas and simplified outlines became hallmarks of his powerful poster designs.12
• Spatial Manipulation: He frequently violated the laws of perspective to place figures in active, unstable relationships with their surroundings, favoring the essence of movement over realistic representation.1
• Formal Composition: By often obscuring the legs of his subjects, he eliminated specific, literal movement, replacing it with a formal abstraction that emphasized the energy and life of the composition.1

These stylistic choices, characterized by a rejection of traditional naturalism in favor of expressive, rhythmic, and two-dimensional forms, helped set the stage for the avant-garde developments of the early 20th century.13