Overview
Published in association with The Art Institute of Chicago. Just in time for a major traveling exhibition on Toulouse-Lautrec in 2005 comes a book that introduces the brilliant and ever-popular artist to kids.An important addition to Abrams' growing library of acclaimed picture book biographies is the story of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the French artist best known today for his vibrant and much-loved posters. Along with explaining the development of the poster medium, the book tells the moving tale of how Lautrec triumphed over a crippling childhood disease to become a popular artist in his day. The book is illustrated with gorgeous reproductions of his paintings, posters, and drawings, ranging from childhood sketches, to portraits of performers at the famous Moulin Rouge, to circus themes. Contemporary photographs of Lautrec and his friends bring the story to life.
Author Bio: A painter as well as a writer, Robert Burleigh is the author of award-winning books for children that have been praised by Booklist as painting "mesmerizing word pictures on the page." He lives with his wife in Chicago. The Art Institute of Chicago houses more than 300,000 works of art within its ten curatorial departments.
Synopsis
Published in association with The Art Institute of Chicago. Just in time for a major traveling exhibition on Toulouse-Lautrec in 2005 comes a book that introduces the brilliant and ever-popular artist to kids.
An important addition to Abrams' growing library of acclaimed picture book biographies is the story of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the French artist best known today for his vibrant and much-loved posters. Along with explaining the development of the poster medium, the book tells the moving tale of how Lautrec triumphed over a crippling childhood disease to become a popular artist in his day. The book is illustrated with gorgeous reproductions of his paintings, posters, and drawings, ranging from childhood sketches, to portraits of performers at the famous Moulin Rouge, to circus themes. Contemporary photographs of Lautrec and his friends bring the story to life.
Author Bio: A painter as well as a writer, Robert Burleigh is the author of award-winning books for children that have been praised by Booklist as painting "mesmerizing word pictures on the page." He lives with his wife in Chicago. The Art Institute of Chicago houses more than 300,000 works of art within its ten curatorial departments.
Publishers Weekly
Toulouse-Lautrec: The Moulin Rouge and the City of Light by Robert Burleigh tells the life of the artist who, at age 13, was stricken with a disease that left his bones weakened, resulting in the dwarf-like appearance that made him identify so with the performers of Montmartre. Reproductions of his drawings, paintings and famous lithographs plus period photographs bring the artist's story vividly to life. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Toulouse-Lautrec: The Moulin Rouge and the City of Light by Robert Burleigh tells the life of the artist who, at age 13, was stricken with a disease that left his bones weakened, resulting in the dwarf-like appearance that made him identify so with the performers of Montmartre. Reproductions of his drawings, paintings and famous lithographs plus period photographs bring the artist's story vividly to life. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
Choosing to emphasize Lautrec's exceptional talent, his innate curiosity, his delightful wit, and his generosity, Burleigh has created a charming picture book biography capturing the delight of the artist's short life. Lautrec was born into a privileged family, but his life changed drastically when he broke both his legs within a year and discovered he had a bone disease that prevented his legs from growing. He began to sketch and paint during his long recovery period developing his innate artistic talent. As a young man, he went to Paris to study his craft, learning more about capturing light and showing light's reflections. While there, he lived in Montmarte and visited The Moulin Rouge frequently. Many of his most famous paintings and posters featured people and scenes he observed there. Although he died at age 36, he left behind more than 725 oil paintings, 275 watercolors, about 325 prints and posters, and around 5,000 drawings. This oversize book is lavishly illustrated with reproductions of Lautrec's paintings, posters and drawings on a variety of themes. Important points about Lautrec's life are printed in large bold font throughout the text. A good introduction to this artistic master. 2005, Henry N. Abrams, Ages 8 to 15.—Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.