Henri Toulouse-Lautrec was ultimately, a tragic figure in the history of art. Crippled by an ill-proportioned body, he lived for just 36 years before the effects of alcoholism and syphilis took their final toll. His dissolute life spent in the brothels and nightclubs of late 19th century Paris provided the subject matter for his finest work. His radical, boldly-colored paintings and posters of the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub succeeded in conveying the unique feeling and energy of contemporary Parisian nightlife.