THE ANGRY COW. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864 – 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draftsman, and illustrator. The period he created his art was known as the Belle Époque and his focus was on the decadence in Parisian society. Several examples are known where Lautrec drew on work by other artists whom he admired. In this poster there are clear references to Adolphe Willette's humorous themes and rococo style of illustration style of illustration. Willette was the founder and illustrator of the short-lived monthly 'La Vache Enragee' (the angry cow) edited by the cartoonist Adolphe Roedel. This coloured poster of the same title was commissioned for the appearance of the magazine March 1896. As a reference to the wretched financial state of most artists, the term 'manger de la vache enragee' (meaning roughly, 'meaning not having enough to eat') was adopted as the motto for the 'Vachalcade' which was held on Montmartre annually from 1896. This was an artists' procession, with fanfares and allegories on fame and the muses; it also included a furious cow and a troupe of pretty girls as a satire on Europa with the bull. The event was organized by Roedel.