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. Lautrec embraced the idea of designing programs for the more experimental theatres, as well as posters advertising performances, such as La Gitane by Richepin at the Théâtre Antoine, portraying the thespians he was so taken with.