Labelled a freak, son of aristocrats and one of France's most admired artists, Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec claimed he had two lives. Lives that were not only an antithesis to one another but would inspire the most creative images of the time. At the turn of the century, Paris was bathed in superficial gaiety, high living and a cosmopolitan atmosphere unparalleled by any other city in the world. It was a special period when Parisian society took particular enjoyment in and cultivated the arts. Lautrec captured not only this feeling of prosperity but also the underside of poverty, crime and exploitation that flourished on the outskirts of Paris.

His bohemian life of theatres, sports arenas, cabarets, dance halls, and brothels of Paris is the primary subject of the international exhibition of the National Gallery of Victoria, "Toulose - Lautrec: Prints and Drawings From the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris'. His images are invaluable not only as an insight into the artist's life but as rare historical documents of the special world in which he lived, the sordid but exciting nocturnal haunts of Paris.

The other life Lautrec led was that of the only surviving son of the Count of Toulouse - Lautrec, one of the oldest and most prestigious aristocratic families in France. He would often leave his decrepit Paris studio and visit huge provincial estates and be surrounded by the spoils of wealth. These dramatically opposing lifestyles are constant subjects of his work.

His ability to freely exist in two paradoxical worlds formed a man who was to become one of the greatest artists of his time.

Lautrec's family deplored his bohemian Parisian life and longed to rescue him from the dangerous influences of Montmartre'; the underworld artists, cabaret, singers, prostitutes, and the Jewish intellectuals he had chosen for friends. He insisted on making this avant garde world public, through his art, much to the embarrassment of his conservative bourgeois and snobby family.

In families, like his, intermarriage among cousins was not uncommon. In resolved two aristocratic concerns; the danger of family wealth being dispersed and the problem of finding a partner with a pedigree as illustrious as one's own. The subsequent marriage of Lautrec's parents, who were first cousins, resulted in a hereditary disease in their offspring. By the time Lautrec was sixteen years old, he was permanently dwarfed, he walked with a kind of ducklike stagger and had an embarrassing drool.

In his later years, his physical handicaps were accentuated by alcoholism, depression and sexually transmitted illnesses. In spite of these afflictions Lautrec produced a phenomenal amount of work. He sketched constantly, often in a series of tiny notebooks sometimes even on napkins and tablecloths. At least one drawing still exists which was done with a burnt match. He was often drunk, books were left behind, forgotten in the move to the next party, to the next drink.

As a child Lautrec displayed a great ability in drawing, in 1883 he began his artistic studies in Paris where he met other artists of his generation such as Vincent Van Gogh. He started as a painter but in 1891 he was introduced to the art of printmaking. Lithography and the production of illustrated posters was then undergoing a revival. He became a master of this technique, achieving wonderful effects of spontaneity.

To Lautrec's pride and his family, astonishment, he began receiving recognition for his art very quickly. His greatest artistic skill was his ability to get behind the models surface defences and petty vanities to reveal their vulnerabilites and vices. The most famous series of lithographs is Elles' which portrays the daily life of women in "maisons closes" - the brothels. In the 19th century wide scale prostitution was a way of life for many working class girls. In the series he shows these women without judgement or social criticism but with sympathy and understanding. When asked why he spent so much time in brothels he replied "nowhere else do I feel more at home".

From the 'demi monde' of prostitutes and dances halls to the elegance of the theatre, the artificial lights of the stage and the speed and rhythm of the Can Can dance, Lautrec displayed the same astounding ability to penetrate beneath the mere superficial appearances. His brilliant drawing, perceptive wit, insight and humour captured the true psychology of the individual. His vigorous drawing and freedom of colour sometimes foreshadows the Expressionists. Whether depicting the incidental, fleeting moments of the cafe, cabaret and concert halls, or the enduring, poetic quality of the most private and intimate scenes, Lautrec's outstanding ability was as an observer and recorder of life.

The wilderness and bohemianism of Paris at the time - the Can Can dancers watched by representatives of the police morals squad making sure the girls were wearing underpants, the Folies Bergere and the Moulin Rouge come alive in his images. Nightly, Lautrec would be found in the notorious nightclubs drinking and sketching prolifically. Lautrec's first lithographic poster, 'La Goule - Moulin Rouge' created a sensation. His art represented a radical change from contemporary designs. Although Lautrec produced only 30 posters, such is their power that they are his best known works. He revolutionised poster art.

Profoundly lonely, he surrounded himself constantly with people. Hours of every day were spent doing the rounds of Montmartre, drinking, eating and partying. He would get up late with a hangover, visit gallery owners, printers and publishers then have lunch consuming as usual, large amounts of wine. He would nape to recuperate, then begin three to four hours of the true labour of his art, painting, drawing on lithographic stones until it was time for pre-dinner drinks.

In the early 1890's, Lautrec began openly and assiduously frequently brothels both painting and paying for his pleasure. It is almost certain he contracted syphilis in his early twenties. On more than one occasion he was known to live in brothels for brief periods, carrying on business as usual and giving the brothels as his business address.

By late 1897, when Lautrec was thirty three years old, his friends knew that he was in serious emotional trouble and that he was hopelessly addicted to alcohol. His productivity fell off and he spent more and more time in bars. He was committed to a private mental institution in 1899 after suffering a mental breakdown. Unable to drink, Lautrec improved rapidly and wanted to be released. Terrified he was insane or he would start to drink uncontrollably again, his family insisited he remained in hospital. A public outcry for his friends in Monmartre and the Paris press forced Lautrec's family to release him. Terrified he was insane or he would start to drink uncontrollably again, his family insisted he remained in hospital. A public outcry from his friends in Monmartre and the Paris press forced Lautrec's family to release him. Predictably he began to drink again and the depression returned. The depression of a man slowly killing himself and somehow unable or unwilling to stop. In 1901. Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec suffered a stroke and was taken to his mother's estate where he died one month later.