William Warrener 

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made this painting, William Warrener, sometime in the late 19th century. It captures something of the social milieu in which Toulouse-Lautrec lived and worked in Paris. Look at Warrener’s stern gaze and flamboyant moustache. This image creates meaning through its attention to the details of dress, social type and profession. The late 19th century was a time of great social change in France, with the rise of consumer culture and new forms of entertainment. Toulouse-Lautrec was interested in the lives of ordinary people and in the representation of popular culture. His paintings often depict scenes from Parisian nightlife, including cabarets, cafes, and brothels. In these environments, the codes of social class were often blurred. To understand the meaning of art in this period, we can use a range of resources from the social history of the time. These resources help us to understand the politics of imagery and the social conditions that shaped artistic production. Remember, art is contingent on social and institutional context.