Portrait of Oscar Wilde

Spotted: Idea after "Art Pics Channel" on Twitter, after Google Images and Pinterest search, 22 November 2018

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, or Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa, born 24 November 1864, was one of the prominent painters of Post-Impressionism then and now. His "Portrait of Oscar Wilde" was drawn when the artist visited London and befriended one of the city's most popular poets and playwrights, who was then about to face trial for gross indecency. The Guardian reported: "Wilde, who knew he was facing ruin... was too nervous to sit. Toulouse-Lautrec went back to his hotel room and drew from memory the haggard anxiety and premature ageing of a man still only 41." This news story on 10 November 2000 was about the opening of an exhibition at the British Library marking the centenary of Wilde's death.

At age 36, Toulouse-Lautrec died from complications of alcoholism and syphilis. At age 46, Wilde, who moved to Paris after serving his sentence, died on 30 November 1900; he allegedly wasted his meager finances to alcohol, and syphilis was also suspected (but later disputed). Sir Jacob Epstein, KBE, who was born on 10 November 1880, designed Wilde's tomb at Père Lachaise Cemetery. The tomb was once condemned as indecent and was covered up from public view.