All the ladies are little guinea fowls’ TOULOUSE-LAUTREC HENRI DE: (1864-1901) French Painter and Illustrator. An excellent A.L.S., with his monogrammed initials HTL, and a second time Lautrec, two pages, 8vo, Paris, 21st January 1895, to his friend Adolphe Albert ('Old Chum'), on the printed stationery of the milliner Renee Vert (alongside which the artist has written 'Visa aff. Dreyfus'). Toulouse-Lautrec writes his letter largely in English, announcing that he just came to see his correspondent and remarking 'All the ladies are little guinea fowls. I said it was for a very serious thing but it was only to shake your hand', further continuing his letter in a section marked Private and writing 'I am very happy to tell you that all the ugly affairs I had on the arms are in a very good way. We shall have a good dinner after. Kiss Renee for me and give her my best wishes'. Toulouse-Lautrec adds a two-line postscript in French, again referring to Renee, which he signs Lautrec. Accompanied by the original envelope (separated in two halves) hand addressed by Lautrec and bearing a good red wax seal to the verso surrounded by a number of ink crosses. A letter of good content and associations. Some light age wear, VG Adolphe Albert (1855-1938) French painter and engraver, a close friend of Toulouse-Lautrec. In October 1893 Albert married Leontine Vert (1856-1930), better known as Renee Vert. Toulouse-Lautrec's work La Modiste, Renee Vert ('The Milliner, Renee Vert'), created in 1893, depicts his friend's wife arranging her wares, whilst in the foreground at her feet appears a large hat box labelled with Toulouse-Lautrec's monogram.