13. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the Post-Impressionist Painter, Died From Syphilis
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a post-impressionistic painter who lived in the second half of the 19th century. His parents were first cousins who came from a long line of inbreeding, so he and his relatives had various genetic problems that caused difficulties throughout his life. He may have suffered from a condition now known as Toulouse-Lautrec Syndrome, which caused him to have very short legs — he stood at only 4 ½ feet tall — and walk with a cane.
He found meaning and expression in art and began painting at an early age, inspired by the impressionist painters of the early nineteenth century. His paintings, though, were imbued with more realism, such as depictions of sex workers where they may have generally stood on the street.
Though Toulouse-Lautrec depicted sex workers in a way that was factual rather than erotic, he was known for his own lifestyle of debauchery. He contracted syphilis, possibly from one of the women that modeled for him, and was a known alcoholic. His syphilis may have been treated with mercury (this was before its toxicity was established when it was still used in medical treatments), leading to his death from the disease at the age of 36.