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Henry Somm is a fascinating figure on the fringes of Impressionism. He took part in the Impressionist Exhibitions of 1879 and 1889, both at the Galerie Durand-Ruel in Paris, but he was a kind of fellow-traveller of the Impressionist movement rather than an integral part of it. Probably he is best categorized as a transitional figure between Impressionism and Symbolism, but he is one of those intriguing and ultimately enigmatic figures who don't really fit into any neat category. A famous drypoint portrait of Henry Somm by his friend Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec shows a bearded man with a kindly face and a twinkle in his eyes, but an air nevertheless of impenetrability. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Henry Somm Drypoint, 1898 Reproduced from Adriani, Toulouse-Lautrec The Complete Graphic Works Toulouse-Lautrec and Somm knew each other as habitu�es of seedy Montmartre dives such as Le Chat Noir or the gay and lesbian hang-out Le Rat Mort (whose menu was illustrated by Somm). They were also