Toulouse- Lautrec and Falconry

Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec's father was a falconer and sportsman, and though he painted everything from ladies of the night to horses, many do not know that he also painted hawks. Here is his portrait of his father, Count Alphonse de Toulouse- Lautrec, painted by Henri in 1881 when he was just seventeen (the color seems a bit off):


From Paul Domski: this dedication to his son that Count Henri penned in his son's copy of the "Small Handbook on Falconry" (1876):

"Remember, my son, that the only healthy way to live is out in the open
air and daylight, that everything deprived of freedom loses its
identity soon and dies. This little book on falconry will teach you to
appreciate the life of the open fields; and should you one day
experience the bitterness of life, first horses, then hounds and
falcons will be precious companions and help you forget things a
little".

And here is a Sparrowhawk he did at 16: