Answer:
A. representative person
Explanation:
"French contingent" in the passage above refers to a representative person. The person is part of the French artists, which Toulouse-Lautrec was part of. It makes him a representative or a delegate of the group. Furthermore, it points to one of Lautrec's friends, Paul Signac, who tried to stop him from having a duel with the Belgian artist.
The situation above occurred when van Gogh was in St. Remy. Many people admired his paintings while some criticized it. One example was the Belgian artist, De Groux, who criticized his painting during an exhibit. He also called van Gogh as a "charlatan." Lautrec overheard the artist and tried to challenge him to a duel.