Henri Lebasque

(French, 1865-1937)

Henri Lebasque was born in Champagne, France on September 25, 1865 into a family of woodworkers. The French Post-Impressionist painter began his art education at the École Régionale des Beaux-Arts d'Angers. He moved to Paris in 1886 where he studied under Léon Bonnat and assisted Ferdinand Humbert with the decorative murals at the Panthéon. In Paris, Lebasque met and befriended the most influential artists of the time, among them Camille Pissarro, Auguste Renoir, Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard, Georges Seurat, Maximilien Luce, Paul Signac and Henri Matisse. All would have a major influence on his future artwork. Vuillard and Bonnard, two of the founders of the movement Les Nabis, inspired a sense of tranquility in Lebasque’s works. From Seurat and Signac, Lebasque he learned color theory.

In 1890, Lebasque exhibited at Salon des Indépendants, where he befriended Luce and Signac. Soon after, he began experimenting with neo-Impressionist techniques. Lebasque was a founding member of Salon d'Automne, along with Matisse, in 1903. They also exhibited together at the Salon des Indépendants. Lebasque soon became friends with artist Henri Manguin, who introduced Lebasque to the south of France. The southern light sparked a dramatic transformation in his style through his interpretation of color and application of a more natural brushstroke.

Lebasque went on to work in Normandy, Brittany, Vendée, Saint Tropez and Nice, finally settling in Le Cannet around 1924. His subjects were the scenery, objects and people around him, focusing on portraits, nudes and landscapes. Lebasque ultimately retired to the Mediterranean coast, where he passed away in August 1937. Today, his work is represented in French museums, notably the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lille and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. In 2011, his painting Le Goûter Sur La Terrasse à Sainte-Maxime sold at Christie’s auction for USD $1,022,500.