Henri Manguin

(French, 1874-1949)

An important member of the Fauvist movement, French painter Henri Manguin worked alongside artists such as Henri Matisse and André Derain. Strong Impressionist and Expressionist influences are notable in his works, through his use of bright pastel colors and spontaneous brushstrokes.

Born on March 23, 1874 in Paris, France, Manguin left school at age 15 to devote his life to painting. He moved to Montmartre four years later and enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts where he studied under French Symbolist Gustave Moreau. While there, Manguin became close friends with Fauve painters Matisse and Charles Camoin. Together, they made many trips to the Louvre museum to study and copy Renaissance artworks. Manguin later traveled France with fellow Fauve artist Albert Marquet. In 1899 he married Jeanne Marie Carette, who modeled for many of his future paintings. At their home in Batignolles, Manguin built a studio where many of his Fauvist friends such as Matisse, Derain, and Camoin, came to paint and socialize. He exhibited for the first time in 1902 at Salon des Indépendants and Salon d’Automne.

In September 1904, Manguin was invited to Saint-Tropez by Neo-Impressionist Paul Signac. It was there that he became enchanted by the Mediterranean’s turquoise waters and captivating light. His work always remained close to nature, frequently depicting landscapes, Mediterranean beach scenes, and bathers. Pierre Bonnard once said, “Manguin took landscape as it really is. He understood it. It was for him magic, a melody, a love song.”

In 1905, Manguin exhibited five paintings in the famed cage aux fauves at Salon d'Automne. He caught the attention of renowned art dealer Ambroise Vollard, who purchased 150 of his paintings the following year.

Manguin remained true to Fauvism throughout his career, a born colorist who always sought to create intense color in his paintings. He spent much if his later life in the south of France, finally settling in Saint-Tropez where he died in September 1949 at the age of 75. Manguin’s works can be found in collections of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and the Art Institute of Chicago. At recent Christie's auctions, Manguin's work has commanded upwards of USD $439,500.