Henri Lebasque

Henri Lebasque, exposed to movements such as Impressionism, Pointillism, and Fauvism, created a body of work unquestionably individual that appealed to both critical and popular taste. Lebasque began his career with a strict academic foundation . After this formal schooling, he began associating with the Impressionist master Camille Pissarro and Neo-Impressionist Georges Seurat.The combined influence of these masters affected both his technique and color theories. The young Lebasque was also influenced by the painting styles of Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse, in his use of broad, flat planes of color, as well as the work of Pierre Bonnard and Edouard Vuillard. Despite the myriad of avant-garde painting schools that surrounded Lebasque, his style remained his own. Unlike many of his contemporaries who portrayed the revelry of such public events as balls and horse races, Lebasque chose to depict familiar subjects. He often painted domestic scenes featuring family members and the limited landscapes taken from the vistas around his home outside of Cannes. One of few artists who escaped the wrath of contemporary critics, his intimate genre scenes and personal landscapes consistently received favorable reviews during the twenty-two years he exhibited at the Paris Salon. Known as the “painter of light and joy,” Denise Bazetoux recalled that “he was always good humored, as his inner joy never left him,” a quality that shines through in his work.