Henri Harpignies
Valenciennes, 1819 - Saint-Privé, Francia, 1916
Essentially a landscape painter, Harpignies has depicted forests, villages, the sea, rivers of many French and Italian regions, with a predilection for undergrowth. His descriptions are faithful and exact, but they do not exclude an intimate and poetic vein that makes them delicate and fascinating. Harpignies has treated with wisdom the changing of the seasons and the variations of the light in the different hours of the day.The critic and writer Anatole France nicknamed him "The Michelangelo of the trees".
Employed in his father’s company, he only devoted himself to painting from 1846, at the age of twenty-seven. In Lyon he took lessons from the landscape painter Achard. In 1848 they both went to Valenciennes, Brussels, then to the Netherlands for about a year. Upon returning from a trip to Germany, and having thoroughly studied Corot’s work, Harpignies obtained a grant from his father to study in Italy. In Rome he frequented the young artists of Villa Medici and studied the great Italian masters. Back in his homeland, he rented an atelier in Paris. During the summer he painted in Ile de France, between Marlotte and the forest of Fontainebleau.
In 1853 he made his debut at the Salon with a Vista di Capri in which he already noticed a strong personality, characterized by a great expressive force. The stay in Cernay (Haut-Rhin) in 1857 will be the first of a long series, because of the rich landscape of reasons to be inspired.
In the following years he successfully exhibited at the Salons until his work Wild Ducks was rejected in 1863. That year the jury had been very strict, but Harpignies was so disappointed that he destroyed the painting and set off on another two-year study trip to Italy.
After this second trip to Italy and numerous trips to France, in 1869 he discovered the village of Herisson where he returned every year in the company of young landscape painters to whom he taught painting.
In the following years he took his revenge towards the Salon: he was awarded medals in 1866, 1868 and 1869. In 1875 he received the Knight’s Cross of the Legion of Honour. He was awarded again in 1878, 1883 with the Officer’s Cross, 1897 with an Honor Medal, a Grand Prix in 1900, and the Commander’s Cross in 1901.
Self-taught watercolourist from 1851, will acquire, in maturity, a remarkable mastery of the technique; his watercolors become more and more precise, the use of white and light colors lighten them, make them more fluid, close to the taste of Huet and Jongkind.
He exhibited in London at the New Water-Colours Society and moved permanently to Saint Privé, Yonne. He will leave the new residence only in the winter months, to go to Nice, Antibes or Beaulieu, guest of the Princess d'Aremberg. The personal charm and skill in playing the cello, make him a welcome guest in any environment.
Essentially a landscape painter, Harpignies has depicted forests, villages, the sea, rivers of many French and Italian regions, with a predilection for undergrowth. The critic and scholar Anatole France nicknamed him "The Michelangelo of trees".
His descriptions are faithful and exact, but they do not exclude an intimate and poetic vein that makes them delicate and fascinating. Harpignies has treated with wisdom the changing of the seasons and the variations of light in the different hours of the day.
You can say that Harpignies is at the Ecole de Barbizon as Guillaumin will be at Impressionism. In 1901 he was promoted to Commander of the Legion of Honour and Officer in 1911.
Museums:
Besançon
Bucarest, Museo Simu
Clamecy
Dieppe
Douai
Grenoble
La Roche-sur-Yon
Liegi
Lille
Orléans
Paris, Louvre
Rochefort
Rouen
Soissons
Tourcoing
Valenciennes
Bibliography:
E. Bénezit, Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, Paris, Librairie Gründ, 1976; J. Bouret, L’Ecole de Barbizon et le paysage français au XIX siècle, Neuchâtel, Editions Ides et Calendes; P. Schubert, F. Schubert, Les peintres de la Vallée de Chevreuse, Paris, Les Editions de l’amateur, 2001.
In 1853 he made his debut at the Salon with a Vista di Capri in which he already noticed a strong personality, characterized by a great expressive force. The stay in Cernay (Haut-Rhin) in 1857 will be the first of a long series, because of the rich landscape of reasons to be inspired.
In the following years he successfully exhibited at the Salons until his work Wild Ducks was rejected in 1863. That year the jury had been very strict, but Harpignies was so disappointed that he destroyed the painting and set off on another two-year study trip to Italy.
After this second trip to Italy and numerous trips to France, in 1869 he discovered the village of Herisson where he returned every year in the company of young landscape painters to whom he taught painting.
In the following years he took his revenge towards the Salon: he was awarded medals in 1866, 1868 and 1869. In 1875 he received the Knight’s Cross of the Legion of Honour. He was awarded again in 1878, 1883 with the Officer’s Cross, 1897 with an Honor Medal, a Grand Prix in 1900, and the Commander’s Cross in 1901.
Self-taught watercolourist from 1851, will acquire, in maturity, a remarkable mastery of the technique; his watercolors become more and more precise, the use of white and light colors lighten them, make them more fluid, close to the taste of Huet and Jongkind.
He exhibited in London at the New Water-Colours Society and moved permanently to Saint Privé, Yonne. He will leave the new residence only in the winter months, to go to Nice, Antibes or Beaulieu, guest of the Princess d'Aremberg. The personal charm and skill in playing the cello, make him a welcome guest in any environment.
Essentially a landscape painter, Harpignies has depicted forests, villages, the sea, rivers of many French and Italian regions, with a predilection for undergrowth. The critic and scholar Anatole France nicknamed him "The Michelangelo of trees".
His descriptions are faithful and exact, but they do not exclude an intimate and poetic vein that makes them delicate and fascinating. Harpignies has treated with wisdom the changing of the seasons and the variations of light in the different hours of the day.
You can say that Harpignies is at the Ecole de Barbizon as Guillaumin will be at Impressionism. In 1901 he was promoted to Commander of the Legion of Honour and Officer in 1911.
Museums:
Besançon
Bucarest, Museo Simu
Clamecy
Dieppe
Douai
Grenoble
La Roche-sur-Yon
Liegi
Lille
Orléans
Paris, Louvre
Rochefort
Rouen
Soissons
Tourcoing
Valenciennes
Bibliography:
E. Bénezit, Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, Paris, Librairie Gründ, 1976; J. Bouret, L’Ecole de Barbizon et le paysage français au XIX siècle, Neuchâtel, Editions Ides et Calendes; P. Schubert, F. Schubert, Les peintres de la Vallée de Chevreuse, Paris, Les Editions de l’amateur, 2001.
