Henri Guinier (20 November 1867,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

- 10 October 1927, Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a French portrait and landscape painter.

Biography

Due to his father's pressure, he joined the "École des Arts et Métiers" (Arts and Sciences) of Châlons-sur-Marne in 1883, as an engineering student, and graduated in 1889. But then, he took courses at the Academie Julian and the

École des beaux-arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...

in Paris, being attached to the studios of

Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant (also known as Benjamin-Constant), born Jean-Joseph Constant (10 June 1845 – 26 May 1902), was a French painter and etcher best known for his Oriental subjects and portraits. Biography Benjamin-Constant was bor ...

and

Jules Lefebvre Jules Joseph Lefebvre (; 14 March 183624 February 1911) was a French figure painter, educator and theorist. Early life Lefebvre was born in Tournan-en-Brie, Seine-et-Marne, on 14 March 1836. He entered the École nationale supérieure des Be ...

. In 1896 he was awarded second prize in the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

, followed by a gold medal at the

Salon des artistes français The Salon (french: Salon), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art ...

in 1898. In that year he won a bursary which took him to Holland, Switzerland and Italy. He also won a silver medal at the great Paris 1900 "Exposition universelle". In 1904 he married Hélène Glaçon and they had a son, Michel, and a daughter, Annette. Michel was an engineer and worked on the

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (french: Métro de Paris ; short for Métropolitain ) is a rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architec ...

. Annette was one of her father's favourite models. Michel was also an expert on musical organs. It was in Paris that he made the acquaintance of fellow artist, Fernand Legout-Gérard, who introduced him into the artists' community at Concarneau where he purchased a villa called ''Kerdorlett'', by the beach and facing west. This became his summer residence while winters were spent at his house in Neuilly-sur-Seine. He became the president of the "Union artistique des Amis de Concarneau" whose membership included painters such as Alfred Guillou and Thomas Alexander Harrison, an american painter who stayed frequently at

Pont-Aven Pont-Aven (, Breton: 'River Bridge') is a commune in the Finistère department in the Brittany region in Northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 2,821. Demographics Inhabitants of Pont-Aven are called ''Pontavenistes'' in French ...

in the summer. He was an excellent pastellist and colorist and painted many portraits, mostly of women. He painted landscapes and marine views, mostly around Concarneau and the

Pays Bigouden Bigouden ( Breton: ''Bro-Vigoudenn''; French: ''Pays Bigouden''), historically known as Cap Caval, is, along the Bay of Audierne, the most south-western area of ''Bro Kernev'' in Brittany, south-west of Quimper, defined since 1790 in the French dep ...

, as well as Le Faouët,

Vannes Vannes (; br, Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic Era The name ''Vannes'' comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who live ...

Paimpol Paimpol (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwest France. It is a tourist destination, especially during the summer months when people are attracted by its port and beaches. Geography The town is located in th ...

and the

Île-de-Bréhat Bréhat (french: Île-de-Bréhat, ) is an island and ''commune'' located near Paimpol, a mile off the northern coast of Brittany. Administratively, it is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France. Bréhat is actually ...

. He painted many subjects: the allegorical, genre works, nudes, portraits and the countryside, and spent time in Italy, Holland, the Alps and the Pyrénées. He also received many public commissions including, in 1909, with several other artists, the decoration of the Neuilly-sur-Seine townhall for which he painted the composition ''La Tapisserie''. The Ministry of War commissioned him to paint scenes from the battlefield at

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

where he completed several pastels. From 1920 onwards, he passed part of the winters in the mountains and painted scenes in both Pau and

Argelès-Gazost Argelès-Gazost (; oc, Argelèrs de Gasòst) is a commune and a subprefecture of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France. The Pyrénées Animal Park is located in Argelès-Gazost. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes ...

as well as in the valley of the

Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it had ...

. In 2007, the family gave their archives to the museum in

Quimper Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department. Geography Th ...

- the "Musée départemental Breton". In 2008, the museum of Le Faouët held a retrospective exhibition of his work.

Gallery

File:046 Henri Guinier La Bigoudène au travail.jpg, Woman from Bigouden at Work File:Henri Guinier Vue du Passage (Concarneau).JPG, View of the Passage, Concarneau File:Henri Guinier Pardon Clarté.jpg, Breton Pardon Ceremony File:Henri Guinier - Travail paisible.jpg, Peaceful Work File:157 Henri Guinier Vieille bretonne au Faouët.JPG, Aged Breton from
Le Faouët

Works

* "Figure dessinée d'après nature". École des beaux-arts de Paris * "Petite fille aux champs". Painting dates to 1893. Held by Musée d'

Amboise Amboise (; ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court. Geography Amboise lies on the banks of the river Loire, east of Tours. It is also about away ...

. * "Jésus pleuré par les Saintes Femmes'". Painting dates to 1895. Awarded second place in the "Prix de Rome" and held in the Musée de

Joigny Joigny () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. It is located on the banks of the river Yonne. History The current city, originally known as Joviniacum in Latin, was founded during Roman times ...

* "Des pèlerins découvrant la ville de Jérusalem depuis une hauteur se prosternent et prient". Painting dates to 1895., École des beaux-arts de Paris * "L'automne". Painting dates to 1895. Held by Musée d'Orsay, Paris * '"Psyché et l'amour". Work of 1897, Musée de Poitiers * "'Un dimanche, enfants de Marie". Painted in 1898. palais des beaux-arts de Lille * "Chant du soir". Painting dated 1899. Musée national du Chili,

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...

* "Nuit douce". A print of 1899. * "Plaisir d'été'". 1901. A lithograph * "Le pardon de Sainte-Anne-d'Auray". Painting dates to 1902. Musée de

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...

* '"Ophélie". Painting dates to 1903. Musée des beaux-Arts, Reims * "Femme pensive". Painting dates to 1907), Musée de

Mulhouse Mulhouse (; Alsatian: or , ; ; meaning '' mill house'') is a city of the Haut-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region, eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. It is the largest city in Haut-Rhin and second largest in Alsace a ...

* "Femme à la coiffe rouge à fleurs". A pastel held by Musée du Faouët. * '"Jeune tricoteuse au Faouët". Musée du Faouët * '"Vieille bretonne du Faouët". 1910. oil on canvas. Held by Musée du Faouët. * "Portrait de sardinière". Painting dating to around 1914. Musée de la Pêche, Concarneau * "Vieux paysan Breton tenant son chapeau devant lui". A sketch in the

Musée du Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

, Paris * "Jeune femme bretonne assise". A sketch held by Musée du Louvre, Paris * "La prière en Bretagne". Painting dating to 1906 * "La fontaine miraculeuse, pardon des aveugles". Chapelle de La Clarté à Combrit in the Pays bigouden (1914), Musée de Quimper * "Portrait d'Ernest Marché". 1889 work held in the Château-musée de

Nemours Nemours () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Geography Nemours is located on the Loing and its canal, c. south of Melun, on the Moret–Lyon railway. Nemours – Saint-Pierre ...

* "Bretonne au chapelet". Painting dates to 1927. Held by Musée de Quimper * "Bigoudène au travail". An oil on canvas painting of 1926. Held in the Musée de Quimper.

Works shown at the Salon des artistes français

* '"Au bord du lac". Salon des artistes français of 1908 * "La naïade Eglé". Salon des artistes français of 1909 * "Maternite". Salon des artistes français of 1913 * "Portrait du lieutenant-colonel Rimailho", Salon des artistes français of 1914 * "Le vieux terrien". Salon des artistes français of 1921 * "Coucher de soleil en Bretagne". Salon des artistes français of 1921

References

Bibliography

* Jean-Marc Michaud : ''Henri Guinier (1867 - 1927)'', 111 pages, éditions "Le Chasse-Marée", Glénat, 2008 * René Le Bihan : ''La route des peintres en Cornouaille'', éditions Palantines, 2005 * Henri Belbéoch : ''Les peintres de Concarneau'', éditions Palantines, 1993 {{DEFAULTSORT:Guinier, Henri 1867 births 1927 deaths 19th-century French painters French male painters 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists 19th-century French male artists