Henri Lebasque (French, 1865–1937) was a Post-Impressionist artist, known as the "painter of joy and light." Born in Champigné, France, in 1885, he went to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts. During this time, Lebasque began participating in the annual art society exhibitions and the Paris Salons. His works were marked by his contact with younger painters, including
Edouard Vuillard (French, 1868–1940) and
Pierre Bonnard (French, 1867–1947), members of the influential Nabis and Intimist groups.
In 1903, he and
Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954) founded the Salon d'Automne. In 1912, the salon exhibited works by a group of artists who became known as "Les Fauves" (the wild beasts), and whose style Lebasque would later adopt. Though the flatness of form and color took on a subtler effect in Lebasque's work than in the works of other Fauvist artists, he was championed by critics for the intimacy of his themes and the joy in his forms and palette.
In 1924, he noved to Le Cannet on the French Riviera, where he lived until his death in 1937.
Lebasque's works can be found in many important public and private institutions around the world, including the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Spain, the National Museum of Western Art in Japan, and the Harvard University Art Museum.