Henry Moret facts for kids
Henry Moret (born December 12, 1856 – died May 5, 1913) was a French painter. He was known for his beautiful Impressionist artworks. Moret was part of a group of artists who worked with Paul Gauguin. They painted together in a place called Pont-Aven in Brittany, France. He is famous for his colorful paintings of the coast of Brittany.
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Early Life and Art Training
Henry Moret was born in Cherbourg, France. Not much is known about his early years. In 1875, he started his military service. His commander, Jules La Villette, noticed Henry's talent for art.
Jules La Villette introduced Henry to Ernest Corroller. Corroller was an art teacher and painted scenes of the sea. He taught Henry how to paint landscapes, like famous artists Corot and Courbet. This training helped Henry get into a famous art school in Paris. In 1876, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts. Later, around 1880, he also studied at the Académie Julian.
A Career in Painting
Moret first showed his paintings at the Paris Salon in 1880. This was a very important art exhibition. He showed a painting called La plage de Locqueltas à marée basse; côte de Bretagne. He often went back to Brittany, keeping in touch with his first teacher, Corroller.
In 1888, Moret arrived in Pont-Aven. Many artists were gathering there, including Ernest de Chamaillard, Émile Jourdan, and Charles Laval. Paul Gauguin was the most famous artist in this group. Moret was one of the first painters to move to a nearby village called le Pouldu. This place soon became a new center for the Pont-Aven artists. Moret's art began to show signs of Symbolism. This was probably because of Gauguin's influence.
Developing His Own Style
After Gauguin left the area in 1891, Moret started to create his own unique style. In 1895, he began working with Paul Durand-Ruel. Durand-Ruel owned art galleries in Paris, London, and New York. He was very interested in Impressionist art.
During their partnership, Moret painted over 600 artworks. Many of these were shown in Paris and New York. This helped him gain more fans and sell his paintings. Moret also showed seven of his Brittany paintings at the Salon des Indépendants.
After 1900, Moret focused more on Impressionism. He used small dabs of paint in his work. This was different from the wider brushstrokes used by the Pont-Aven artists. He painted many landscapes, showing amazing light effects. You can see this in his sunset and storm paintings from around 1909. Besides his oil paintings, he also created about 800 watercolors and drawings. Henry Moret passed away in Paris when he was 56 years old.
What Made His Art Special
Henry Moret started painting in a more traditional way. But his style changed a lot after he met Gauguin and the Pont-Aven artists. Over time, his paintings became more and more Impressionistic. They also showed his deep love for nature.
Maxime Maufra, another artist, wrote about Moret: "Coasts, forests, valleys, in every season he observed them with all his senses, reproducing them with all his spirit and sincerity." This means Moret truly loved and understood the places he painted.
A description from one of his art shows after he died said that Moret "occupies a unique place in the evolution of art." It explained that he was able to combine two very different styles: the "Syntheticism" of Pont-Aven and Impressionism. This made his art truly special and important in art history.
