- Henri Laurens
Henri Laurens (1885-1954), was a French sculptor and
illustrator .Born in
Paris onFebruary 18 ,1885 , Henri Laurens worked as a stonemason before he became a sculptor. In 1899 he attended drawing classes during which he produced works that were greatly influenced by the popularity ofAuguste Rodin . Later though, he would be drawn to a new gathering of artistic creativity happening inMontparnasse , and from 1911 he began to sculpt in theCubist style after meetingPablo Picasso ,Georges Braque ,Juan Gris andFernand Leger .Multi-talented, Laurens worked with poster paint, and
collage , was an engraver and created theatre design and decoration. In 1915 Henri Laurens illustrated a book for his friend, the authorPierre Reverdy . In 1938 he shared an exhibition with Braque and Picasso that travelled to majorScandinavia n cities. Later, in 1947, he made prints for book illustrations and in 1948 he showed his art at the importantVenice Biennale That same year, he exhibited at the Galerie d'Art Moderne inBasel ,Switzerland .A great many of his sculptures are massive objects such as the monumental piece "L'Amphion" done in 1952 for the
Central University of Venezuela ,Caracas after a request from the architectCarlos Raúl Villanueva .Henri Laurens died in Paris on
May 5 ,1954 and was interred in theCimetière du Montparnasse inParis . His tomb is decorated with one of his own large sculptures, "La Douleur" (Grief).
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