Laurens, Henri

Henri Laurens, born in 1885 and died in 1954, was a French sculptor, painter, draughtsman and engraver. Initially close to Cubism, he moved away from it to develop a more organic style, depicting female nudes and scenes from ancient mythology. Read the biography

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Biography

Born in Paris in 1885, Henri Laurens trained in a decoration workshop and drew architectural models. He worked as a construction worker during the day and took drawing classes at night. After discovering Auguste Rodin, Laurens created his first sculptures, and then moved closer to cubism when he met Georges Braque in 1911. Pablo Picasso helped him make his mark in the Paris art world. After the First World War, Henri Laurens moved away from Cubism to build a more organic style, using curves to depict female nudes and scenes from ancient mythology. In 1953, he won the Grand Prix at the Sao Paulo Biennale. His work also includes a large number of engravings, etchings and illustrations for literary works, notably The Odyssey of Homer. He died in Paris on May 5, 1954.