DOI issue:
No. 61 (April, 1898)
DOI article:Lees, Frederic: Henri Harpignies
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18391#0168
Henri Harpignies
Le Chetnin Creux, a view in the suburbs of Valen-
ciennes, and another work with an Italian subject.
From this time forward Harpignies' progress was
slow but sure. In 1858 he commenced the study
of children, and Harpignies' children are full of the
most delicious life and movement; in the following
year we find him studying the contour of trees at
Mars-sur-Allier; and in i860 he paid a second
visit to Italy, this time in company with Corot—a
journey to which must be given a high place in
a record of his artistic education, since he com-
menced in consequence to introduce into his
pictures something of Corot's poesy, this being
especially noticeable in the works which he ex-
hibited at the 1865 Salon. Meanwhile, in 1861,
he exhibited his first really important work, Lisiere
de bois sur les bords de PAllier, and a number of
pictures of child life, the studies for which were
made a few years before. These pictures of
children are of considerable interest now as the
early work of an artist who has completely changed
his manner, and especially when we know the cir-
cumstances under which they came to be painted.
Harpignies was one day painting at Plagny, in the
neighbourhood of Nevers, when a number of chil-
dren from the village gathered round him and made
all serious work at the picture on the easel before
him out of the question. He therefore commenced
to make a series of rapid sketches of his tormentors,
and it was these which he afterwards utilised in
Les Petits Maraudeurs ; EEcole Buissonnicre, chil-
dren playing truant; Qui s'y frotte, s'y pique, chil-
dren fleeing from bees which they have been tor-
menting ; Le Passage du Regiment; and another
picture of children seeking for cockchafers. Some
years, fruitful though they were, must now be
passed over with a mere mention until we reach
1869, a year which I consider of great importance,
since it was then that Harpignies—very much as
Jean Francois Millet and Charles Jacque discovered
Barbizon—discovered Herrison, in theBourbonnais.
In 1863 Harpignies was deservedly praised for
Les Corbeaux, and in 1866 he produced a work of
great value, Le Soir dans la campagne de Rome, for
which he received his first medal. This latter pic-
ture was for some years in the Luxembourg Gallery
FROM A CHALK DRAWING }!Y HENRI HARPIGNIES
147
Le Chetnin Creux, a view in the suburbs of Valen-
ciennes, and another work with an Italian subject.
From this time forward Harpignies' progress was
slow but sure. In 1858 he commenced the study
of children, and Harpignies' children are full of the
most delicious life and movement; in the following
year we find him studying the contour of trees at
Mars-sur-Allier; and in i860 he paid a second
visit to Italy, this time in company with Corot—a
journey to which must be given a high place in
a record of his artistic education, since he com-
menced in consequence to introduce into his
pictures something of Corot's poesy, this being
especially noticeable in the works which he ex-
hibited at the 1865 Salon. Meanwhile, in 1861,
he exhibited his first really important work, Lisiere
de bois sur les bords de PAllier, and a number of
pictures of child life, the studies for which were
made a few years before. These pictures of
children are of considerable interest now as the
early work of an artist who has completely changed
his manner, and especially when we know the cir-
cumstances under which they came to be painted.
Harpignies was one day painting at Plagny, in the
neighbourhood of Nevers, when a number of chil-
dren from the village gathered round him and made
all serious work at the picture on the easel before
him out of the question. He therefore commenced
to make a series of rapid sketches of his tormentors,
and it was these which he afterwards utilised in
Les Petits Maraudeurs ; EEcole Buissonnicre, chil-
dren playing truant; Qui s'y frotte, s'y pique, chil-
dren fleeing from bees which they have been tor-
menting ; Le Passage du Regiment; and another
picture of children seeking for cockchafers. Some
years, fruitful though they were, must now be
passed over with a mere mention until we reach
1869, a year which I consider of great importance,
since it was then that Harpignies—very much as
Jean Francois Millet and Charles Jacque discovered
Barbizon—discovered Herrison, in theBourbonnais.
In 1863 Harpignies was deservedly praised for
Les Corbeaux, and in 1866 he produced a work of
great value, Le Soir dans la campagne de Rome, for
which he received his first medal. This latter pic-
ture was for some years in the Luxembourg Gallery
FROM A CHALK DRAWING }!Y HENRI HARPIGNIES
147