A New Friend

Studio of Jean-Jacques Henner

On a recent trip to Paris, I met a new "friend": Jean-Jacques Henner. Nevermind that Henner died over a hundred years ago--I felt as if I had actually made his acquaintance simply by visiting his home and seeing his paintings. Like most painters, I have a real "thing" for seeing the studios of other artists. And the joy is even greater when the studio is in an historic home, once inhabited by the artist, now open to the public as a museum. Yum!

"La Liseuse"
Jean-Jacques Henner

Jean-Jacques Henner

Henner was a French painter, born in the Alsace region. He was a master of sfumato--a blurring of the lines often practiced in the Renaissance. In English, "sfumato" means soft, vague, or blurred. The approach makes for a very soft transition between shapes and colors. Henner is well known for his softly rendered nudes. Even his still lifes have a sensuous softness of line. But the paintings that really spoke to me were his landscapes.

"La Baie de Naples, la peninsule Sorrentine et Capri"
Jean-Jacques Henner, 1862

"Vue de Bernwiller dans les arbres"
Jean-Jacques Henner, 1890-1905

Faithful readers know that I am always trying to simplify the complexities of the landscape. I believe that strong, simple shapes, and accurate color relationships, convey more than a myriad of details. Some of Henner's landscapes were absolute proof of this concept. The stunning little paintings just above practically took my breath away. How could he say so much with so little?!?  These paintings stand beautifully on their own, but look what happens when you put them in a frame. They become truly monumental!

Some of Henner's landscape paintings were no more than silhouettes. But they too captured my imagination. No mere cut-outs, these! They had grandeur, heft and dimensionality. I felt as if I could walk right into the scene and smell the air. Two of these paintings are featured below. The second painting, "Houses in the Fog" really struck a chord with me. I felt like I was looking out my own window. The image is iconic and universal.

"Paysage de la Dollee"
Jean-Jacques Henner, 1890-1905

"Maisons dans la brume"
Jean-Jacques Henner

If you are visiting Paris, and looking for a destination somewhat off the beaten tourist path, I can recommend a visit to the Henner Museum. It was just re-opened in 2016 after extensive renovations. Photos can never do justice to original works of art, and these are worth seeing in person.  Nearby is the Parc Monceau--definitly worth a stroll. You can make an afternoon of it. Enjoy!