Henri Moreau (1869-1943)

Henri Moreau (1869-1943) was Belgian by birth and by artistic practice. He exhibited in his homeland frequently, including the Brussels International Exhibition of 1910. Moreau moved to Paris in the 1920s, and therefore it is likely he derived inspiration from the fashionable, fantastical world that surrounded him. As well as portraits and figurative works, Moreau also executed a number of still life paintings and landscapes. Still life had grown increasingly popular throughout the second half of the 19th-Century, and by the time he was painting in the early 20th-Century was a respected subject in its own right. His landscapes suggest an interest in, and perhaps travel to, America. Moreau also acted as a painting tutor to his son, Max-Léon Moreau (1902-1992). Moreau the younger became a prominent society portrait painter during his lifetime, and his home in Spain is now a museum filled with his works. There are certain similarities in style and execution to his father’s work, demonstrative of the lessons of the elder. Indeed, Max-Léon Moreau apparently expressed a ‘deep admiration’ for his father and his teachings, often watching him work as a young boy. The younger Moreau also accompanied the older on trips to Belgian theatres, perhaps to garner inspiration from the trendy, fashionable theatregoers and the lavish displays of the sets.