Henri Le Sidaner

The French painter Henri Le Sidaner (1862–1939) chose to spend most of his life in quiet isolation, away from both Paris and the polemics of his day. He used small, distinct brushstrokes and his canvases have a luminous, almost mystical quality, but he was neither a Pointillist nor a Symbolist. When asked which school he belonged to, he replied: "None. But if you absolutely insist on categorizing me, I am an Intimist."
This biography is the sole contemporary account of Le Sidaner's career and now, after more than ninety years, it has finally been translated into English. Camille Mauclair discusses the artist's youth, influences, technique, choice of subjects, as well as his particular attachment to the village of Gerberoy.