Description
Armand Henrion (1875 – 1958) – La surprise (Surprised Clown)
Artist – Armand François Joseph Henrion (1875 – 1958)
Title – La surprise (Self Portrait)
Original Oil Paining on Board
Actual Painting Size – 7 x 5″ Inches
Supplied in Original Frame
Biography
Armand François Joseph Henrion was born in Liège in Belgium on May 30, 1875. However he sadly died in Paris in 1958. Armand eventually naturalized as a French citizen.
Though he was a very well regarded artist, he still exhibited at various Salons throughout Paris and Belgium. He was best known for his small portraits depicting smiling facial expressions of clowns. These works are actually self portraits of the artist himself who would spend his days painting before a mirror. In whatever costume or facial expression he chose depending on his mood..
Henrion had an all-consuming fascination with the character of Pierrot. Armand Henrion portrayed himself as this comic trickster, who traditionally did not wear a mask, but instead applied heavy white face make-up. Subsequently exploring nuances of humour in his works which encompass the facial expressions conveying such qualities as the tongue-in-cheek, the retort, the comeback, the riposte, and the droll comment. His animated, gestural style in the creation of the small, jewel-like, depictions matches the feelings they convey of a light-hearted sense that life is to be enjoyed.
