Auguste Herbin

Auguste Herbin. Auguste Herbin was a pivotal French painter of the 20th century whose artistic journey spanned several major modern movements. Initially working in a Post-Impressionist style, he became a significant figure within the Cubist circles of Montmartre before co-founding the influential Abstraction-Création group. He is best remembered for his rigorously geometric, brightly colored abstract compositions and his theoretical work, L'Art Non-Figuratif Non-Objectif.

Biography

Born in the small town of Quiévy in northern France, Herbin moved to Paris in 1903, where he initially painted in an Impressionist manner influenced by artists like Vincent van Gogh. By 1909, he had settled in the Bateau-Lavoir studios in Montmartre, placing him at the heart of the avant-garde alongside figures like Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. His work was regularly exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants and the Salon d'Automne, and he gained early patronage from the German collector Wilhelm Uhde. After a period of experimentation with different styles, including a return to figurative work in the 1920s, Herbin fully committed to abstraction around 1926–1927. He helped establish the Abstraction-Création group in 1931, serving as its vice-president, and later became a founding member of the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles in 1946.

Artistic style and development

Herbin's early work was marked by a Fauvist use of color and a Post-Impressionist technique. His immersion in the Cubist environment of the Bateau-Lavoir led him to adopt a more structured, analytical approach, evident in works shown at the 1914 Salon des Indépendants. After World War I, he briefly explored a more decorative, streamlined style sometimes associated with Art Deco. His decisive turn to pure abstraction in the late 1920s was characterized by flat, interlocking geometric forms and a vibrant palette. He developed a personal theoretical system called "alphabet plastique," which assigned specific colors, shapes, and musical notes to each letter, aiming to create a universal language of form, detailed in his 1949 book L'Art Non-Figuratif Non-Objectif.

Major works and exhibitions

Key early canvases like those exhibited at the 1914 Salon des Indépendants showcased his Cubist period. His mature abstract work is exemplified by paintings such as Joie (1938) and the monumental Composition (1953). Herbin participated in landmark group exhibitions, including those organized by Abstraction-Création in Paris and internationally, which promoted non-figurative art. Major retrospectives of his work have been held at institutions like the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. His paintings are held in prestigious collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Tate Modern in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Influence and legacy

As a co-founder of Abstraction-Création, Herbin played a crucial role in providing a platform and theoretical foundation for international abstract artists during the 1930s, influencing figures like Jean Arp and Sophie Taeuber-Arp. His "alphabet plastique" theory represents a significant contribution to the search for a systematic, universal visual language, connecting to broader ideas in Constructivism and De Stijl. His advocacy through the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles helped cement the position of geometric abstraction in post-war Europe. His work is seen as a direct precursor to movements such as Hard-edge painting and Op art, influencing later artists including Victor Vasarely and Richard Paul Lohse.

Selected works

* Portrait de femme (c. 1905) * Paysage à Céret (1913) * Composition (1919) * Joie (1938) * Composition (1953) * Alphabet plastique series

Category:French painters Category:Abstract artists Category:1882 births Category:1960 deaths