- Born:
- June 28, 1893, New York, New York, U.S.
- Died:
- July 24, 1982, CompiĂšgne, France (aged 89)
Florence Henri
-
Who was Florence Henri?
Florence Henri (1893â1982) was an American-born Swiss photographer and painter closely tied to the Bauhaus movement. Orphaned in her mid-teens, Henri's early artistic journey involved music and painting studies in Berlin and Paris, before enrolling at the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany in 1927.
Introduced to photography by LĂĄszlo Moholy-Nagy, she soon shifted her focus, developing a geometric and abstract style influenced by Constructivism and late Cubism. In 1929, she established a studio in Paris, gaining recognition as a portraitist and commercial photographer known for her innovative use of mirrors and unusual angles. Her work decreased during World War II but she returned to painting after the war. Forgotten for a time, feminist scholars rediscovered her work in the 1970s.
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Where was Florence Henri born, and where did she spend most of her life?
Florence Henri, an American-born Swiss photographer and painter, was born in New York, New York, on June 28, 1893. By mid-adolescence, having lost both parents, Henri was raised by extended family in Silesia (now southwestern Poland), London, the Isle of Wight in England, and Rome.
In 1924, Henri relocated to Paris, later enrolling at the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany, in 1927. By 1929, she moved back to Paris, where she established a studio and worked as a photographer. Florence Henri died on July 24, 1982, in CompiĂšgne, France.
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What types of art did Florence Henri create?
Florence Henri was an American-born Swiss photographer and painter known for her association with the Bauhaus movement. She is best known for using mirrors and unusual angles to create disorienting photographs.
Henri's focus shifted from music to visual arts after meeting art critic Carl Einstein around 1912, and she began painting in 1914. In 1927, she studied painting with Josef Albers at the Bauhaus and was introduced to photography by LĂĄszlo Moholy-Nagy. By 1928, Henri abandoned painting for photography and developed a geometric and abstract aesthetic influenced by Constructivism and late Cubism. After the Nazi occupation of France, Henri returned to painting.
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Why is Florence Henri known for her photography style?
Florence Henri, an American-born Swiss photographer and painter, is known for her photography style because of her association with the Bauhaus and her use of mirrors and unusual angles to create disorienting photographs. Greatly influenced by the avant-garde movements, especially Constructivism and late Cubism, Henri developed a geometric and abstract aesthetic. In 1929, she moved back to Paris and established herself as a portraitist and commercial photographer in the advertising and fashion industries. Her interest in sharp lines and clear details aligned her with the New Vision photography movement.
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How did Florence Henri use mirrors and reflections in her art?
Florence Henri, an American-born Swiss photographer and painter, is known for using mirrors and unusual angles to create disorienting photographs.
Henri moved back to Paris in 1929 and set up a studio there. She practiced photography and developed a geometric and abstract aesthetic greatly influenced by the reigning avant-garde movements, especially Constructivism and late Cubism. Her photographs often incorporated mirrors, which she used to disrupt and fragment space. Among her best-known images is a 1928 self-portrait with two balls and a mirror.
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What influence did Florence Henri have on the development of modern photography?
Florence Henri, an American-born Swiss photographer and painter, significantly contributed to modern photography through her innovative techniques and geometric aesthetic. Influenced by Constructivism and late Cubism, she employed mirrors and unusual angles to create disorienting photographs, disrupting and fragmenting space.
As a portraitist and commercial photographer in Paris, Henri became known for closely cropped still lifes and portraits, primarily of women. Her sharp lines and clear details aligned her with the New Vision (Neue Sehen) photography movement. Henri's work was displayed in several important photography exhibitions, including "Film und Foto" (1929, Stuttgart) and "Das Lichtbild" (1931, Munich).
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Florence Henri (born June 28, 1893, New York, New York, U.S.âdied July 24, 1982, CompiĂšgne, France) was an American-born Swiss photographer and painter associated with the Bauhaus and best known for her use of mirrors and unusual angles to create disorienting photographs.
By mid-adolescence Henri had lost both her parents. She was raised by an array of extended family members in Silesia (now southwestern Poland), London, the Isle of Wight in England, and Rome. She began studying music in London and by 1911 was a proficient pianist.
Henri moved to Berlin about 1912 and at first continued to study music, but her focus shifted toward the visual arts, especially after she met art critic and historian Carl Einstein, through whom she became acquainted with Berlinâs avant-garde artists. She began her painting studies in 1914 while in Berlin. Henri moved to Paris in 1924 and took painting classes at the AcadĂ©mie Montparnasse and later at the AcadĂ©mie Moderne. She enrolled at the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany, in 1927. There she studied painting with Josef Albers and was introduced to photography by LĂĄszlĂł Moholy-Nagy. She also fostered a close friendship with his wife, Lucia Moholyâwho took striking close-up photographs of Henriâand within a year Henri had abandoned painting for photography.
Henri moved back to Paris in 1929 and set up a studio there. She practiced photography and developed a geometric and abstract aesthetic greatly influenced by the reigning avant-garde movements, especially Constructivism and late Cubism. Her photographs often incorporated mirrors, which she used to disrupt and fragment space. Henri established herself as a portraitist and as a commercial photographer in the advertising and fashion industries. She became known for her closely cropped still lifes and for her portraits, most of which were of women. Among her best-known images is a 1928 self-portrait with two balls and a mirror. Her interest in sharp lines and clear details aligned her with the New Vision (Neue Sehen) photography movement led by Albert Renger-Patzsch. She participated in several important photography exhibitions, including âFilm und Fotoâ (1929, Stuttgart) and âDas Lichtbildâ (1931, Munich), and she had her first solo exhibition in 1930 in Paris.
Her output decreased significantly during World War II initially because of a lack of materials and then ultimately, with the Nazi occupation of France, because of the prohibition against her brand of abstract photography. After the war Henri returned to painting. As was the case with many women artists of the early 20th century, her work was forgotten until renewed interest by feminist scholars resurrected it in the 1970s. She had her first solo exhibition in four decades in 1974, at which time a small portfolio of her work was also published. Since then she has been included in a number of solo exhibitions and many group exhibitions alongside the many talented women of her era.