HENRI GAUDIER-BRZESKA 1891-1915
Self-Portrait 1912 Portrait of Gaudier by Henry Rayner
National Portrait Gallery, London LFA Collection, London
Chronology
1892 Born 4 October at St. Jean de Braye
1903 -08 Educated at Orléans. Won scholarship for two month visit to London and another to study English
business methods at Bristol University. Worked temporarily at a Cardiff coal merchant's.
1909 Went to Germany to study art. Worked at a factory in Munich. In October returned to Paris and worked as
translator in a library.
1910 Met Sophie Brzeska in the library of Ste. Geneviève in Paris. Decided to devote himself to sculpture.
Returned to St. Jean de Braye, with Sophie lodging in a nearby village.
1911 After disagreement with his family about Sophie, they both returned to Paris. In January goes to London and
adds Brzeska to his own name. Employed as a clerk in a shipping agent.
1912 Met Brodzky, Haldane MacFall, Middleton Murry, Lovat Fraser and others who were of influence and help. Made numerous studies
of birds and animals at the Zoo, and of boxing and wrestling matches which were later used for sculpture. Commissioned
to sculpt Maria Carmi as the Nun in the Miracle. Several pastels completed.
1913 Moved to studio under railway arch in Putney. Met Frank Harris and Ezra Pound who remained a friend for the
remainder of his life. Exhibited at the Alpine Club where he sold several sculptures. With Sophie visited Arundel Park where
he made many drawings of deer.
1914 Exhibited with the London Group and the Allied Artists' Association at the Albert Hall. Joined French army.
1915 Promoted first to Corporal then to Sergeant. Showed at the London Group Exhibition in the Goupil Gallery two drawings he
made in the trenches. Killed on 5 June, during an infantry charge at Neuville-Saint-Vaast.
©2009 Lonbersyl Fine Art