Young Breton women - Henri Royer (1869-1938)

Henri Royer 1869-1938

An eclectic painter, he excelled in genre, portrait and landscape. Royer traveled extensively, notably in America and throughout Europe, but it was in Brittany that he found a true artistic home.

Henri Royer is the son of Jules Royer, founder of one of Nancy's most prestigious lithographic printing works.

Immersed in an artistic environment from an early age, he entered Nancy's École des Beaux-Arts, where he met Émile Friant.

He exhibited his first works at the Salon de Nancy. These promising beginnings prompted his parents and teachers to support a study trip to the Netherlands, which he undertook with Emile Friant.
Following his studies at the Beaux-Arts, Henri Royer entered the Académie Julian in 1890, where he frequented the studios of Jules Joseph Lefebvre, Théodore Devilly and Flameng.
That same year, he took part in the Salon for the first time.

Henri Royer's passion for Brittany

He stayed there regularly until 1936, two years before his death, living first in Audierne and then in Primelin, near the chapel of Saint-Tugen.
Unlike other artists, this Lorraine-born painter is distinguished by his sincere interest in people, going beyond the simple picturesqueness of their traditional costumes.

To better understand and represent Breton culture, he even learned Breton.
A man of faith and great spiritual sensitivity, Royer found an echo to his own fervor in the Catholic practices still deeply rooted in Brittany at the time.

In his works, he favors intimate prayer scenes over large religious gatherings, such as pardons.
His pastels and drawings reveal an elegance and finesse that have earned him comparisons to Ingres.
He also made a name for himself with his portraits, which attracted much attention in their day.