Michel Henry and the Paris studio of the Ecole de Paris painter Marc Chagall
Before the war, the Parisian painter Michel Henry's studio was used as a studio and residence by Marc Chagall, a painter from the École de Paris in Montparnasse. The Russian revolutionary Lenin also lived there during his time in Paris.
Michel Henry standing in front of his studio
Before the war, the Parisian painter Michel Henry's studio was used as a studio and residence by Marc Chagall, a painter from the École de Paris in Montparnasse. The Russian revolutionary Lenin also lived there during his time in Paris.
Pre-war photos of Marc Chagall
Chagall lived in Paris on and off for nearly 30 years, except for periods when he lived in Ukraine and the United States, and produced prints at the Mourlot workshop, a fantastical painting style that was heavily influenced by the traditional painting of his native Ukraine.
Chagall moved to Nice in the south of France in 1950, where he passed away. Michel Henry took over the studio where Chagall lived before the war in the 1950s, and continued to live there for over 50 years.
Marc Chagall's painting of Paris
Russian revolutionary Lenin also lived in the building that Michel Henry used as his residence for about two years from 1910, and it is likely that he wrote manuscripts for Pravda in the studio on the first floor.
Photo of Russian revolutionary Lenin
In Paris from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, artists gathered in the hills of Montmartre, the northernmost part of the right bank, and Montparnasse, near the southernmost part of the left bank. It is well known that Picasso and Braque repeatedly experimented with Cubism in an apartment called Bateau laboire (laundry boat) in Montmartre, creating Cubist paintings and sculptures.
Photo of Bateau lavoir (laundry boat) ↓
Montparnasse was the home of the École de Paris (a general term for foreign artists who lived and worked in Paris in the early 20th century), including Chagall, Tsuguji Foujita, and Modigliani, and the collective apartment building (atelier and residence) exclusively for artists known as La Ruche (the beehive) still remains to this day.
Photo of La Ruche (the beehive) ↓
Marc Chagall painted fantastical paintings that were heavily influenced by the traditional paintings of his native Ukraine, and lived in Paris intermittently for nearly 30 years until he moved to Nice on the Cote d'Azur in 1950. Michel Henry took over the studio where Chagall lived before the war in the 1950s after the war.
Marc Chagall's painting of Paris
This atelier is located 5-6 minutes from Alesia, the next metro station after Montparnasse Station. Opening one of the large green wooden doors that can be opened to the left and right on the front side facing Avenue de General Leclerc, you enter the courtyard. On the left side of the path to the courtyard is the atelier, with a glass ceiling to let in light. Inside the atelier there is a reception set to welcome guests.
The building on the right side of the courtyard path has a studio on the first floor where he paints large paintings of over 80 cm, and a residence on the second floor. There was a huge easel on the first floor.
Behind this green door is a large courtyard and the studios of Michel Henry and Marc Chagall. Paris is deep.
The photo below is of Princess Bernadotte of Sweden visiting Michel Henry's studio. The Kingdom of Sweden has a collection of Michel Henry's works, but Princess Bernadotte's visit was not to purchase any pieces.
Princess Bernadotte is involved in activities to support children with serious eye diseases, and when she held a charity auction in New York to raise funds for her efforts, she visited the atelier to request that Michel Henry's works be offered for sale for charity.
Princess Bernadotte of Sweden wrote a letter to Michel Henry.
The interior, entered through the door facing Avenue de General Leclerc, was over 330m² in size and had exclusive use by Michel Henry, so the rent was extremely high. Michel Henry continued to live in this studio and residence for over 50 years, until 2012.
Michel Henry standing in his studio on the left side of the courtyard path.
Michel Henry
That's a total of 1 billion yen in rent paid over the course of 50 years. During the time he was working with the US, he had a 20-bedroom villa in the south of France, which was crowded with Americans. In the mid-1990s, the American Findlay Gallery, which had a contract with Michel Henry, withdrew from Paris, and work in the US decreased dramatically, so he sold his villa in the south of France and bought an ordinary villa on the seaside in Normandy, a few hours by train from Paris.
A seaside view of Normandy. On a clear day, you can see England on the opposite shore.
Etienne Sacy, who was the Paris branch manager of the Findlay Gallery, opened the Sacy Gallery on Rue Matignon, the same prestigious art gallery district as Wally Findlay, so Michel Henry signed a contract with the Sacy Gallery in France and became one of the Gallery's two main stars along with André Brasilier.
Current photo of the gallery on Matignon Street ↓
Mr. Sachy opened another store for Michel Henry on Rue Matignon, which would be a permanent store for Michel Henry, separate from the one in Brasilier.
Current gallery on Rue Matignon in Paris
I met Michel Henry just after the American gallery Findlay withdrew from Paris, so in a sense the timing of his contract with us was good for him. If he had continued to be contracted with Findlay, I don't think he would have signed with us.
The fact that I am fluent in French, which is rare for a Japanese art dealer, and have a deep interest in French culture and friendly ties with the French Embassy may have also encouraged Michel Henry to make a decision. Our company made a contract with Michel Henry at the perfect time. It was an incredibly lucky decision for me.
Michel Henry and me at the exhibition at Printemps Ginza (Galerie Adeka Takeda Yasuhiro)
At that time, a few years after the collapse of the bubble economy, Japan was the second largest economic power in the world after the U.S. It was a time when French paintings were selling well in Japan, so I think it was natural for Michel Henry to think that if America didn't work out, he would try Japan.
From then on, Michel Henry began drawing for our company as well.
Michel Henry enjoys Japanese food during his visit to Japan
From the left: Galerie Adeka employee Yasuhiro Takeda and Michel Henry
The buildings on either side of the courtyard at 110, Avenue du General Leclerc in the 14th arrondissement of Paris are historic structures that provided a writing space for the Russian revolutionary Lenin and a creative space for the great pre- and post-war writers Marc Chagall and Michel Henry.