Michel Henry
Michel Henry is a master French painter representative of the late 20th century, and was awarded France's highest honor, the Legion of Honor. He painted flowers in bright colors, creating joyful paintings that gained worldwide popularity, earning him the title "Painter of Happiness." He is also known as the "King of Poppies" in America due to his frequent depiction of poppies. The flowers painted by Michel Henry bloom against the backdrop of beautiful buildings in Paris, Venice, and other cities, as well as natural landscapes and the sea. Born in Langres, France in 1928 and passing away in the suburbs of Paris in 2016, his works continue to convey their charm and emotion to the world.
1: Michel Henry's Career
1928 Born in Langres, a fortified city in western France built by ancient Romans.
Distant view of Michel Henry's hometown Langres↓
1947~ Enrolled in the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Studied in Narbonne's class, known for strong compositions. Bernard Buffet was also in the same class, but later dropped out.
The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (also known as "Beaux-Arts") where Michel Henry studied↓
1950~ Studied in Chapelin-Midi's class, known for beautiful colors, and graduated at the top of his class. Cassignol later enrolled as a junior in Chapelin-Midi's class, and Michel Henry was one of the interviewers for Cassignol's admission.
1954 Dispatched to Barcelona as a representative of the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts to exhibit his works.
1955 Dispatched to Berlin as a representative of the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts to exhibit his works. Awarded the Taylor Prize.
1956 Awarded the Descartes House Prize, leading to a government-sponsored study abroad at the Descartes House in Amsterdam.
1957-58 Awarded the Casa de Velázquez Prize, leading to a scholarship to study in Madrid.
Casa de Velázquez in Madrid where Michel Henry studied abroad↓
1958-65 Signed a contract with Galerie Romanet, a top gallery on Avenue Matignon, a high-end art street in Paris.
Galleries on Avenue Matignon today↓
1960 Awarded the Palais Royal Prize and the Paris City Exhibition Silver Medal, among others. From this year onward, he moved away from the dark style of painting prevalent after the war and began painting with brilliant colors.
1961 Henri Farman Prize
1965 Grand Prize for Young Painters from the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts
1965-2010 Lived in Chagall's former studio on Rue Leclerc in Montparnasse.
Michel Henry standing in front of his studio↓
1967-85 Signed a contract with American gallery Wally Findlay Galleries (Paris, Chicago, Palm Beach, New York, London). Traveled to the United States annually during this period.
1974 Visited Iran as a representative of the Salon d'Automne and met the Shah of Iran.
The Shah and Empress of Iran with Michel Henry↓
1975 Solo exhibition in Geneva.
1977 Awarded the Gold Medal of the Société des Artistes Français.
1981 Awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. Awarded the Gold Medal of the Société Nationale d'Horticulture de France.
1982 Solo exhibition in Geneva.
1983 Appointed Secretary-General of the Salon d'Automne.
1984 Awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite Agricole. The Salon d'Automne held a retrospective exhibition of Michel Henry's work.
1985 First visit to Japan as a representative of the Salon d'Automne, exhibiting his works at the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno.
Bernardaud, a French Limoges porcelain company, produced and sold ceramics with Michel Henry's designs.
1985 Parisian art dealer Edmond Newman produced Michel Henry's original silkscreen prints, "The Four Seasons of France," among others. Galerie Adekat later acquired them.
1986 Parisian art dealer Edmond Newman produced Michel Henry's original silkscreen prints, including "Four Works of Paris in France." Galerie Adekat later acquired them.
1986 Awarded the Paris City Special Prize.
1987 Michel Henry's paintings were exhibited in Japan as part of the World Orchid Exhibition.
1989-95 Signed a contract with Etienne Sassi Gallery on Avenue Matignon.
Michel Henry and Brazillier became the two leading artists of Etienne Sassi.
1990 Appointed Vice President of the Salon d'Automne.
1991 Salon de Violette Gold Medal.
A retrospective exhibition of Michel Henry's work was held at Château de Cédrières, led by Mrs. Jacques Chirac, then First Lady of France.
1992 Onoda Cement (now Taiheiyo Cement) of Japan commissioned Michel Henry to create a painting calendar for 1994-95.
Solo exhibition at Etienne Sassi Gallery in Paris. Solo exhibition at Etienne Sassi Gallery in New York.
1993 Solo exhibitions in Lille and Munich, Germany.
1994 Visited Japan to prepare for the following year's Japan feature as Vice President of the Salon d'Automne.
Solo exhibition in Brussels.
1994~ Signed an exclusive contract with Adeka Co., Ltd. (Galerie Adekat) in Japan. Visited Japan annually until 2009.
1995~ Michel Henry signed a contract with Alexander Leodouse Gallery on Avenue Matignon.
1995 Adeka Co., Ltd. (Galerie Adekat) invited Michel Henry to Japan and held "Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan" at Tokyu Department Store Nihonbashi, Tokyu Toyoko Store, and Galerie Adeka at the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry Exhibition Hall in Sunshine City.
A retrospective exhibition of Michel Henry's work was held at Chapelle des Jésuites.
1997 Michel Henry donated an oil painting to an auction in New York for the research fund for children's eye diseases. Princess Marianne Bernadotte of Sweden, the organizer, paid a courtesy visit to Michel Henry's studio and sent a letter stating that Michel Henry's painting was the highlight of the charity auction.
Appointed chairman of the 2nd Calvi Contemporary Art Exhibition.
Solo exhibition at Château de Vixouze.
Adeka Co., Ltd. (Galerie Adekat) invited Michel Henry to Japan and held "Michel Henry Exhibition in Okinawa" at Okinawa Mitsukoshi. Messages arrived for Michel Henry from Princess Marianne Bernadotte of Sweden, Mrs. Raymond Barre (former French Prime Minister's wife), and the Duchess of Orléans. The store manager of Okinawa Mitsukoshi (who received a warm welcome from the former Paris branch manager) also attended.
1998 Adeka Co., Ltd. (Galerie Adekat) invited Michel Henry to Japan and held "Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan" at Kobe Oriental Hotel and Printemps Ginza in Tokyo.
Kobe Oriental Hotel hosted the Michel Henry Art Exhibition as the main event of the "France Year in Japan" French Fair for Japan-France exchange. Governor Kaibara of Hyogo Prefecture invited Michel Henry to the Hyogo Prefectural Guest House, where Michel Henry was presented with the Key to Hyogo Prefecture and treated as an honorary citizen. Michel Henry appeared on Kobe TV and sent a message of encouragement to the citizens of Kobe during their post-earthquake reconstruction.
Michel Henry paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Alain Naoum, the French Consul General in Osaka and Kobe.
To commemorate the "Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan" at Printemps Ginza, President Chieko Ishii commissioned Michel Henry to create a mural, and Michel Henry painted a mural for Printemps Ginza in response to President Ishii's request.
The Hinode Misaki Hotel in Oumu Town, Hokkaido, decorated its hotel with Michel Henry's oil paintings and created a Michel Henry Gallery.
The Michel Henry exhibition was held at Château de Val, a castle floating on a lake in central France, under the special patronage of Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic. It attracted 300,000 visitors in three months. Lithograph posters and original lithographs of Château de Val created by Michel Henry were sold for charity. Michel Henry donated the proceeds to the restoration of Château de Val.
1999 To commemorate the year 2000, Michel Henry announced the production of his original lithograph series "Michel Henry's Paris 2000." "Michel Henry's Paris 2000" is a series depicting 20 famous places in Paris, such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre Museum, in 20 different original lithograph prints.
Adeka Co., Ltd. (Galerie Adekat) invited Michel Henry to Japan and held "Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan" at Printemps Ginza, Chiba Mitsukoshi, and Galerie Adeka at the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry Exhibition Hall in Sunshine City. Michel Henry held autograph sessions at each venue.
2000 Hyogo Prefecture held the "Japan Flora 2000" flower and greenery exhibition to commemorate earthquake reconstruction. Governor Toshitami Kaibara of Hyogo Prefecture, as a representative of the French National Horticultural Society, invited Michel Henry, an honorary citizen of Hyogo Prefecture, Alain Naoum, the French Consul General in Kobe and Osaka, and Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat, all three of whom attended.
Adeka Co., Ltd. (Galerie Adekat) invited Michel Henry to Japan and held "Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan" at Nagoya Mitsukoshi, Shinjuku Takashimaya, and Kyoto Daimaru.
2000 Galerie Adekat jointly produced and released four original Michel Henry silkscreen prints with Michel Henry, with Venice, Paris, and Rome as themes.
2001 Adeka Co., Ltd. (Galerie Adekat) invited Michel Henry to Japan and held "Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan" at Ikebukuro Mitsukoshi and Chiba Mitsukoshi.
French Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Gourdault-Montagne, co-hosted a welcome party for Michel Henry with Galerie Adekat at the French Ambassador's Residence. Ambassador and Mrs. Gourdault-Montagne welcomed the cocktail party guests. Michel Henry attended the welcome party accompanied by Mrs. Dewi Sukarno, former First Lady of Indonesia and a collector of Michel Henry's paintings. Opera singer Masafumi Akikawa also attended at Mrs. Dewi's invitation. Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat served as emcee.
2002 Adeka Co., Ltd. (Galerie Adekat) invited Michel Henry to Japan and held "Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan" at Sapporo Mitsukoshi and Okayama Tenmaya Main Store. Sapporo Cultural Broadcasting widely reported on Michel Henry's visit to Sapporo Mitsukoshi. Michel Henry, Mr. Yoshikazu Kinashi, President of Sapporo Cultural Broadcasting and Honorary Consul of France in Sapporo, Mr. Fieschi, First Secretary of the French Embassy, and Mr. Gilles Guiot, Director of Alliance Française Sapporo, attended the opening party together with Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat.
A welcome party for Michel Henry was held by Kenichi Tahara, Mayor of Oumu Town, who manages the town-owned Hinode Misaki Hotel, decorated with Michel Henry's paintings. Michel Henry was joined by Mr. Fieschi, First Secretary of the French Embassy, Mr. Gilles Guiot, Director of Alliance Française Sapporo, and Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat.⇓
2000 Galerie Adekat jointly produced and released six original Michel Henry silkscreen prints with Michel Henry, featuring Venice, Paris, and still life, among other themes.
2003
Yoshikazu Kinashi, Honorary Consul of France in Sapporo and President of Sapporo Cultural Broadcasting, and Yasuhiro Takeda, President of Galerie Adekat, visited Michel Henry's hometown, Langres, as a mission from Oumu Town, to deepen friendly relations between Oumu Town, which has a Michel Henry Gallery, and Langres, which plans to establish a Michel Henry Museum. Mayor of Langres hosted a welcome party, attended by Mr. Matsubara, Japanese Consul in Alsace.
Mr. Legros, a prominent citizen of Langres, decided to purchase an old building in Langres to establish a Michel Henry Museum.
A retrospective exhibition of Michel Henry's work was held at Moulin Albigois in Albi, Toulouse-Lautrec's hometown, sponsored by the Midi-Pyrénées region. Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat attended the opening.
Satoru Nino, Principal of Esmod Paris at home in Paris, hosted a welcome party for Yoshikazu Kinashi, attended by Yoshikazu Kinashi, Michel Henry, Hisanori Isomura (former NHK news caster, former NHK Europe General Bureau Chief, first director of Japan Cultural Institute in Paris and his wife), Patrice de la Perrière (President of Univers des Arts magazine and his wife), and Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat, among others.
Adeka Co., Ltd. (Galerie Adekat) invited Michel Henry to Japan and held "Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan" at Ikebukuro Mitsukoshi, Sendai Mitsukoshi, Hakata Daimaru, and Gallery Kimura in Kyobashi, Osaka.
Mr. Philippe Chatenay, French Consul General in Kobe and Osaka, and Mr. and Mrs. Oshima, former Mayor of Osaka, visited the Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan at Gallery Kimura.
At the Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan at Sendai Mitsukoshi, Sendai TV widely reported on the exhibition. Mr. Yoshikazu Kinashi, Honorary Consul of France in Sapporo and President of Sapporo Cultural Broadcasting, visited the venue and reunited with Michel Henry and Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat. Mr. and Mrs. Norio Sugano, Mayor of Iitate Village, Fukushima Prefecture, visited. Mayor Sugano had hoped to establish a museum of love, peace, flowers, and happiness by Raymond Peynet and Michel Henry in Iitate Village.
Michel Henry and Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat were invited to Hakata by Mr. Kazuo Ota, Chairman of Hakata Daimaru and President of Fukuoka Nikko Hotel. Hotel Nikko purchased Michel Henry's paintings and displayed them in the hotel.
At the Hankyu International Hotel, decorated with Michel Henry's paintings: Michel Henry, Philippe Chatenay (French Consul General in Kobe and Osaka), Satoru Nino (Principal of Esmod Paris), Eiji Ogasawara (Vice President of the Kobe-France Association), and Yasuhiro Takeda (President of Galerie Adekat).
A retrospective exhibition of Michel Henry's work was held at Moulin Albigois, adjacent to the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum in Albi, Toulouse-Lautrec's hometown, sponsored by the Midi-Pyrénées region. Approximately 200 of Michel Henry's oil paintings were exhibited. Michel Henry and Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat attended and were interviewed by the local TV station. Univers des Arts magazine published a special feature article.
2004
Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat became secretary-general and founded the Friends of Michel Henry Association. Hisanori Isomura, former NHK news caster, former NHK Europe General Bureau Chief, and first director of Japan Cultural Institute in Paris, became chairman. Toshitami Kaibara, Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, Matsuki Katagiri, President of Fuso-sha, Kazuo Ota, President of Fukuoka Hotel Nikko, and Yoshikazu Kinashi, Honorary Consul of France in Sapporo and President of Sapporo Cultural Broadcasting, became officers.
Adeka Co., Ltd. (Galerie Adekat) invited Michel Henry to Japan and held "Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan" at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, Kobe Daimaru, and Hiroshima Mitsukoshi. Michel Henry and Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat paid a courtesy visit to Governor Ido of Hyogo Prefecture.
2005 In June, "Michel Henry and French Masters Exhibition" (featuring Michel Henry, Picasso, Chagall, Utrillo, etc.) was held at The Westin Tokyo in Ebisu, by invitation for special customers of Isetan Department Store.
In November, "Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan" was held at Shinjuku Isetan, Matsudo Isetan, and Fuchu Isetan.
2006 Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan.
Sendai Mitsukoshi Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan.
Yokohama InterContinental Hotel Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan.
2007 Hôtel Hermitage Gantois, a luxury hotel in Lille, a major city in northern France, held a retrospective exhibition of Michel Henry. Yasuhiro Takeda of Galerie Adekat was invited from Japan.
Ikebukuro Tobu Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan.
Kobe Daimaru Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan.
Hiroshima Mitsukoshi Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan.
Okayama Tenmaya Michel Henry Exhibition.
2008 Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan held.
Fukuyama Tenmaya Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan held (broadcast by Hiroshima TV).
Nagoya Mitsukoshi Michel Henry Exhibition.
2009 Kobe Daimaru held Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan.
Kyoto Daimaru held Michel Henry Exhibition in Japan.
2011 Paris City Exhibition Gold Medal. Alexander Leoduse Gallery in Paris and Cannes held Michel Henry solo exhibitions.
2012 Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Michel Henry Exhibition held.
Kobe Daimaru Michel Henry Art Exhibition held.
2013 Exhibited as the main painter in the "World of French Contemporary Art" exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi.
Sapporo Mitsukoshi Michel Henry Exhibition held.
2014 Retrospective exhibition of Michel Henry's work organized by the city of Antony, a suburb of Paris.
December 25, 2016 Passed away in the suburbs of Paris.
Other Michel Henry exhibitions in Japan (Shinsaibashi Daimaru, Kyoto Daimaru, Umeda Daimaru, Okayama Tenmaya, Takamatsu Tenmaya, Hiroshima Mitsukoshi, Umeda Daimaru, Kichijoji Tokyu, Tama Plaza Tokyu, Machida Tokyu, Machida Odakyu, Iwaki Daikokuya).
2: Collection Holders
Collectors: Paris Museum of Modern Art, Bogota Museum of Art, Valence Museum of Art, Langres Museum of Art, Beirut Museum of Art, Orléans Museum of Art, Royal Family of Saudi Arabia, Princely Family of Monaco, Royal Family of Sweden, Royal Family of the Netherlands, Royal Family of Norway, Jacques Chirac (former President of the French Republic), Raymond Barre (former Prime Minister of France), Jeanne Moreau (French actress), Greta Garbo (American actress), Calgary Rock Hotel (Canada), Hankyu International Hotel, Fukuoka Nikko Hotel, Juntendo Hospital, …etc.
3: Awards and Honors
Paris City Exhibition Gold Medal, French Artists' Association Gold Medal, Salon d'Automne Gold Medal, Young Painters Exhibition Gold Medal, Salon de Ville Gold Medal, and many others.
Legion of Honor, Order of Agricultural Merit.
Michel Henry Photo Collection here→
Michel Henry Work Explanation here→