Henri Fantin-Latour

A painter who throughout his life sought to reconcile realism and ideals, Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904) tried his hand at self-portraiture from the age of 17 - some fifty would follow. He renews the group portrait with his great manifesto paintings Hommage à Delacroix, L'Atelier des Batignolles and Un coin de table. A true portrait painter of flowers, a genre in which he is very prolific, Fantin excels in the art of translating the subtlety of colours and materials. This great music lover also draws part of his inspiration from Wagner's operas and the music of Schumann, Brahms and Berlioz. From 1890 onwards, he exhibited only works of imagination, close to symbolism, at the Salon.

An artist on the edge of his skin, Fantin-Latour, despite his discretion, established himself as a leading figure of his century.