Henri Gaudier-Brzeska - Henri Gaudier-Brzeska - Framed art Print

Henri Gaudier-Brzeska (1891–1915) was not only a French sculptor and draftsman but also made a significant impact on British art, despite living much of his life in England. He plunged into the world of sculpture in Paris in 1910 without any official schooling. In the same year, he developed a close relationship with Sophie Brzeska, a Polish woman two decades his senior. They both chose to take on the double-barrelled name and relocated to London in 1911. Gaudier had visited this city briefly in 1906 and 1908. They lived in severe destitution for a period.

He befriended key figures in literature and art, like Wyndham Lewis. Gaudier's artwork featured in cutting-edge exhibitions, including the Vorticist exhibition in 1915. He joined the French military in 1914 and tragically lost his life in battle the next year at the tender age of 23.

Gaudier's artistic development was remarkably swift, evolving from a style influenced by Rodin to a unique carving style, reminiscent of Brancusi (Red Stone Dancer, c.1913, Tate, London). In England, only Epstein was creating sculpture as pioneering as Gaudier's at that time. His work was admired by a niche audience during his life; however, posthumously, he has gained broad recognition as one of his generation's leading sculptors and acquired a legendary status as a prodigy unfulfilled. He also left behind some magnificent animal sketches.