1877 – 1960

Rene Charles Edmond His was born in the small town of Colombes, France in 1877. Although little is recorded about his life, it is known that he was taught by the distinguished teachers; Jules Lefebvre, Tony Robert-Fleury and Leon Tanzi. However, the most important influence on his work appears to have been the well known artist Henri Biva whose meticulous style and feeling for nature inspired him to strive for perfection in his depiction of woodland and river banks.

He became a member of La Societe des Artistes Francais in 1897 and received a commendation, followed by a bronze medal, in 1900. L’Exposition Universelle also honoured him in the same year.

His rarely ventured far a field and became something of a recluse. However, he did travel to the coastal regions of Provence and to Algeria. Examples of his work during this period are comparatively rare. Rene His’ works were successfully sold, for many years in France, through the Leon Gerard Gallery. Collectors and critics alike across the Channel were captivated by his outstanding treatment of the interaction of light on water and demand grew for his paintings in Britain.

Museums: Cahors, Charleville, Constantine and Senlis.

The exact history and provenance of this piece is unknown to us. We believe, however, that it was owned by the highly prestigious company Stacey Marks who worked directly with the artist and imported directly from his studio.

This piece was bought through the trade. It truly is a remarkable illustration of work. The scale is rarely seen and possesses an almost life size feel with a truly remarkable depth.