Sunday, September 29, 2019

Henri Gaudier-Brzeska

Henri Gaudier-Brzeska (1891 –1915) was a French artist and sculptor who developed a rough-hewn, primitive style of direct carving.
Henri Gaudier was born in Saint-Jean-de-Braye near Orléans. In 1910, he moved to London to become an artist, even though he had no formal training. With him came Sophie Brzeska, a Polish writer over twice his age whom he had met at the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, and with whom he began an intense relationship, annexing her surname although they never married.
Man In Beret by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska
Henri was devoted to Sophie, even taking her last name as his, but Sophie was often dismissive and cold towards Henri's romantic overtures (indeed, according to Ede they either never had sex, only did once or twice). They were often apart, and Sophie would buy Henri prostitutes for his enjoyment instead of having relations with him.
Following his death Sophie Brzeska became distraught, eventually dying in an asylum in 1925.

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