Henry Moret was a French landscape artist known for his seascapes and scenes of the Brittany region of France. Moret studied under Jean-Paul Laurens at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, however, he eventually abandoned his academic training to paint in the style of the Impressionists.

Moret became friends with fellow painters Paul Gaugin and Emile Bernard when he moved to Pont-Aven in 1888. The influence of his fellow painter friends led Bernard to Symbolism for a while, but Moret eventually returned to Impressionism.

Living in Normandy and the Breton countryside helped Moret to develop his own personal style of landscape painting. Moret typically painted bodies of water, jagged cliffs and ominous, stormy skies in his beautifully executed landscapes.

Moret visited the island of Ouessant several times near the turn of the century. During this time, Moret was inspired by friend and fellow painter van Gogh, and his paintings became more Expressive as a result. The two painters would often trade paintings during their friendship, and likely worked alongside one another. This period marked the most productive and successful of his career. Even though Moret managed to live in relative quiet and solitude, his work was still fairly well represented and exhibited in Paris during his lifetime.

Moret’s work is distinguished by a fairly large catalog of Impressionist and Expressionist maritime landscapes. Though he typically preferred to paint bodies of water, Moret would also paint city scenes and country cottages, occasionally incorporating figures and people into his compositions. While he certainly painted portraits and still life paintings as a student, a painting in this style by Moret would be a rare find. He would typically sign his work “Moret” on the front of his canvas in the bottom left or right hand corner. Today his work is housed in public and private collections all over Europe, and perhaps in your own home. Still wondering about a French Impressionist landscape painting hanging in your home? Contact us… it could be by Henry Moret.