This biography from the Archives of AskART:
|  Henri Beau (1863 – 1949)
A painter, draftsman, muralist and illustrator, Henri Beau was born in Montreal, Quebec, but lived most of his life in Paris, France where he died. Although, during the first half of his career he established a reputation as a brilliant Impressionist painter, at the age of 52 he marginalized that part of his oeuvre and took a full time job with the Canadian Public Archives. He spent the next 23 years making illustrations of 17th and 18th century European places, people, things and events that had an historic link with Canada. (1)
His mediums included oils, watercolors, gouache*, fresco*, pencil, pen & ink*, charcoal and mixed mediums. His subjects could be divided into two categories: Those he painted in a semi Realist* style, for the Canadian archives, which included period costumes, hairstyles, military uniforms, royalty, soldiers, explorers, religious figures, historic places (particularly European ports of departure for explorers and immigrants), historic events and genre*; and, those he painted in a Plein Air* and Impressionist* style which included landscapes, interiors, nudes, genre, portraits, children, harbors, boats and still life. AskART Images have some very good illustrations of his Impressionist work. (2)
Beau began his art studies with Joseph Chabert (1831 – 1894) in Montreal (c.1881 – 1883); after a few years of traveling in the USA, Beau went to Paris where he studied at the Académie Julian*; and under Jean-Paul Gerome (see AskART) at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts* (1889, 1893 – 1894). (3)
After 1894 he only returned to Canada on a few occasions for brief stays (1902 – 1903 and 1904 – 1906); he did not return after 1906. He began working for the Canadian government as an archivist in Paris in 1915 and remained employed in that position until 1938. (4)
His travels notably include the USA and particularity San Francisco from 1884 to 1886; where he did colored engravings. He also visited Belgium, Holland, Italy and Spain in the employ of Canada. (5)
He was a member of the Pen and Pencil Club* of Montreal as well as of several French art societies including the Salon d’hiver and the Salon de la Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts*. (6)
In addition to the above associations, he exhibited with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts* (1896 – 1914, 1925 and 1945); the Art Association of Montreal [now Montreal Museum of Fine Arts] (1894 – 1946); Salon des Champs-Elysees, Paris [see Salon des Artistes Francais*] (1893); the Salon des Independants*, Paris (1902 and 1937); and the Salon d’Automne*, Paris (1907). (7)
His works were also included in the “Exposition Universelle”*, Paris (1900); the “Pan-American Exposition”*, Buffalo, New York (1901); and the “Louisiana Purchase Exposition”*, St. Louis, Missouri (1904). (8)
Posthumously, the Quebec Museum of Fine Arts (Quebec City) held a three month “Memorial” exhibition of his works in 1987, and to accompany it published the monograph, Henri Beau, 1863 – 1949 by Pierre L'Allier. Beau’s paintings were also part of the 1995/1996 touring exhibition “Visions of Light and Air: Canadian Impressionism, 1885 – 1920” and they are illustrated in the exhibition catalogue. (9)
Henri Beau’s paintings are frequently traded on the Canadian auction market, they are in numerous private collections, and there are hundreds in Canadian museum collections.
According to the Canadian Heritage Information Network* and individual museum websites, there are Henri Beau works in the permanent collections of the Canadian Museum of Civilization (Gatineau, Quebec), Joliette Art Museum (Quebec), La Pulperie (Chicoutimi, Quebec), Library and Archives of Canada (Ottawa), McCord Museum of Canadian History (Montreal), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Quebec), New Brunswick Museum (Saint John), Quebec Museum of Fine Arts (Quebec City), and the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa).
The Quebec Museum of Fine Arts houses the most diverse Henri Beau collection with 26 works. It includes many fine examples of his Impressionist paintings and the mural The Arrival of Champlain at Quebec. The 10’ 9.5” X 19’ 7” painting was originally installed in the Quebec Legislative Council Chamber in 1903, it was moved to the museum in 1933. (10)
The Library and Archives of Canada however has by far the largest Beau collection as it contains 382 of the works (described in paragraphs one and two) which he created while in their employ. (11)
His numerous awards and honors include ‘Officer of the Order of the Palmes Académiques’ from France (1901); and, posthumously, at least three streets in Quebec have been named after him – Avenue Henri Beau (Montreal), Place Henri Beau (Montreal) and Rue Henri Beau (Blainville). (12)
Footnotes:
(1) Source: Archives Canada; The Canadian Encyclopedia (online), by Michel Champagne; and pages 101 – 104 “World Impressionism: The International Movement, 1860 – 1920” (1990), edited by Norma Broude (see AskART book references).
(2) Sources: AskART Images; museum illustrations and descriptions of mediums in the Canadian Heritage Information Network* data base; “Visions of Light and Air: Canadian Impressionism, 1885 – 1920” (1995), by Carol Lowrey; and “Canadian Impressionism” (1990), by Paul Duval (see AskART book references).
(3.1) Sources: “Visions of Light and Air: Canadian Impressionism, 1885 – 1920” (1995), by Carol Lowrey; “Canadian Impressionism” (1990) by Paul Duval; “World Impressionism: The International Movement, 1860 – 1920” (1990), edited by Norma Broude; and “Early Painters and Engravers in Canada” (1970), by J. Russell Harper (see AskART book references).
(3.2) Please note: “Early Painters and Engravers in Canada” (1970), by J. Russell Harper and “Painting in Canada: a history” (1966), also by J. Russell Harper, say Beau first studied with Gerome in 1880, this appears to be a mistake; it is unlikely due to the artist’s age and the abundance of conflicting information from all other sources.
(3.3) Please note: “Canadian Impressionism” (1990), by Paul Duval, has Beau studying at the Academie Colarossi* and not the Académie Julian*; it is the only source with that information.
(3.4) Please note: Beau taught briefly (1904 – 1906) at Sarsfield School, Montreal. The only source for Sarsfield School is Carol Lowrey in “Visions of Light and Air: Canadian Impressionism, 1885 – 1920” (1995); Paul Duval, in “Canadian Impressionism” (1990), refers to the school as Garfield School, however we could not find a Montreal school by that name. There is however a Sarsfield School, Point St. Charles, Montreal, that exists now and did before 1910 according to the McCord Museum of Canadian History (Montreal). The other sources for this biography do not mention a teaching career for Beau.
(3.5) Dennis Reid, in “A Concise History of Canadian Painting” (1973) pages 102 and 103 (see AskART book references), explains that Beau’s second session at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris (1893 – 1894) was funded by Notre Dame Cathedral (Montreal) in exchange for Beau painting a mural in the church’s chapel when he returned. The mural “Les Noces de Cana” was completed in 1894. The chapel was destroyed by fire in 1978; however, a photo of the chapel and mural, as it was before 1978, is posted on the website of the Notre Dame Basilica, Montreal. Additional sources: The Canadian Encyclopedia (online), by Michel Champagne; and “The Church of Notre-Dame in Montreal: an architectural history” (1991), by Franklin Toker (see AskART book references).
(4) Sources: Archives Canada and virtually every source for Henri Beau noted in this biography.
(5) Sources: “Visions of Light and Air: Canadian Impressionism, 1885 – 1920” (1995), by Carol Lowrey (see AskART book references); and The Canadian Encyclopedia (online), by Michel Champagne.
(6) Sources: “Early Painters and Engravers in Canada” (1970), by J. Russell Harper; “Canadian Impressionism” (1990) by Paul Duval; and AskART glossary entry for the Pen and Pencil Club, Montreal.
(7) Sources: “Early Painters and Engravers in Canada” (1970), by J. Russell Harper; "Royal Canadian Academy of Arts: Exhibitions and Members, 1880 – 1979" (1981), by Evelyn de R. McMann; “Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: Spring Exhibitions 1880 – 1970” (1988), by Evelyn de R. McMann; and "The Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction" (2001), by Anthony R. Westbridge and Diana L. Bodnar (see AskART book references).
(8) Source: “Early Painters and Engravers in Canada” (1970), by J. Russell Harper (see AskART book references).
(9) The exhibition “Visions of Light and Air: Canadian Impressionism, 1885 – 1920” showed at the Frick (Pittsburgh); Quebec Museum of Fine Arts; Americas Society Art Gallery (NYC); the Art Gallery of Hamilton (Ontario); and Dixon Gallery (Memphis, Tennessee).
(10.1) “The Arrival of Champlain at Quebec” is illustrated in “A National Soul: Canadian Mural Painting, 1860s – 1930s” (2002), by Marylin Jean McKay (see AskART book references).
(10.2) The Royal Alexandra Hotel, Winnipeg (1906 – 1971) also housed a Beau mural. Sources: “Visions of Light and Air: Canadian Impressionism, 1885 – 1920” (1995), by Carol Lowrey; and “Canadian Impressionism” (1990) by Paul Duval (see AskART book references).
(11) Source: Canadian Heritage Information Network*.
(12.1) Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia (online), by Michel Champagne; “Canadian Men and Women of the Time: A Handbook of Canadian Biography of Living Characters” (1912), edited by Henry James Morgan; “Canadian Impressionism” (1990) by Paul Duval; and “Visions of Light and Air: Canadian Impressionism, 1885 – 1920” (1995), by Carol Lowrey (see AskART book references).
(12.2) The Order of the Palmes Académiques is a French distinction founded in 1808 by Napoleon to honour university members, and later (1866) expanded to honor eminent French and foreign contributors to the education and culture of France. It is awarded in three grades – Chevalier, Officer and Commander. Sources: Consulate General of France in Toronto; and the Association of Members of the Order des Palmes Academiques.
* For more in-depth information about these terms and others, see AskART.com. Glossary http://www.askart.com/AskART/lists/Art_Definition.aspx.
Prepared and contributed by M.D. Silverbrooke.
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