Deux martyrs, Honfleur

Henri-Charles Guérard prints show the playful, curious side of Paris printmaking in the age of Manet. Guérard was a painter and etcher who collected everything from old shoes to lanterns, and his etchings of odd objects earned him the title "the engraver of curiosities". Our collection of fine art prints includes his lanterns, crows, jade carvings, Japanese motifs, fans, invitations and portraits of James McNeill Whistler.

About Henri-Charles Guérard

Henri-Charles Guérard was born in Paris on 26 April 1846. He began at the École des Beaux-Arts in architecture but turned to painting and printmaking, and in 1870 studied with Nicolas Berthon. From 1873 he and Paul Gachet illustrated the weekly Paris à l'eau-forte. He became a friend of Édouard Manet and posed, with the actress Ellen Andrée, for Manet's At the Café.

In 1879 he married the painter Eva Gonzalès, Manet's pupil and model. She died in 1883 giving birth to their son, five days after Manet's death, and Guérard was too grief-stricken to work for a long time. In 1888 he married her sister Jeanne Gonzalès, also a painter.

He illustrated Louis Gonse's L'Art japonais and published his own album of ten etchings, Japonisme. In 1889 he and Félix Bracquemond founded the Société des peintres-graveurs français. He was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1893 and died in Paris on 24 March 1897.

Style and Subjects

Guérard was a master of etching, and he used it with wit and invention. He loved to draw things: lanterns, Japanese bronzes and jade, fans, shoes, dead birds and odd treasures from his collections, each studied with affection and a sense of humour.

Japanese art was a major influence. His fans and compositions with Japanese motifs use asymmetric layouts, flat areas of tone and quick, calligraphic lines. His menu cards and dinner invitations show the same light touch in everyday design.

Famous Works

• Les Lanternes, Plate 3 (1876). One of his series of etchings of lanterns from his collection.
• James McNeill Whistler (1888), Yale Center for British Art. A portrait of the American painter.
• Composition with Three Japanese Motifs. A sheet in the spirit of his album Japonisme.
• Sculpture of a Duck Made of Jade (1890). A small carved treasure drawn with care.
• Three Crows. Dark birds against the white page.
• Dinner Invitation (c. 1882). A witty etched invitation from his circle.
• Jeanne Gonzalès Painting in the Garden (1885), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. His second wife at her easel.

Decorating with Guérard Prints

Guérard's small etchings suit a study, library or reading corner, where their wit and fine detail can be enjoyed up close. The lanterns and jade carvings make a charming cabinet-of-curiosities group for a hallway or home office.

His Japanese motifs and fans bring a touch of Japonisme to a living room or bedroom, and the crows and dark birds look striking in black and white against pale walls. Thin black frames with wide white mats suit the etchings.

FAQ

Who was Henri-Charles Guérard?

Henri-Charles Guérard (1846–1897) was a French painter and printmaker, especially in etching and lithography, and a friend of Édouard Manet.

Why was Guérard called "the engraver of curiosities"?

He collected everything from old shoes to lanterns, and many of his etchings show these odd objects.

Who was Guérard's wife?

The painter Eva Gonzalès, Manet's pupil, whom he married in 1879. After her death in 1883 he married her sister, the painter Jeanne Gonzalès.

Was Guérard part of Japonisme?

Yes. He illustrated Louis Gonse's L'Art japonais and published an album of ten etchings called Japonisme.

What did Guérard found?

With Félix Bracquemond he founded the Société des peintres-graveurs français in 1889, which exhibited at the Durand-Ruel Gallery.

Related Artists

• Édouard Manet: his close friend, who painted him in At the Café
• Eva Gonzalès: his first wife, a painter and Manet's pupil
• Félix Bracquemond: co-founder with him of the Société des peintres-graveurs français
• Norbert Goeneutte: close friend who painted the Guérard family
• Jules Chéret: one of the painters in their circle at Honfleur