Henri Laurens

Henri Laurens (1885-1954) was a notable French sculptor and illustrator, remembered as a key figure in the Cubist movement. Born in Paris, Laurens began as a stonemason before taking drawing classes and developing a strong interest in Cubism, influenced by his friends and contemporaries Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris. His work, characterized by transformed geometric shapes and the interplay of mass and void, contributed significantly to the development of modern sculpture. After the First World War, Laurens moved removed himself from Cubism to develop a more organic style, utilizing curvatures to illustrate the female form and events from ancient mythology.