Henri Lebasque (1865–1937) was born at Champigné (Maine-et-Loire). His work is represented in French museums, notably Angers, Geneva (Petit Palais), Lille (Musée des Beaux-Arts), Nantes, and Paris (Musée d'Orsay). Lebasque died at Cannet, Alpes Maritimes in 1937.
He started his education at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts d'Angers, and moved to Paris in 1886. There, Lebasque started studying under Léon Bonnat, and assisted Humbert with the decorative murals at the Panthéon. Around this time, Lebasque met
Camille Pissarro and
Auguste Renoir, who later would have a large impact on his work.
Lebasque's vision was coloured by his contact with younger painters, especially Edouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard, founders of the The Nabis' Group, who were the Intimists that first favoured the calm and quietude of domestic subject matter. From his first acquaintance with
Georges Seurat and
Paul Signac, Lebasque learnt the significance of a colour theory which stressed the use of complementary colours in shading.
Lebasque was a founding member of the Salon d'Automne in 1903 with his friend Henri Matisse. Two years later, a group of artists exhibited there including Georges Rouault, André Derain, Edouard Vuillard, and Matisse. Lebasque also became friends with artists such as Gustave Rouault, Raoul Dufy, Louis Valtat, and Henri Manguin, the last of whom introduced Lebasque to the South of France.
His time in South of France would lead to a radical transformation in Lebasque's paintings, changing his colour palette forever. Other travels included the Vendée, Normandie, and Brittany.
Lebasque had some commercial success during his lifetime. He worked on the decorations at the theatre of the Champs-Elysées and of the Transatlantique sealiner.