Henri Edmond Cross (1856 - 1910)


French neo-impressionist painter

Henri Edmond Cross, real name Edmond Joseph Delacroix, is a neo-impressionist painter. A great draughtsman, painter, watercolourist, he was rather unknown to the general public during his lifetime, but greatly admired by his painter and artist peers.

Born in Douai, in the north of France, his discovery of Mediterranean landscapes marked his career. He moved to the Var, in the south of France, and painted Provence from the 1900s. He then swapped his tubes of color to adapt his palette to these new landscapes and their charged lights.

A pointillist, he affixes colors in small touches, to illustrate the diversity of shades he observes. The result: colorful, harmonious, joyful and controlled canvases, like what life in the south represents for him.

We find there light yellows and chick yellows, fiery oranges, wide ranges of blues, from electric to layette for the waters, the trees and the summer skies, which he observes, in summer, in Saint- Tropez. Soft and intense pinks mingle to describe the clouds, the reflections of the sea, or the flora of the region that he loves so much. He adds white to the primary colors, which illuminates his works, and gives them a matte and luminous appearance.

We can feel in his paintings all the expression of his taste for this French region with which he fell in love. His compositions depict peaceful, happy scenes, beautiful summer lights. The Museum of Impressionisms in Giverny (city of the Impressionists, near Paris) has dedicated a retrospective to him called “Painting Happiness”.

His approach and his technique are very rich, and inspire other artists, whom he receives at his home, in the South of France. Henri Matisse was one of them! Henri Edmond Cross was a central figure in the development of Fauvism. He died of cancer in 1910, recognized by his peers, and still leaving an indelible mark that continues to amaze us.


Where to enjoy it at home?


Living room, bedrooms, library, or all places where calm and happiness are welcome!