Family portraits
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Henner came from a family of Alsatian farmers based in Bernwiller, Haut-Rhin. From the union of his parents, Georges Guillaume Polycarpe Henner (1772-1843) and Magdeleine Wadel (1782-1857), six children were born: Marie-Anne (1809-1893), Ignace (1812-1834), Séraphin (1815-1894), Madeleine (1819-1852), Grégoire (1823-1890) and Jean-Jacques (1829-1905). Henner painted the members of his family throughout his life, a humble token of his affection and admiration.
Les objets
Painting
Séraphin Henner
About 1881
Séraphin (1815-1894) was one of Henner's older brothers. He lived in Alsace with his wife Madeleine Kolb (1823-1902), with whom he had 3 children: Jules, Paul and Eugénie. Henner was devoted to his brother, and his death in 1894 was a real ordeal for him. This portrait of Séraphin is one of 24 painted by Henner. It will be shown 8 times at major exhibitions, such as the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.
Painting
Grégoire Henner
1889
Grégoire (1823-1890) was another of Henner's older brothers. Contrary to Séraphin, he lived in Paris and worked as head guard at the Louvre museum. Henner and his brother were also very close, seeing each other regularly and sending each other many letters. Henner dedicated 16 portraits to him: this one was painted in 1889, a year before the model's death, and presented at the Paris Universal Exhibition that same year.
Painting
Eugénie and Jules Henner
About 1865
Eugénie (1856-1935) and Jules (1858-1913) were the two eldest children of Séraphin and Madeleine. Henner was very close to his nephews and niece, paying for violin lessons for Jules and piano lessons for Eugénie when they were young. Having no descendants of his own, Henner bequeathed them everything he owned. Here, Eugénie and Jules are shown together as children. Later portraits show them growing up and becoming adults...
Painting
Paul Henner
Before 1867
Paul (1860-1867) was Séraphin and Madeleine's third child. Born in 1860, he sadly died 7 years later... This gentle portrait shows him reading, sporting a medal on his chest, probably received at school.
Painting
Marie Henner
Marie Dujardin (1858-1946) became Marie Henner in 1883 when she married Jules. Marie and Jules were very close to their uncle, and welcomed him into their home on rue La Bruyère when old age no longer allowed him to live alone. In 1913, on the death of her husband, Marie inherited Henner's entire collection of works. In order to perpetuate the memory of her uncle by marriage, and in keeping with her husband's wishes, she took on the project of creating the Henner museum, which opened its doors almost 10 years later. Marie inherited the entire Henner collection
