Armand Henrion (1875-1958), Lithograph "the Smoking Clowns", 20th Century

Lithograph depicting smoking clowns, one with a cigarette in his mouth and the other with a pipe in his hand, signed in pencil by the artist and numbered. 20th century. View size 27*22 cm and 48* 35 cm with frame. The painter Armand François Joseph Henrion was born in Liège, Belgium, on May 30, 1875. He died in Paris in 1958. Although Henrion was born in Liège, he is considered an important portrait painter of the French School. He was eventually naturalized as a French citizen. Where Henrion received his education is unknown. According to exhibition records, he was a regular exhibitor at various salons in Paris and Belgium. He was best known for his small portraits depicting clowns' smiling facial expressions. Henrion had a consuming fascination with the character of Pierrot. Henrion presented himself as this comic trickster, who traditionally did not wear a mask, but instead applied heavy white makeup. Henrion explored the nuances of humor in his works, which encompass facial expressions conveying qualities such as irony, retort, comeback, riposte, and droll commentary. His lively gestural style in creating the small, jewel-like representations matches the sentiments they convey—a lighthearted sense that life is to be enjoyed.