Henri Lehmann

French painter of German origin, Henri Lehmann had a long and prestigious career. He began his apprenticeship with his father before entering the workshop of Ingres in 1831. Beginning in 1835 he exhibited regularly at the Salon winning first class medals in 1840, 1848, and 1855. The French State bought his painting Desolation of the Oceanids at the Foot of the Rock where Prometheus is Chained, which enjoyed a great success at the Salon of 1851. Henri Lehmann created important decorations such as the one of the Hôtel de Ville (1852), the church of Saint Clotilde (1854), and the Throne Room of the Palais du Luxembourg (1854–6). Lehman was also recognized as a portrait painter; he painted personalities as famous as Stendhal, the Count of Nieuwerkerque, and his friend Franz List. He received the Legion of Honor in 1846. After 1875 he taught at the School of Fine Arts and counted among his pupils Camille Pissarro and Georges Seurat.