Henri Hebert LLD, RCA, FRSA, BHG (1884 - 1950)

A prominent Canadian sculptor and educator, Henri Hebert was born in Montreal, where, other than for travel and education, he lived his whole life and died. His works have been included in numerous important exhibitions and they are discussed in most of the comprehensive Canadian art history books. Hundreds of his sculptures, maquettes* and drawings are in Canadian museum collections and dozens of his monumental sculptures, bas-reliefs, commemorative plaques and architectural decorations adorn public spaces and buildings in Quebec and elsewhere. (1)

His mediums were bronze, plaster, marble, gilded silver, commemorative medals, plaques, bas-relief*, watercolor, pastel, pencil, architectural decoration, and etching*. His subjects were portraits, heads, figures, nudes, dancers, historic people, historic events and allegory*. His styles were Realism* and Art Deco*.

Hebert's education includes studies at the Monument National, Montreal (1896 - 1898 and 1902 - 1904), under Edmond Dyonnet; Ecole de la Ville, Paris, France (1898 - 1900); Ecole des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France (1900 - 1902); the Art Association of Montreal (1902 - 1904), under William Brymner; and the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, France (c.1904 - 1908), under Gabriel Jules Thomas and Jean Antoine Injalbert. Hebert taught modeling in the architecture department at McGill University, Montreal (c.1909 - 1920) and at the Monument National, Montreal (1923 - 1925). (2)

He was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts* (Associate - 1912, Academician - 1922, and Council Member); the Pen and Pencil Club*, Montreal (1915); the Beaver Hall Group* (1920 - 1922); and a founder of the Sculptors Society of Canada (1928).

He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Francais*, Paris several times beginning in 1907; with the Canadian Art Club* in 1908; with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts* regularly between 1910 and 1949; with the Art Association of Montreal (now Montreal Museum of Fine Arts) regularly between 1910 and 1947; with the Ontario Society of Artists* in 1911, 1916 and 1923; and at the Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto in 1930. (3)

His works were also included in the "Annual Exhibition", National Gallery of Canada (1927); "Exposition d'art Canadien", Musée du Jeu de Paume, Paris (1927); "Exhibition of Canadian Sculpture", Art Gallery of Toronto (now Art Gallery of Ontario) (1928); "Exhibition of the British Empire Overseas", Royal Institute Galleries, London, England (1937); "A Century of Canadian Art", Tate Gallery, London, England (1938); "Three Hundred Years of Canadian Art", National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (1967); and "Shape Shifters", Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario (1997). (4)

In 1953, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts held a solo exhibition of his work and, in 2000, the Quebec Museum of Fine Arts (Quebec City) hosted "Henri Hebert 1884 - 1950: un sculpteur modern", which was accompanied by a 245 page exhibition catalogue (in French) of the same name.

According to the Canadian Heritage Information Network* and individual museum websites there are over 300 Henri Hebert works in Canadian Museums. They are in the permanent collections of the Art Gallery of Hamilton (Ontario), Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), Confederation Centre Art Gallery & Museum (Charlottetown, P.E.I.), Joliette Art Museum (Quebec), La Pulperie (Chicoutimi, Quebec), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Quebec), Musee Laurier (Victoriaville, Quebec), Musée Pierre-Boucher (Trois-Rivières, Quebec), Quebec Museum of Fine Arts (Quebec City), Riverbrink Art Museum (Queenston, Ontario), Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts (Quebec), and the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa). The Quebec Museum of Fine Arts has by far the largest public collection of Henri Hebert works. Its 135 pieces include examples of most of his oeuvre.

Some of the locations of his monumental public space works are Parc Jeanne Mance, Montreal (Leigh Gregor Fountain, 1913); Memramcook, New Brunswick (Pere Lefebvre, 1914); Grand Pré, Nova Scotia (Évangeline, 1920); Québec City (Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, 1921) and Montréal (1930); Quebec City (Abraham Martin, 1922); Saint Irenee, Quebec (Sir Rodolphe Forget, 1923); Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (War Memorial, 1923); Outremont, Montreal (Monument to the Dead War Memorial, 1925); and Gaspe, Quebec ("Jacques de Lesseps", 1932).

His awards and honors include election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London, England in 1939 and an honorary doctorate from the University of Montreal in 1940.

Footnotes:

(1) Henri Hebert is the son of sculptor Louis Philippe Hebert and the brother of painter Adrien Hebert (see both in AskART). Henri's father was his first teacher and an occasional collaborator.

(2) Some sources note that Hebert studied under 'Corbel, DeCorchement, Labrie, Debrie and Genuys' at the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. A brief search could not determine exactly who these artists were; however there were sculptors working in Paris at that time named Louis Emile Decorchement (1851 - 1920), Jacques Ange Corbel (d. 1904), Gustave Joseph Debrie (1842 - 1932) and Charles Louis Genuys (b.1852). No information could be found on an artist named Labrie that fits the time period. Sources: AskART; and E. Benezit Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs (1999) (see AskART book references).

(3) Hebert's works may have been included in more Canadian National Exhibition, fine art exhibitions (they were held from 1879 to 1961); the one noted was taken from the provenance of a Hebert work in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada. Source: The National Gallery of Canada: Catalogue of Paintings and Sculpture, Volume III (1960), by R.H. Hubbard (see AskART book references).

(4) Hebert's works were likely included in more National Gallery of Canada Annual Exhibitions which were held from 1926 to 1933 before being discontinued. The 1927 one listed was taken from the provenance of a Hebert work in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada. Source: Ibid.

Sources:

The Visual Arts in Canada: The Twentieth Century (2010), by Brian Foss, Anne Whitelaw, Sandra Paikowsky (see AskART book references)

Benezit Dictionary of Artists (2006), English version (see AskART book references)

The Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction (2001), by Anthony R. Westbridge and Diana L. Bodnar (see AskART book references)

E. Benezit Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs (1999) (see AskART book references).

A to Z of Canadian Art: artists & art terms (1997), by Blake McKendry (see AskART book references)

Art and Architecture in Canada (1991), by Loren R. Lerner and Mary F. Williamson (see AskART book references)

Canadian Who's Who: Index 1898 - 1984 (1988), by Evelyn de R. McMann (see AskART book references)

Catalogue of the National Gallery of Canada Ottawa: Canadian Art Volume Two G - K (1988), general editors Charles C. Hill and Pierre B. Landry (see AskART book references)

The Canadian Encyclopedia Second Edition (1988), edited by James H. Marsh (see AskART book references)

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts: Exhibitions and Members, 1880 - 1979 (1981), by Evelyn de R. McMann (see AskART book references)

Passionate Spirits: A History of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1880 - 1980 (1980), by Rebecca Sisler (see AskART book references)

Creative Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth Century Creative and Performing Arts (1972), by Helen M. Rodney (see AskART book references)

Art Gallery of Ontario - The Canadian Collection (1970), by Helen Pepall Bradfield (see AskART book references)

A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, Volume Two, G - Jackson (1970), by Colin S. MacDonald (see AskART book references)

Three Hundred Years of Canadian Art (1967), by R.H. Hubbard and J.R. Ostiguy (see AskART book references)

Canadian Art - Its Origin and Development (1943) (paperback 1967), by William Colgate (see AskART book references)

The National Gallery of Canada: Catalogue of Paintings and Sculpture, Volume III (1960), by R.H. Hubbard (see AskART book references)

An Anthology of Canadian Art (1960), edited by R.H. Hubbard (see AskART book references)

The Fine Arts in Canada (1925), by Newton MacTavish (see AskART book references)

Canadian Heritage Information Network*

Art Gallery of Ontario (catalogue lists online)

Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art* (OSA exhibitions)

Our Roots - University of Calgary and Université Laval sponsored website (monuments)

* For more in-depth information about these terms and others, see AskART.com. Glossary http://www.askart.com/AskART/lists/Art_Definition.aspx.

Written and Submitted to askART by M.D. Silverbrooke.