In January 1895, Henri Hucklenbroich acquainted himself with Henri Evenepoel, who was also studying in Paris and was a fellow student of Moreau. Both men were Belgian and came from wealthy families. Evenepoel's letters are a vakuable source of information on Hucklenbroich.
They became good friends who not only painted but also played music together. Evenepoel was a good amateur pianist, while Hucklenbroich was equally talented on the cello. They regularly performed piano and cello sonatas together.
From Evenepoel's own diary we read:
Yesterday, Sunday afternoon from 4 o’clock until 8 o’clock (truly), we played music;Arranged pieces by J.S. Bach, two pieces by Papper, and Schumann’s fantasy for cello and piano — which I recommend to you; it’s truly lovely.That was all the music we played.
Next Sunday, he’s bringing Mendelssohn’s sonatas.
I hope the following Sunday to have De Perthes (a violinist), and then, let’s go! Louise’s salon trio is going to rival Aunt Sophie’s!
Evenepoel and Hucklenbroich became close friends, and both painted in what is called "a classic Flemish style"—sombre landscapes and still lifes. Both used earthy palettes, capturing moments as taught by their masters. The classic Flemish style can be seen in later works of Peter Paul Rubens—a master whose style had become doctrine when teaching the new generation of artists.
Evenepoel wrote about his visits to the Latin Quarter in Paris in February 1895. Most young artists from the time, including Toulouse-Lautrec, enjoyed run-down cafes full of eccentrics.
He and Hucklenbroich frequented "La brasserie du Soleil d'or" and described the scene:
"The most curious sight is downstairs, in the cellar. It is cooler there; the walls are painted pale yellow and covered with crude markings and drawings. Beside a battered piano, the singers take turns: free songs, to say the least, where the innuendo makes even more obscene the idea that the brutal word would be powerless to convey. Singers of all kinds, male and female, old and young, proclaiming the epics of vice, venereal diseases, and onanism in all its forms."
The Summer of 1895 would draw the Paris artists to Brittany. Henri Hucklenbroich and Henri de Groux were visiting Beuzec-Cap-Sizun in Brittany. Later, De Groux and Hucklenbroich went to Pont Croix. Further afield lied the coastal island of Belle-Île.
In March 1896, Evenepoel successfully submitted four paintings to the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. His work was a combination of lithography and painting. Hucklenbroich did sketch but did not have any apparent skills in lithography and continued to pursue his painting abilities.
During the 1870s and 1880s, French Impressionist painter Claude Monet painted the rock formations at Belle-Île. Monet's series of paintings of the rocks at Belle-Île astounded the Paris art world when he first exhibited them in 1887. It was a natural progression for any artists flocking to the Brittany coast to consider a trip to Belle-Île.
They arrived on Belle-Île and met Emile Wery and Henri Matisse. Matisse knew of both Hucklenbroich and Evenepoel from Paris and shared a desire to reflect upon their styles in a challenging manner by painting the island of Belle-Île.
Hucklenbroich found himself surrounded by artists trying to find new styles of paintings, and yet he was still confounded—he tried his hardest to move away from the classic style that he and Evenepoel had adopted.
Belle-Île's vivid colors can be seen everywhere on the island, and the diversity must have been an extraordinary challenge to more somber palettes.
By 1896, several artists were frequenting Belle-Île, both literary and artistic in nature. Sarah Bernhardt had a guest retreat on the island. Hucklenbroich and Matisse, however, sought learning rather than holidaymaking, and they headed west across the island.
They frequented John Peter Russell's artist colony. Russell, an artist of Australian origin, had been living on the island since 1880. He built a house at the bay of Goulphar, known as le "Château anglais." Russell had adopted a new coloring style which he taught to visiting artists on the island, inspired by Monet's vivid use of colors in an impressionist context.
Russell introduced Matisse to impressionism and to the work of Van Gogh (who was relatively unknown at the time). Matisse's style changed radically, and he would later say "Russell was my teacher, and Russell explained color theory to me."
Evenepoel began to seek out brighter colors in his paintings. As for Hucklenbroich, he kept his traditional tones, silently in awe of his friends. Nonetheless, it was a learning curve for the three Henris to experience, finding depth in the mix of colors and use of wilder strokes.
Hucklenbroich, Matisse, and Evenepoel returned home for the autumn, back to Paris to resume their studies.
It would be at this time that Matisse would start his work on the Dinner Table—a portrait that would challenge the conventional judges of art at the time.
According to Evenepoel's diary of February 1897, Matisse was pursuing an artistic style inspired by impressionism, talking only of the techniques of Claude Monet.
Henri Matisse's The Dinner Table (1896–1897), also known as La Desserte, marks a pivotal moment in his artistic evolution. This oil on canvas painting, measuring 100 x 131 cm, showcases a domestic scene where a maid arranges fruit on a lavishly set table.While rooted in Realism, the work hints at Matisse's impending shift towards Fauvism, evident in his bold use of color and flattened perspective.
Many critics of the Dinner Table challenged the mixture of classic composition and unconventional color choice.
Hucklenbroich openly defended Matisse, supporting his colleague's choice of artistic pursuit and experimentation. This reaction signaled Matisse's departure from academic conventions and his journey towards modernism.
In April 1897, Hucklenbroich submitted several works for the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. His father, Joseph, was becoming increasingly cynical of his son's achievements. Joseph placed a bet with Henri, stating that he would give him 200 francs if any picture was purchased. This was a huge amount of money.
Four pieces in total were accepted for the Salon that year, winning the rich bet against his father:
- Coin d'intérieur (Corner - interior)
- Intérieur avec figure nue (Interior with Nude)
- Portrait de Femme (Portrait of a Woman)
- Portrait d'un jeune homme (Portrait of a Young Man)
