Maurice Henry (1907-1984) was a French cartoonist, poet, and humorist, a key figure of the Surrealist movement. Famous for his humorous drawings published in the press, he was also a painter and sculptor, blending the absurd with poetry.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born in 1907 in Cambrai and died in 1984 in Milan
- Joined the Surrealist movement in the early 1930s and associated with André Breton
- Co-founded the Octobre group in 1932 with artists close to Jacques Prévert
- Published a great many humorous drawings in the French press (Le Nouvel Observateur, Marianne, etc.)
- Continued a body of work as a Surrealist painter and sculptor until his final years
Works & Achievements
A collection of surrealist poems that reflects his dual activity as both poet and draughtsman.
A surrealist object (a mummified violin) that became one of the movement's most iconic images.
Thousands of drawings published in Le Rire, Marianne, and France-Soir, establishing him as a master of absurd humour.
A collection of drawings bringing together his dreamlike, poetic graphic universe.
Visual works that extend his surrealist imagination into colour and volume.
Anecdotes
Born in Cambrai in 1907, Maurice Henry joined André Breton's Surrealist group in Paris at the end of the 1920s. Alongside René Char and André Breton, he took part in the movement's collective games, such as the famous “exquisite corpse,” in which each person draws or writes a part without seeing what the others have done.
In 1936, Maurice Henry exhibited at the Surrealist Exhibition of Objects at the Galerie Charles Ratton in Paris. There he presented an object that became famous: a violin entirely wrapped in strips of cloth, like a mummy, titled “Homage to Paganini,” which turned a musical instrument into a poetic riddle.
To earn a living, Maurice Henry published thousands of humorous drawings in newspapers and magazines such as *Le Rire*, *Marianne*, and later *France-Soir*. His absurd and poetic humor, in which impossible situations seem perfectly natural, left a deep mark on French post-war press cartooning.
A film enthusiast, Maurice Henry began writing film reviews in the 1930s and took an interest in American slapstick. He particularly admired comedians like the Marx Brothers, whose absurdity chimed with the Surrealist spirit he championed.
At the end of his life, settled in Italy near Milan, Maurice Henry devoted himself more to painting and sculpture. He continued to explore the world of dreams and incongruity until his death in Milan in 1984.
Primary Sources
Collection of surrealist poems by Maurice Henry, a testament to his literary activity within the movement.
A violin wrapped in bandages, presented at the Surrealist Exhibition of Objects, Galerie Charles Ratton, Paris.
A collection of humorous drawings in which Maurice Henry unfurls his absurd, dreamlike world.
Drawings that appeared in Le Rire, Marianne, and France-Soir, illustrating the shift of surrealism toward newspaper humor.
Key Places
Town in northern France where Maurice Henry was born in 1907.
Capital where he joined the Surrealist group and developed his career as a cartoonist and poet.
Site of the 1936 Surrealist Exhibition of Objects where he presented his Hommage à Paganini.
City in Italy where he settled in the latter part of his life and where he died in 1984.