Galerie Paul Prouté

Henry Somm was born in Rouen and trained at the municipal art school in his hometown before moving to Paris in 1869. A renowned illustrator and engraver, he contributed to numerous newspapers and theater programs, with a particular fondness for depicting the elegant Parisian women of the Belle Époque. His graphic works, consisting mainly of watercolors in delicate tones, are now held in several public collections in France and the United States. Drawn to Japan from an early age, he became friends with the art critic Philippe Burty and the art dealer Siegfried Bing. He studied the Japanese language—notably taking courses with Léon de Rosny at the University of Paris—and even planned a trip to Japan in the early 1870s, which was ultimately abandoned due to the Franco-Prussian War. He is thus considered one of the first French artists influenced by Japonism.