Biography

René Charles Edmond His was born in the small town of Colombes, France, in 1877. Although little is recorded about his life it is known that he was taught by a distinguished set of teachers which included Jules Lefebvre, Tony Robert-Fleury and Leon Tanzi. However, the most important influence on his work appears to derive from the work of the well known artist Henri Biva whose meticulous style and feeling for nature inspired His to strive for perfection in his depiction of river and woodland scenes.

His became a member of La Societe des Artistes Francais in 1897 and received a Commendation followed by a Bronze Medal in 1900. He was also honoured in the same year at L’Exposition Universelle.

Besides trips to the coastal regions of Provence and even Algeria, he rarely ventured far from home and later became something of a recluse.
His' works were successfully sold for many years in France through the Leon Gerald Gallery, then demand increasingly grew for his paintings after collectors and critics worldwide became captivated by his unparalleled treatment of the interaction of light on water. Several museums that exhibit his work include Cahors, Charleville, Constantine and Senlis.