Henri Gabriel Ibels

1892 Rare illustrated program by Henri-Gabriel Ibels for the Théâtre Libre

1892

Henri-Gabriel Ibels (30 November 1867 Paris – February 1936 Paris), was a French illustrator, printmaker, painter and author. He studied at the Académie Julian* with Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard and was a member of Les Nabis* from its 1889 founding. Other members were Gauguin, Utrillo, Félix Vallotton and Émile Bernard. Ibels took part in Les Nabis’ exhibitions at Le Barc de Boutteville gallery. With Vuillard and Maurice Denis he soon caught the public eye and earned the nickname ‘le Nabis journaliste’. Ibels’ images were powerful and heavily graphic, in keeping with the movement that was a generous admixture of fine art, graphic design and advertising, as seen in the lithographs and posters for theater, cabaret, and book illustration. Ibels drew his inspiration from life on the street, cafés, the circus and boxing ring, as did Adolphe Willette, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen. His graphic style owed much to the art of Honoré Daumier, Japanese woodcuts, Paul Gauguin and the Pont-Aven School. Ibels collaborated with Toulouse-Lautrec and became involved in avant-garde theater. He exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants* for the first time in 1891.