The images and information presented below are for the instruction of students and scholarly research.
Augustin Hanicotte
(1870-1957)
Augustin Hanicotte was born in Bethune, France, and moved to Paris in 1891 to pursue his art career. The following year, he meets Toulouse-Lautrec and Steinlen who become his friends and mentors.
Hanicotte left Paris in 1899 to seek out new artistic inspiration in the Netherlands. It is here that he merges the oriental style of the new poster artists with classical Flemish folk elements. Hanicotte’s thus created “Volendam” which was the name of the town in which he stayed.
Volendam
While in Volendam, Hanicotte earned himself the nickname of “St. Nicolas” by the children of the town after he organized a December celebration.
Although Hanicotte would travel between the Netherlands and France, and exhibit all over Europe, Flemish themes would dominate his oeuvre from then on. Be it an ice skating scene or Nordic fisherman, Hanicotte had truly delved into this new Northern culture, and it showed in his compositions. Hanicotte so loved his new home that he even married a woman from Volendam in Paris in 1914.
Winter, 1911
Hanicotte has been tied to the Nabi movement, and his early work is very Expressionistic in nature. However, towards the end of his career, he began to embrace the Fauve movement. Although little known today, Hanicotte’s paintings are housed all over Europe, and perhaps in your own home. Still wondering about that winter scene hanging in your home? It could be from Augustin Hanicotte. Contact us to find out.
