Henri Sert

Henri Paul Sert (27 July 1938 – 22 March 1964) was a French and Swedish artist. He was born in La Réunion, Madagascar. When he was 10 years old, Sert's mother brought him to Paris, where he had received his education at a Jesuit monastery. After being left at the monastery, he would never again see any family member. Sert left the monastery, he then became an apprentice to a French painter called René. As soon as he thought he was competent, Sert parted with his master and tried to earn a living as a professional artist on his own. He was soon seen as a prodigy in the neighborhoods around Montparnasse. Though known in France, "It was Expressen employee Svante Löfgren who discovered (for Sweden) the then 20-year-old painter in Paris, a young genius, a self-immolating young man who lived to paint." Löfgren had been initially introduced to Sert by the actor Lars Burman. Löfgren, writing for the Expressen in Paris, stated in his 1958 article on Sert, "He can become one of the greats of his generation.