Untitled, 1932

Henri Pfeiffer  

Henri Pfeiffer (1907 Kassel, Germany – 1994 Maisons-Laffitte, France) was one of the few modern artists that incarnated the idea of the Renaissance man. Pfeiffer studied music, architecture, science, theatre, medicine and theory of color.

He descended from a large line of artists that spanned five centuries and his parents encouraged him to develop his multiple artistic talents.

He learned to play the piano, the violin and the guitar. Later he stated that his precocious exposition to music, poetry and painting made him conscious of a peculiar hability that would never abandon him. While he listened to music, images appeared to him with great clarity and colourful exuberance. There began the love of Pfeiffer for color, which eventually lead him to scientific research.

Pfeiffer wanted to understand his visual experiences and learn how colors build harmonies similars to the way of music. At 12 years old he visited the first art exhibition of students of the Weimar Bauhaus. Being really touched by it, he tried to become a pupil at Bauhaus, however he was told he needed to wait until being 17 years old.

In 1924 he was finally able to join the artists at the Bauhaus, unfortunately had to abandon the studies a year after. During the following years he joined his great-uncle Paul, professor and director of the Chemistry Institute of the University of Bonn, who assisted him with the fabrication of color and chemical products.

In 1929 the Bauhaus reopened in Dessau. Pfeiffer reincorporated to the school and attended painting courses by Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky.