Othon Friesz

Le Havre – The Artists – Friesz, Othon

This page forms part of a series of pages dedicated to the many artists who painted in Le Havre. A full list of all the artists with a link to their works can be found at the bottom of this page.

Othon Friesz
Othon Friesz

Movement(s): FauvismPost Impressionism

Othon Friesz was a French painter who was born in Le Havre (the son of a long line of shipbuilders and sea captains) where he went to school with Raoul Dufy who became a lifelong close friend. They both went to the same school in Le Havre, and later they went together to Paris for art school.

Othon Friesz, full name Achille-Emile Othon Friesz (1879 – 1949), was born in Le Havre, the son of a long line of shipbuilders and sea captains. He went to school in his native city. It was while he was at the Lycée that he met his lifelong friends Raoul Dufy, Rene de Saint-Delis and Rene’s younger brother, Henri Saint-Delis.

He, Rene, Henri and Dufy studied at the Le Havre School of Fine Arts in 1895-96 and then went to Paris together for further study. In Paris, Friesz met Henri Matisse, Albert Marquet, and Georges Rouault. Like them, he rebelled against the academic teaching of Bonnat and became a member of the Fauves, exhibiting with them in 1907. The following year, Friesz returned to Normandy and to a much more traditional style of painting, since he had discovered that his personal goals in painting were firmly rooted in the past.

He opened his own studio in 1912 and taught until 1914 at which time he joined the army for the duration of the war. He resumed living in Paris in 1919 and remained there, except for brief trips to Toulon and the Jura Mountains, until his death in 1949.

His paintings followed the Post-Impressionism and Fauvism movements.

Click here to read Friesz’s full bio on Wikipedia.

NOTE: Click on any image below for a bigger version (no new window will open).

NOTE: A black box like this one, means that there is an explanation text about today’s situation of the painting above it.
NOTE: Click on this photo icon anywhere below a painting to see a photo of what the area looks like today.

NOTE: A blue box like this one, means there is an explanation or a note.

1895 - Othon Friesz - the Port Entrance
1895 – Othon Friesz – the Port Entrance

NOTE: The port entrance is still in the same spot, but the entrance has become much wider to accommodate the enormous container ships.

1903 - Othon Friesz - The old Dock of Le Havre
1903 – Othon Friesz – The old Dock of Le Havre
1906 - Othon Friesz - Bassin du Roy
1906 – Othon Friesz – Bassin du Roy

NOTE: The “Bassin du Roy” still exists today and is used predominantly by small coastal fishing boats. And today, there still is a bridge dividing the “Bassin du Roy”.

1921 Othon Friesz - Le Havre
1921 – Othon Friesz – Le Havre
1930 - Othon Friesz - The Port of Le Havre
1930 – Othon Friesz – The Port of Le Havre
???? - Othon Friesz - Arrival of the Normandy at Le Havre
???? – Othon Friesz – Arrival of the Normandy at Le Havre

TODAY: The “Normandy”, as the “France”, where two of the most well known passenger ships (cruise ships) that came frequently to Le Havre. Today, up to 4 cruise ships arrive daily.

???? - Othon Friesz - The harbor pier of Le Havre
???? – Othon Friesz – The harbor pier of Le Havre
???? - Othon Friesz - Bather on the beach of Le Havre
???? – Othon Friesz – Bather on the beach of Le Havre

Sainte-Adresse

The city of Sainte-Adresse (population: 7,400) is an immediate suburb of Le Havre and lies to the North/West alongside the coast. It shares the same seaside promenade with Le Havre.

1914 - Othon Friesz - By the Sea the Promenade at Sainte Adresse
1914 – Othon Friesz – By the Sea the Promenade at Sainte Adresse

NOTE: The promenade from Le Havre ferry harbour to Sainte-Adresse (Le Havre neighboring city) still remains a center point of the beach area. The trams no longer run the total length of the road, instead they stop at the beginning.

Fontaine-la-Mallet

The town of Fontaine-la-Mallet (population: 2,700) lies to the North of Le Havre and is partially agricultural and partially suburb.

1901 - Othon Friesz - The cottage at Fontaine-la-Mallet
1901 – Othon Friesz – The cottage at Fontaine-la-Mallet

Here are the several places in France where Othon Friesz painted in (a link “” to his works in those cities will appear below when published):

Here are the painters/artists who painted in Le Havre (a “*” indicates that the artist did not worked directly in Le Havre itself, instead worked closeby, a link “” to the artist’s works will appear below when published):

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