Henri Jannot attended the atelier of Lucien Simon at the Beaux Art School in Paris until 1932. His art developed not because of the influence of some present-day or ancient master, but througt the work the shared first-hand with his friends Robert Humblot (1907 – 1962), and Georges Rohner (born, 1913) and later with Jacob Tal-coat ( born,1905). Together, the four artists formed the group known as the Forces Nouvelles, whose aim was a " return to the object " as a reaction to what its founders considered the over abundance of dangerous experimentation.

 

The exhibitions Masters of reality in 1934 and Italian Art of 1935, which presented works by Masaccio (1401 – 1428), Piero Della Francesca (born 1410 or 1420, died,1492) and Paolo Ucello (1397 – 1475), strengthened Jannot’s and his colleagues motivation in seeking a definition of reality through simplified volumes and the modeling of light.

 

Jannot took part in numerous exhibitions in France, in the United States, as well as in London, Australia, Switzerland and several other countries. His works appeared at the Salon de la Nouvelle Generation (in 1937) and the Salon d’Automne (since 1931),at the Salon des Tuileries (since 1935), and at the Salon des Indépendants in 1945. He was only 26 years old when, in 1935, his first one-man show was held in Paris. Many followed.

 

Jannot’s production includes most notably still-lifes (in which one senses references to the work of Baschenis or Vaugin, several geometric portraits, landscapes of Vexin as well as seascapes.