User:HappyWaldo/sandbox3

Lucien Felix Henry (1850 – 1896) was a French-born artist and communard who was exiled to the penal colony of New Caledonia in 1871 for his involvement in the Paris Commune. After receiving an amnesty in 1879, Henry moved to Sydney, Australia, where he helped pioneer a national decorative arts by including Australian flora in many of his designs, particularly the waratah. Henry is also known for his architectural work, including two prominent stained glass windows in the Sydney Town Hall.

France
Born in Sisteron in southeastern France in 1850, Henry moved to Paris in 1867, where he studied under architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, and later at the Ecole des Beaux Arts under Jean-Léon Gérôme. Living in the working-class areas of Paris, Henry got by as an artist's model while working towards becoming a professional painter. His studies were disrupted by the Franco-Prussian War and the Siege of Paris, during which time he became involved in leftist politics and co-edited a revolutionary journal, La Résistance. In 1871, he joined the communards in supporting the Paris Commune, being a Chef de la Legion responsible for the defense of the 14th arrondissement.

Australia
A number of Henry's students went on to produce major public artworks in Sydney, including Theodora Cowan and William Priestly MacIntosh.