French painter trained in drawing at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lille (1898-1901). He initially established himself in Paris where he discovered Impressionism and Fauvism, ideas present in the paintings he sent to the Salon des Indépendants. He gradually abandoned these influences to become more involved with Cubism on moving to the Bateau-Lavoir studio, where he met Picasso, Braque and Juan Gris. In 1931, fourteen years after having painted his first abstract painting, Herbin was present at the creation of the group Abstraction-Création together with Vantongerloo and others. In 1950, he collaborated on the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles which he continued to be a member of until 1955 and applied his theories on abstraction to tapestry design as well. Herbin exercised a strong influence on the younger generation of abstract painters.