Drawing, original, created in pencil, character to be identified⸻Henri Bataille (1872–1922) Henri Bataille, whose full name is Félix-Henri Bataille, was born on April 4, 1872, in Nîmes, in southern France, and died on March 2, 1922, in Rueil-Malmaison. He was one of the most popular playwrights of the Belle Époque and the early years of the 20th century. Youth and education Henri Bataille studied in Paris, notably at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. He became interested in literature at an early age and began publishing poetry in the 1890s. He frequented the literary and artistic circles of the capital and associated with several writers and painters of his time. At the age of 20, he published his first collection of poems: La Belle au bois dormant (1892), which reveals a symbolist sensitivity. Theatrical career It is in theater that Henri Bataille found his true path. His first major play, La Lépreuse, premiered in 1896. He achieved success with notable works such as: • La Femme nue (1908) – a sentimental and social drama about romantic passion, which would be adapted for cinema several times; • Maman Colibri (1904) – on the theme of aging and a mature woman's love for a young man; • L’Enchantement (1900); • Le Scandale (1909). His plays, often performed at the Théâtre de l’Œuvre or the Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, are psychological and sentimental dramas, very popular with the public. Style and themes Henri Bataille is distinguished by a psychological and sentimental realism, blended with naturalistic elements and sometimes symbolism. He focuses on describing the torments of the soul, inner conflicts, social tensions, forbidden or tragic loves. He introduces a form of sensuality and modernity to the theater, appealing to an audience in search of novelty. His theater is also imbued with social criticism, particularly regarding the condition of women, bourgeois appearances, and the hypocrisies of society. Influence and legacy Henri Bataille enjoyed immense success during his lifetime. His works were translated, performed abroad, and some were adapted for cinema from the early days of the 7th art (notably by Abel Gance or Louis Mercanton).