Henri Lebasque first received formal art instruction at the École des Beaux-Arts in Angers, and later studied in Paris. Equal in importance to his training were his associations with August Renoir and Camille Pissarro. The aged geniuses shared their philosophy, experiences, and particular forms of Impressionism with the young artist and the influence of that learning is clearly evident. Also influenced by several of his friends who were Fauvists, Lebasque never quite adopted their signature harsh, almost violent use of color.
Lebasque exhibited widely in France during his career and participated in the Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco in 1915. Active in the society of artists of his day, he achieved moderate commercial success in his lifetime and was a founding member of the Salon d'Automne.
As with so many artists, interest in his work accelerated after his death, and in 1957 a retrospective was held at the Musée des Ponchettes in Nice. His work is represented in many museum collections around the world.