Henri Filaquier is the seventh child of a farming family. His primary school teacher remarks on his “abnormal” behavior. Later, probably on the death of his parents, he is admitted to a home in Lavaur. He starts drawing in 1944 on the invitation of Gaston Puel, french poet close to the surrealist, he gets to know during his wanderings through the city. In black lead and coloring pencil, his works show themes inspired by everyday life — a mill, church candles, animals — the meaning of each subject being inscribed directly on the drawing.