Jean Lahor Biography | Poet

Henri Cazalis (9 March 1840, Cormeilles-en-Parisis, Val-d'Oise – 1 July 1909) was a French physician who was a symbolist poet and man of letters and wrote under the pseudonyms of Jean Caselli and Jean Lahor. To describe several of his artist friends who were avant-garde painters he coined the term Les Nabis. The term drew a parallel between the way these painters aimed to revitalize painting (as prophets of modern art ) and the way the ancient prophets had rejuvenated Israel. Possibly the nickname arose because "most of them wore beards, some were Jews and all were desperately earnest".