Along with engraving and painting, Houplain studied art history. He was a fellow at the Maison Descartes in Amsterdam, and he studied the work of Hercules Seghers and his influences on Rembrandt. He won the Abd-el-Tif prize in 1949 and stayed in Algeria for the two following years. Upon his return to France, Houplain began teaching art history at the École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art.