"If anything can be done to bring the public to a greater consciousness
of the relation between art and life, of the part each person plays by
exercising and developing his own personal tastes and judgment
and not depending on outside “authority,” it would be well."
-Robert Henri
James DeCesare, Robert Henri,
2010, oil on canvas, 24"x24"
Collection of the Artist
A Brief History:
Robert Henri (1865-1929) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1886, he studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In 1888, Henri moved to Paris and studied under the great Academic painter, Adolphe-William Bouguereau (1825-1905). In 1891, Henri was accepted into the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts.1
Henri’s early work was heavily influenced by art of the French Impressionists. Similar to the Impressionists of the day, Henri’s artwork was readily rejected by French and American art circles.2 Henri began organizing art exhibitions promoting work rejected by the art establishment. Henri’s circle of friends included young illustrators John Sloan (1871-1951), William Glackens (1870-1938), George Luks (1867-1933), and Everett Shinn (1876-1953). The Eight, as the group would come to be known, lead The New York City Armory Show of 1913. The Armory Show introduced audiences to avante-garde European and American artists including Gustave Klimpt (1862-1918) and Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968).3
Robert Henri taught at the Art Students League of New York from 1915-1927. Henri's students included George Bellows (1882-1925), Leon Kroll (1884-1974), Edward Hopper (1882-1967), and Rockwell Kent (1882-1971). Henri’s prophetic teachings were published in book form as The Art Spirit in 1923.3
Today, countless artists view The Art Spirit as their primary guide for life as an artist. Henri’s artwork speaks to his views on life. His paintings are sensitive, humanistic, authentic accounts of interpersonal experiences. His words are transcendent, usually speaking more to the art of living than art making. Robert Henri writes:
The question of development of the art spirit in all walks of life interests me. I mean by this, the development of individual judgment and tastes, the love of work for the sake of doing things well, tendency toward simplicity and order. If anything can be done to bring the public to a greater consciousness of the relation between art and life, of the part each person plays by exercising and developing his own personal tastes and judgment and not depending on outside “authority,” it would be well. 3
On Painting Robert Henri:
Robert Henri is part of series I created called, Artists of Influence. The reoccurring theme connecting each of the six paintings of this series is the artist in the act of creating. Robert Henri was a champion of the creative process. Henri’s connection to the people he painted is evident in his work. His brushstrokes were minimal, yet each possessed purpose and feeling. In the midst of rigid, academic portraiture created at the turn of the twentieth century, Henri created painterly expressions honoring the humanity of his common sitters.
Among my favorite of these paintings is Spanish Girl of Segovia, painted in 1912 and part of the permanent collection of the New Britain Museum of American Art. As a frequent visitor to the museum, I often observe the painting closely. There is an intimacy I wanted to convey in my painting of Henri.
When viewing the painting of Robert Henri, you are faced with intentional ambiguities. Is Henri standing in front of his model or a painting of his model? Each painting created for Artists of Influence is a fictional narrative designed to engage the viewer’s imagination. Viewers are encouraged to make their own conclusions.
In this narrative, Henri prepares to place a loaded brush onto an unforeseen surface. Emphasis is placed on the gesture of his face and his paint palette. There is an undeniable connection between the two figures. Both figures overlap and blend, forming one pyramidal shape. I created the painting from the perspective of a student stumbling upon a painting demonstration by Robert Henri. I envisioned the viewer in eager anticipation of the wisdom Henri will speak (as I would be!)
I created this painting of Robert Henri as a tribute to his humanity,
dignity, and passion for the creative process.
In
this
digital
age,
his words speak louder than ever!
1. National Gallery of Art. “American Impressionism and Realism,”
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/horo_henri.shtm#biblio.
2. Artcyclopedia, “Robert Henri,”
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/henri_robert.html.
3. Henri, Robert. The Art Spirit. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1923.
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