. DISTINGVISHED MERICAN APJ1STS OBER.T HIENRI DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN ARTISTS ROBERT HENRI ROBERT HENRI DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN ARTISTS ROBERT HENRI Compiled by NATHANIEL POUSETTE-DART NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1922, by FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY All rights reserved First Printing, September 23, 1922 Second Printing, December 24, 1923 Printed in the United States of America Library AT) ROBERT HENRI ROBERT HENRI, in American art, stands for what Manet stood for in French art, and what Goya stood for in Spanish art. He is a strong character, and a powerful influence ; a man who has stood like a rock for his ideals. He is a born fighter and he has always fought for individuality in art. He be- lieves that what an artist has to express is the vital thing ; that technique may be important, but that it should never be an end in itself. Henri is a student, always. His eye and his mind's eye are always on the alert for new discoveries. Life means evolution to him ; it means destruction and crea- tion. He is equally attuned to the delicate, and to the brutal, to the spiritual and to the material. Like Bernard Shaw, he faces life squarely. Both of these men love reality, but they abhor photographic rep- resentation. They are neither of them portrait painters in the accepted sense ; rather they are creators of their own race of people. A mere likeness is a vulgar thing to them : they are after the quintessence of the spirit. Sometimes they fail, and their work is wooden, but when they succeed it is electrified with real creative genius. They both love humanity, but they love their own people more. It has been said of Henri that some of his earlier work shows the influence of other artists. This is true, and it shows that he has always been a real, 'live, growing artist. It is the great man who can utilize knowledge from many vii different sources, selecting from each that which he can weave into the fabric of his own personality. It is he who realizes that he must manipulate one existing sub- stance into ever-changing, plastic forms that will create emotion. Henri's style is simple, and therein lies its strength. Nothing is painted that should have been left out. When he paints an eye, he may use three brush strokes, or twenty, but there is never any fumbling or uncertainty so far as the end in view is concerned. It is either right or wrong. Either he has failed, and the result is mere paint, or he has succeeded in creating a thing that pulsates with life. This shows how honest the man is. He can- not fake, and he hates pretense. Perhaps the one quality that dominates in his work is vitality, a vigor that is both intellectual and physical. One is never conscious of any laziness or indecision in his make-up. His jaws are set, he has a grip that tightens rather than loosens. Henri paints with a broad brush ; he paints the essen- tials, the things that count in art. In his portrait work he is seeking to eliminate the element of time, to achieve universality, and to hint the mysteries of the fourth dimension. To the uncritical and superficial his work may seem unstudied, but the reverse is true. His interest in organization is intense, and each canvas is worked out structurally in a very careful way. He is alive to what Clive Bell calls "significant form," * that fundamental and profound quality achieved by the early Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese. * See "Art" by Clive Bell. viii His vision is that of the idealist. He is never unkind, and he has a veritable blind spot for blemishes. He is a great egoist, as every great creator must be, and sees everything from his own intensely personal point of view. He reorganizes all the material for expression within his own inner self, colors it with his own char- acter. It is always white-hot with conviction. Robert Henri was born in Cincinnati in 1865. He comes of a family for many generations in America, the original stock being French, English and Irish. At first he thought that writing was his forte, but painting soon became the stronger attraction. In 1886, he entered the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he began his studies under Thomas Anshutz, one of the few great teachers of art that we have had in this country. A few years later, he went to Paris, where he studied under Fleury and Bougereau at Juliens. The academic re- straint there, however, soon proved too much for him, and we find him on his way to the Louvre, where, to his relief, he found the work of artists who impressed him by their intense reactions to life. The big simplicity of the Spaniards impressed him. He experienced a re- birth ; something within him expanded and flowered, and from that moment he knew what great art meant. Later he passed under the influence of the then radical Courbet, Manet and Whistler. Their influence was, however, only temporary. His personality continued to make itself felt until these other influences gradually disappeared, and the character of Henri emerged supreme. Since those early days, he has always begun a painting as though he were going into battle. He must always either win or lose; there can be no middle ground of mediocre accomplishment. It is this fearlessness that is so attractive in his work. He attacks each new problem with a different spirit, and the result is a different tech- nique in every instance. He has painted many children, but each one of them has been brushed into life in a dif- ferent way. This varied technique is shown also in his color. Always he is an experimenter, mixing brains and paint. His portraits of laboring men are astonishing. One feels that he has fairly cut them out of paint with under- standing and feeling. In some of them the paint seems to have been driven onto the canvas with terrific force. His portraits have an air of unstudied alertness, be- cause, in every instance he has done his thinking before- hand. Before he touches brush to canvas, his picture is painted. For it is the vision back of his eyes that he paints, and not the image in front of them. This par- ticular quality is very noticeable in his portraits of Him- self and Herself. There is no seemingly laborious execu- tion, but this does not mean that they have been done with ease. Each canvas is a new adventure, and some- times the peaks are hard to climb. As a teacher of art, Mr. Henri has few equals. He seems to grasp the possibilities of his students in such a way that he is able to guide them toward an expression of power. He awakens the dormant potentialities in each student, develops his courage, and helps him transfer his own personality to canvas. There is nothing academic x about his teaching. He never tries to get his students to put down pretty, senseless lines, or to draw "correctly." He teaches control. Each brush-stroke must express a ronviction, must be a valuable link in the organization of his subject. It must be dynamic, whether it be delicate or strong. He teaches that to paint well it is not alone necessary to feel ; one must also think. Great art, accord- ing to Robert Henri, is never an accident. N. P-D. XI The sixty-four paintings herein reproduced illustrate the varied characteristics of this artist's work. LITTLE GIRL OF THE SOUTHWEST Collection of Wilmington Society of Arts, Wilmington, Del. 1 THE GOAT HERDER PORTRAIT OF EDWARD CATHARINE Collection of W. J. Johnson, Esq., Uniontown, Pa. WILLIE GEE Collection of Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D. C. EVA GREEN PORTRAIT OF MARY FANTON ROBERTS Collection of Mrs. William Carmen Roberts, New York, N. Y. CAPTAIN H. G. MONTGOMERY Collection of H. G. Montgomery, Esq., New York, N. Y. THE RED TOP Collection of Amos Pinchot, Esq., New York, N. Y. LAUGHING GIPSY GIRL Collection of Mrs. Marshall Field, Washington, D. C. PORTRAIT OF E. WYATT DAVIS, ESQ. Collection of E. JVyatt Davis, Esq., New York, N. Y. JEAN No. 3 DUTCH JOE Collection of Art Institute of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wis. CINCO CENTIMO In Private Collection RUTH ST. DENIS IN THE PEACOCK DANCE HIMSELF Collection of Paul Schulze, Esq., Chicago, 111. HERSELF Collection of Paul Schulzc, Ksq., Chicago, 111- SPANISH TANGO DANCER EL PICADOR GREGORITA In Private Collection HAWAII AND NAVAHO INDIAN GIRL OF SANTA CLARA, N. M. HELEN TESUQUE BUCK THE LITTLE SPANISH DANCER MARY OF CONNEMARA IMAGINATIVE BOY Collection of Mrs. Marshall Field, Washington, D. C. LITTLE MEXICAN GIRL IN BIG HAT JOSE Collection of Dr. George Woodward, Chestnut Hill, Pa. THE SEGOVIA GIRL AGNES LA NOVIA CECELIA THE LITTLE ONE THE SHAVE HEAD Collection of G. A. Stephens, Esq., Moline, III. TONY In Private Collection PORTRAIT OF FAY BAINTER MANUS Collection of Paul Schulze, Esq., Chicago, III. PATIENCE SERIOUS Collection of Walter J. Wichgar, Cincinnati, Ohio FISH MARKET MAN THE GUIDE TO CROAGHAN Collection of Miss Julia E. Peck, Detroit, Mich. PORTRAIT OF "PAT" ROBERTS Collection of Lloyd Roberts, Esq., Canada PORTRAIT OF FAYETTE SMITH Collection of Clyde M. Carr, Esq., Chicago, 111. C Pi YOUNG WOMAN IN BLACK Collection of Art Institute of Chicago THE SPANISH GIPSY Collection of Metropolitan Museum, New York, N. Y. Sis Collection of Miss Julia E. Peck, Detroit, Mich. THE FISHERMAN HEAD OF A MAN THE BALLET DANCER Collection of Adolph Lewisohn, Esq., New York, N. Y. BETALO RUBINO DRAMATIC DANCER Collection of City Museum, St. Louis, Mo. CHINESE LADY 8. < -4 * w * X w H 5 Pi M Z H 55 o u M i H (5 < > o PQ ROBERT HENRI, 10 Gramercy Park, New York, N. Y., born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1865. Studied at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pa.; Academic Julien and 1'Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, 1888-1891, and for years independently in France, Spain and Italy. MEMBER OF SOCIETY OF AMERICAN ARTISTS, New York, 1903 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN Associate, 1904 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN Academician, 1906 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND LETTERS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS NATIONAL ARTS CLUB Life Member TAGS SOCIETY OF ARTISTS Associate Los ANGELES MODERN ART SOCIETY Honorary Member PEOPLES ART GUILD OF NEW YORK SCHOOL OF AMERICAN RESEARCH Board of Managers SOCIETY OF INDEPENDENT ARTISTS, New York BOSTON ART CLUB Honorary Member NEW SOCIETY OF ARTISTS, New York LEAGUE OF NEW YORK ARTISTS AWARDS Silver Medal, Pan American Exposition, Buffalo, 1901. Silver Medal, Universal Exposition, St. Louis, 1904. Norman W. Harris Medal and Prize of $500. Chicago Art Institute, 1905. Gold Medal, Art Club of Philadelphia, 1909. Silver Medal, International Fine Arts Exposition, Buenos Ayres, S. A., 1910. Carol H. Beck Gold Medal, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, 1914. Silver Medal, Panama Pacific Exposition, San Francisco, 1915. Portrait Prize, Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts, 1920. REPRESENTED IN LUXEMBOURG GALLERY, PARIS La Neige CHICAGO ART INSTITUTE young Woman in Black PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS ....Girl With Fan CARNEGIE INSTITUTE, PITTSBURG Equestrian BROOKLYN MUSEUM OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. .The Laughing Girl GALLERY OF SPARTANBURG, S. C The Girl With Red Hair ART ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS, DALLAS, TEXAS, The Happy Hollander COLUMBUS GALLERY OF THE FINE ARTS, COLUMBUS, O., Dancer in Yellow Shawl ART ASSOCIATION OF NEW ORLEANS Spanish Gipsy Girl CAROLINA ART ASSOCIATION, CHARLESTON, S. C., Girl of Toledo, Spain ART INSTITUTE OF KANSAS CITY, Mo The Blue Necklace SAN FRANCISCO INSTITUTE OF ART ......... Lillian METROPOLITAN MUSEUM, NEW YORK The Spanish Gipsy NATIONAL ARTS CLUB, NEW YORK . .*. Romany Girl MUSEUM OF ART AND ARCHEOLOGY, SANTA FE, N. M., The Indian Drummer MINNEAPOLIS MUSEUM . Fi BUFFALO FINE ARTS GALLERY, BUFFALO, N. Y Tarn Gan GALLERY OF OBERLIN COLLEGE, OBERLIN, O. . .Spanish Gipsy Girl MEMPHIS MUSEUM .A chill Girl DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ART, Young Girl, The Beach Hat, Boy With Plaid Scarf TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART, TOLEDO, O The Cathedral Woods MILWAUKEE ART INSTITUTE Dutch Joe TELFAIR ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, SAVANNAH, GA., . . . .Madrilenita CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON, D. C. Willie Gee CITY ART MUSEUM, ST. Louis. .Betalo Rubino, Dramatic Dancer MUSEUM OF HI?TORY, SCIENCE AND ART, Los ANGELES, CAL., Pepette WILMINGTON SOCIETY OF THE FINE ARTS, WILMINGTON, DEL., Little Girl of the Southwest BUTLER ART INSTITUTE, YOUNGSTOWN, O The Little Dancer CINCINNATI MUSEUM . .Beatrice PUBLISHED MATTER Independent (Mag.), N. Y., June 25, 1908, "Robert Henri" C. W. Barrel. Arts and Decoration (Mag.), N. Y., April, 1912, "Robert Henri" Guy du Bois. Current Literature (Mag.), N. Y., April, 1912, "Robert Henri" unsigned. Fine Arts Journal (Mag.), N. Y., July, 1912* "Robert Henri" F. B. Rutterauff. Craftsman (Mag.), N. Y., Feb., 1908, "The Younger American Painters" Edgerton. Craftsman (Mag.), N. Y., Jan., 1909, "Individuality and Free- dom in Art" Robert Henri. Craftsman (Mag.), N. Y., May, 1910, "The Exhibition of Independent Artists" Robert Henri. Craftsman (Mag.), N. Y., Feb., 1915, "My People" Robert Henri. Harper's Weekly (Mag.), April 13, 1907. House Beautiful (Mag.), August, 1906, "Robert Henri." Arts and Decoration (Mag.), N. Y., Dec., 1914, "An Ideal Exhibition Scheme" Robert Henri. Arts and Decoration (Mag.), N. Y., Nov., 1915, "Who's Who in Art" Guy du Bois. American Magazine of Art, Oct., 1916, "Robert Henri" Oliver S. Tonks. Touchstone (Mag.), N. Y., June, 1919, "Philosophy of a Por- trait Painter" E. Ralph Cheyney. University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. JUN 23 -*-( T DUE 2 WK6 i-rtum UH ("Llui.ut.1 vet) UCLA URUILL UCLA-Art Library ND 237 H L 006 241 710 I REGIONAL 001 194 599 5 Unive So L