Robert
Henri was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio in 1865. He studied art at
the Pennsylvania Academy and at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.
After returning to Philadelphia in 1891 he taught at the Women's School
of Design.
A strong admirer of the work of Thomas Eakins,
Henri was an advocate of realism in art. Eventually Henri became the
leader of a movement that Art Young described
as the Ash Can School. Henri taught his students that the artist's
work should be "a social force that creates a stir in the world".
Henri also urged artists to use the "rich subject-matter provided
by modern urban life". Artists influenced by Henri's ideas included
John Sloan, George
Bellows, George Luks,
Denys Wortman, Rockwell
Kent and Edward
Hopper.
In 1898 Henri began teaching at the New York
School of Art. When the National Academy in 1907 failed to recognize
the importance of Henri and his followers he mounted his own exhibition
under the title, The Eight.
The work of the Ash Can School became more widely known after 1911
when John Sloan became art editor of the
radical journal, The
Masses. Although they were rarely paid, Sloan was able
to use the work of Henri as well as the artists he had influenced
such as Stuart
Davis, George Bellows, Rockwell
Kent, Boardman
Robinson, Robert Minor, K.
R. Chamberlain, and Maurice Becker.
In 1913 the ideas of Henri inspired the International
Exhibition of Modern Art (the Armory Show) held in New York. Held
at the 69th Regiment Armory, the exhibition included over 1,300 works,
including 430 from Europe. The exhibition, held between 17th February
and 15th March, received around 250,000 visitors.
After leaving the New York School of Art Henri taught at the Ferrer
Center (1911-18) and the Arts
Students League (1915-28).
Henri's book, The
Art Spirit, published in 1923,
had a tremendous influence on young artists throughout America and
Europe. Robert Henri
died in 1929.
Robert Henri, The Working Man (1910)
(1) New York Press (4th
December, 1904)
Mr. Henri always has shown a desire to paint the truth. The quality
in a portrait painter is likely to react to his disadvantage. When
society folk have their faces and figures preserved on canvas they
have a strong desire to "look pretty," and a man who seeks
only to perpetuate the truth is likely to be out of favour with the
moneyed ones.
(2) Stuart
Davis was one of Robert Henri's students at the New York School
of Art.
He would talk about the paintings we brought in for three of four
hours, and in the process of talking about those pictures he would
criticise them not from the standpoint of some pre-established norm
of excellence, but in relation to his own ideas. He'd talk about his
own interests while he was talking about the painting and in the way,
since he had more experience, more purposeful experience with culture
in general than the crew of youths who were there, his discussions
were very educational affairs.
(3) Robert Henri, open letter
to Art Student League, (29th October, 1917)
Thomas Eakins was a man of great character. He was a man of iron will
and his will to paint and to carry out his life as he thought it should
go. This he did. It cost him heavily but in his works we have the
precious result of his independence, his generous heart and his big
mind. Eakins was a deep student of life, and with a great love he
studied humanity frankly. He was not afraid of what his study revealed
to him.
In the matter of ways and means of expression, the science of technique,
he studied most profoundly, as only a great master would have the
will to study. His vision was not touched by fashion. He struggled
to apprehend the constructive force in nature and to employ in his
works the principles found. His quality was honesty. "Integrity"
is the word which seems best to fit him. Personally I consider him
the greatest portrait painter America has produced.
(4)
Robert Henri, My People, The Craftsman: Volume 27 (February,
1917)
It
is disorder in the mind of man that produces chaos of the kind that
brings about such a war as we are today overwhelmed with. it is the
failure to see the various phases of life in their ultimate relation
that brings about militarism, slavery, the longing of one nation to
conquer another, the willingness to destroy for selfish, inhuman purposes.
The revolutionary parties that break away from old institutions, from
dead organizations are always headed by men with a vision of order,
with men who realize that there must be a balance in life, so much
of what is good for each man, so much to test the sinews of his soul,
so much to stimulate his joy.
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