Artist

Robert Henri

Robert Henri prints bring the vivid faces, snowy streets and confident brushwork of the Ashcan School into your home. Henri was an American painter and one of the most influential art teachers of his time, who led a revolt against genteel academic art in favour...Read more

Robert Henri prints bring the vivid faces, snowy streets and confident brushwork of the Ashcan School into your home. Henri was an American painter and one of the most influential art teachers of his time, who led a revolt against genteel academic art in favour of painting real modern life. Our collection of fine art prints covers his portraits of children and women, New York and Paris street scenes, and seascapes.

About Robert Henri

Robert Henri was born Robert Henry Cozad in Cincinnati on 24 June 1865. His father founded the town of Cozad in Nebraska, but after he shot a rancher in a dispute in 1882 the family moved east and changed their names; Robert became Robert Earl Henri, pronounced "hen-rye". In 1886 he enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts under Thomas Anshutz, a protégé of Thomas Eakins, and in 1888 went to Paris to study at the Académie Julian under Bouguereau, where he admired Millet and embraced Impressionism.

Back in Philadelphia, he gathered a group of young newspaper illustrators, including John Sloan, William Glackens, George Luks and Everett Shinn, who became the core of the Ashcan School. In New York he taught at the New York School of Art from 1902, where his pupils included Edward Hopper, George Bellows and Joseph Stella. His first wife Linda died in 1905, and in 1908 he married the cartoonist Marjorie Organ.

In 1908 he organised the landmark exhibition of The Eight at the Macbeth Galleries, and in 1910 the first unjuried Exhibition of Independent Artists. He painted on Achill Island in Ireland from 1913 and in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1916, 1917 and 1922. In 1929 he was named one of the top three living American artists. He died in New York on 12 July 1929.

Style and Subjects

Henri painted quickly, with broad, fluid brushstrokes, dark backgrounds and strong contrasts, aiming to catch the life and character of a person in a single sitting. He urged his students to paint the world around them honestly.

His portraits of children and ordinary people, from Dutch and Irish children to Native American and Hispanic sitters in Santa Fe, are warm, direct and full of personality. His early New York and Paris views show snowy streets and cafés in a dark, atmospheric palette.

Famous Works

Café by Night with Japanese Lanterns (1897), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A Paris café scene from his years in France.
Sidewalk Café (1899), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Parisians at an outdoor café.
Snow in New York (1902). A dark, snowy Manhattan street, a classic Ashcan subject.
Dutch Girl Laughing (1907), Dallas Museum of Art. A child caught mid-laugh in quick, lively strokes.
The Masquerade Dress (1911), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. His wife Marjorie in a costume dress, one of his most famous paintings.
George Wesley Bellows (1911), National Academy of Design, New York. A portrait of his star pupil.
Irish Girl (Mary O'Donnel) (1913), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A portrait from his first stay on Achill Island.
Mildred Clarke von Kienbusch (1914), Princeton University Art Museum. A bold, confident society portrait.

Decorating with Henri Prints

Henri's portraits of children, like Dutch Girl Laughing or Laughing Boy, bring warmth and personality to a family room, child's room or hallway, and their dark backgrounds and bold colour suit both traditional and modern interiors.

His snowy New York street scenes make a striking pair for a study or entrance, while his Monhegan and sea-cliff views suit a coastal home.

FAQ

What was the Ashcan School?

The Ashcan School was a group of American realist painters, led by Robert Henri with John Sloan, William Glackens, George Luks and Everett Shinn, who painted everyday life in New York around 1900–1915.

What was The Eight?

The Eight was a 1908 exhibition at the Macbeth Galleries in New York, organised by Henri, of eight painters who rebelled against the conservative National Academy of Design.