Robert Henri (25 June 1865 – 12 July 1929)

Street Scene with Snow

1902

I'm back! Where was I? Nowhere; if you didn't hear, Blogger controls shut down for a couple of days, so I was unable to push any posts through. Luckily everything is working well again, so I can get back to posting. 

In terms of figurative painting, no one has had a stronger influence on the American art scene than Henri. And Henri is the foundation of American Realism. Hopper and du Bois were both influenced strongly by the his presence; and comparing the styles of the three painters, you can note many traits borrowed from Henri by the two younger artists. There is an occasional question that is asked, which is "If not towards abstraction, where?" And Henri and his disciples answered, though for quite a while few were interested in receiving that answer. As a final note, I always wonder about the heritability of artistic genius, so whenever I find out that artists are related I think it fascinating; in that vein, Henri was a distant cousin of Cassatt. 

Betalo, Nude

1916

Letecia

1925

Street Corner in Paris

1896 

Dutch Soldier

1907

Early Morning, Venice

1891

Salome

1909

Far Rockaway

1902

Portrait of Mrs. Edward H. (Catherine) Bennett

Cafe du Dome (or On the Boulevard Montparnasse)

1892 

Guy Pène du Bois (January 4, 1884 – July 18, 1958)

                                                                                                        

Opera Box

1926

I often talk about artists that are generally neglected, but Bois is a particularly egregious case of neglect in today's art circles. In his lifetime, Bois was a well-known painter and art critic, who championed the Ashcan School of art, which had produced him and contributed to his early style, as well as other prominent artists, many themselves somehow evolved from that wonderful Ashcan style, such as Bois's dear friend Hopper. Furthermore, Bois was to some extent a wonderful culmination of many important artists in the American pantheon, such as Robert Henri and Childe Hassam; and, beyond being a  simple summation, his art also took on many novel aspects. But where is Bois? Bois is forgotten. 

The Reception

c.  1916

Woman Playing Accordion

1924

Dining Out

1919

Singer with Fan

1912

Waiting for the Train

1917