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HOLD THE OBIT!
I thought it important to report that Mother Nature called early this morning. Therefore I can say with a good amount of certainty that reports of her demise do to the industrial revolution have apparently been exaggerated. (Forgive me Mark Twain)
On a less argumentative note, perhaps, I would like to suggest a book for those of you who may not be familiar with the thoughts of artist teacher Robert Henri. I have met a few artist who insist that it was/is recommended reading for all art students and yet was only brought to my attention four or five years ago. Were I Director of an art school this book would be at the top of the required reading list.
I delivered a portrait of the retiring President Judge of Westmoreland County Pennsylvania to the Greensburg Art Museum where a new frame would ready the painting for it's unveiling that very evening. While there I learned that a show titled "Robert Henri and His Influence" was being hung and the Director allowed us to see the show in mid installation.
Shortly thereafter I found coverage of the show in the June 2002 issue of American Art Review. The article noted Henri's schooling, which included the influence of Eakins and Windslow Homer, study at the Academie Julian with William Bouguereau and exposure to the impressionist while in France. He had a huge influence and believed in a strong association of Art to Life.
In 1923 his book The Art Spirit (ISBN 0-06-430138-9) was published and here is the description from Art Review:
"The Art Spirit, which consisted of a collection of lecture notes, fragments from letters, and other written texts between 1900-23, did not advance a single ideology or champion a specific style at the expense of others, but asserted a general view of art that was thoroughly modern and thus could be assimilated into and adapted to nearly any aesthetic or ideological context. In the foreword to his book Henri writes, 'The opinions are presented more as paintings are hung on the wall, to be looked at at will and taken as rough sketches for what they are worth. If they gave a suggestive value and stimulate to independent thought they will attain the object of their presentation.' And it is this passion, the belief that art was not simply an application of technique but a lifestyle, that was life transforming that Henri affirmed."
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