Robert Henri and His Circle: Selections from the Permanent Collection

Frye Art Museum

Seattle, Washington

(206) 622-9250

photo by Jill Berarducci

Robert Henri and His Circle: Selections from the Permanent Collection

January 30 through April 4, 1999

Works by American artist Robert Henri (1865-1929) and his contemporaries will be on view at the Frye Art Museum fiom Jan. 30 through Apr. 4, 1999. Drawn from the museum's permanent collections, Robert Henri and His Circle includes examples of American realist paintings by Henri that challenged New York's artistic establishment at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Henri was a key figure in American painting as a teacher and advocate of a new form of realism in art. His gritty, urban street scenes capturing New York city life challenged the art for art's sake' aesthetic of the late nineteenth century and focused on 'art for life,' portraying the vitality ofordinary city scenes.

In 1908, he organized a controversial independent exhibition of his work and a group of fellow artists that won national attention. Known as "The Eight," this group included John Sloan, Arthur B. Davies, George Luks, Everett Shinn, William Glackens, Maurice Prendergast, and Ernest Lawson. Their early paintings later inspired critics to characterize their work as the "Ashcan School" of painting, even though not all of their works were urban depictions - they were also known for rich, colorful landscapes. Works by Henri students George Bellows, Edward Hopper, and Rockwell Kent are also included in the exhibition.

Above right : Edward Hopper, Along the Pier, 1907-09, watercolor, 21 x 29 1/4 inches.

For further biographical information on selected artists cited above please see America's Distinguished Artists, a national registry of historic artists.

rev. 9/20/10

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