Oil Paint
Oil paint is a slow-drying art medium made with pigment and a drying-oil binder that allows extended working time, smooth blending, and layered application.
Painter
Robert Henri
Robert Henri was an American painter and Ashcan School leader known for boldly brushed portraits, modern subjects, and influential teaching.
Robert Henri quick facts
Henri helped establish the Ashcan circle, favoring direct observation and confident brushwork while painting a wide range of portrait sitters.
| Born | 1865 · Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
|---|---|
| Died | 1929 · New York City, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Movements | Ashcan School; American Realism |
| Paint types | Oil Paint · Watercolor Paint · Gouache Paint |
| Painting surfaces | Canvas · Paper |
| Painting methods | Direct, broad oil brushwork, painterly portraits, strong dark-light contrasts, and rapid studies in watercolor and opaque gouache |
| Common subjects | Portraits, working people, children, dancers, city life, travel scenes, and individual sitters |
| Notable works | Snow in New York · Dutch Girl in White · Young Woman in White · Catharine |
| Influence | Encouraged students to observe modern life and organized The Eight's 1908 exhibition |
Sources: National Gallery of Art: Robert Henri, National Gallery of Art: Selected works and media, The Met: Dutch Girl in White, oil on canvas, The Met: Central Park, watercolor on paper, The Met: F. Ambrose Clark, oil on canvas.
Paint types used
Henri painted portraits and city subjects in oil, and used watercolor with gouache and ink for figure studies on paper.
Watercolor Paint
Watercolor paint is a water-based art medium made with pigment and a water-soluble binder, typically applied in transparent washes on absorbent paper.
Gouache Paint
Gouache paint is an opaque, water-based art medium made with pigment and a water-soluble binder, drying to a matte finish that can be reactivated with water.
Surface types used
Henri's major portraits were painted in oil on canvas; watercolors and gouache figure sketches were made on paper.
Canvas
Canvas is a woven fabric support, commonly cotton or linen, used for painting and sold either raw or prepared with a compatible ground layer.
Paper
Paper is an absorbent sheet material made from pressed fibers, with weight, sizing, and surface texture controlling moisture tolerance and paint behavior.
Painters similar to Robert Henri
Sloan was Henri's student and collaborator in The Eight, while Bellows studied with Henri and developed energetic city and sporting scenes.
John Sloan
John Sloan was an American Ashcan School painter known for candid New York street scenes, neighborhood routines, and direct observations of city life.
George Bellows
George Bellows was an American Ashcan School painter known for energetic scenes of New York City, boxing matches, crowded streets, and rough seas.