Theodore Robinson (June 3, 1852April 2, 1896) was an American painter best known for his
Impressionist landscapes. He was one of the first American artists to take up Impressionism in the late 1880s, visiting
and developing a close friendship with
Claude Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. Durin ...
. Several of his works are considered masterpieces of
American Impressionism
American Impressionism was a style of painting related to European Impressionism and practiced by American artists in the United States from the mid-nineteenth century through the beginning of the twentieth. The style is characterized by loose ...
.
Training and early career
Robinson was born in
Irasburg, Vermont.
His family moved to
Evansville, Wisconsin
Evansville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,703 at the 2020 census.
History
Evansville was first settled in the 1830s by New Englanders who were attracted to the area by its pristine wooded landscape an ...
, and Robinson briefly studied art in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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. In 1874 he journeyed to New York City to attend classes at the
National Academy of Design
The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the f ...
and the
Art Students League
The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists.
Although artists may stu ...
.
[.]
In 1876 he traveled to
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
to study under
Carolus-Duran and at the
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...
, with
Jean-Léon Gérôme
Jean-Léon Gérôme (11 May 1824 – 10 January 1904) was a French painter and sculptor in the style now known as academicism. His paintings were so widely reproduced that he was "arguably the world's most famous living artist by 1880." The ra ...
.
He first exhibited his paintings at the 1877
Salon in Paris,
and spent the summer of that year at
Grez-sur-Loing
Grez-sur-Loing (, literally ''Grez on Loing''; formerly Grès-en-Gâtinais, literally ''Grès in Gâtinais'') is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in north-central France.
Sights
* The Church of Notre-Dame et Saint-Laurent ''(Church ...
.
After trips to
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
and
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
, he returned to the United States in 1879 for several years. In 1881 he moved into a studio in New York and became a professional painter and art teacher, and in the same year became a member of the
Society of American Artists
The Society of American Artists was an American artists group. It was formed in 1877 by artists who felt the National Academy of Design did not adequately meet their needs, and was too conservative.
The group began meeting in 1874 at the home of ...
.
During this time Robinson painted in a
realist manner, loosely brushed but not yet impressionistic, often depicting people engaged in quiet domestic or agrarian pursuits.
Giverny
In 1884 Robinson returned to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
where he lived for the next eight years, visiting America only occasionally. Robinson gravitated to
, which had become a center of French impressionist art under the influence of
Claude Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. Durin ...
.
Historians are unclear when Robinson met Monet, but by 1888 their friendship was enough for Robinson to move in next door to the famous impressionist. Robinson's art shifted to a more traditional impressionistic manner during this time, likely due to Monet's influence. While a number of American artists had gathered at Giverny, none were as close to Monet as Robinson. Monet offered advice to Robinson, and he likewise solicited Robinson for opinions on Monet's own works in progress.
Not only did he take to heart
Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...
´s theoretical admonitions and his requirement to portray the beauties and mystery of nature in a manner stringently truthful to one's personal vision, but he also studied works that were available to him in "The Master´s" studio. For instance, ''Capri'', painted in 1890, was probably inspired by
Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...
´s paintings of the cliffs at Varengeville, Pourville, and Etretat and the rocks at Bell-Ile of the early 1880s.
At Giverny, Robinson painted what art historians regard as some of his finest works. These depicted the surrounding countryside in different weather, in the
plein air
''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors.
This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...
tradition, sometimes with women shown in leisurely poses. His ''Winter Landscape'' won the 1890
Webb Prize
Webb most often refers to James Webb Space Telescope which is named after James E. Webb, second Administrator of NASA.
It may also refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Webb Glacier (South Georgia)
* Webb Glacier (Victoria Land)
* Webb Névé, Victori ...
.
Another example of his mature work during this period is ''La Débâcle'' (1892) in the collection of
Scripps College, Claremont California.
Return to America
Robinson left France and Monet for the final time in 1892, although he meant to return. Back in America, Robinson obtained a teaching post with the Brooklyn Art School and conducted summer classes in
Napanoch, New York
Napanoch is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. It is at the junction of routes 209 and 55. Napanoch is on the Shawangunk Ridge National Scenic Byway, and is part of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.
Napanoch is in th ...
, near the
Catskill Mountains, where he painted several canal scenes. He also taught at
Evelyn College in
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...
, and later at the
in Philadelphia.
With New York City as his base, Robinson circulated among a growing number of American artists pursuing Impressionism. He was particularly close to
John Henry Twachtman
John Henry Twachtman (August 4, 1853 – August 8, 1902) was an American painter best known for his impressionist landscapes, though his painting style varied widely through his career. Art historians consider Twachtman's style of American Impr ...
and
Julian Alden Weir, and spent time at the nearby
Cos Cob Art Colony in Connecticut. There he painted a series of boat scenes at the Riverside Yacht Club which have come to be regarded as among his finest works.
While his reputation as an important American Impressionist was growing, Robinson still needed to teach to support himself. He also harbored doubts about the quality of his work.
Throughout his career, Theodore Robinson kept meticulous diaries, but only the last several years of the diaries are known to exist. These are in the collection of the
Frick Art Reference Library
The Frick Art Reference Library is the research arm of The Frick Collection. Its reference services have temporarily relocated to the Breuer building at 945 Madison Avenue, called Frick Madison, during the renovation of the Frick's historic build ...
in New York and available to scholars. The art historian Sona Johnson, of the
Baltimore Museum of Art
The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is an art museum that was founded in 1914. The BMA's collection of 95,000 objects encompasses more than 1,000 works by Henri Matisse anchored by the Cone Collection of ...
, plans to publish an annotated edition of the Robinson diaries.
Final years
In the last year of his life he was asked to contribute to the book of essays titled ''Modern French Masters'' by the editor and art historian
John Charles Van Dyke
John Charles Van Dyke (1856–1932) was an American art historian, critic, and nature writer. He was born at New Brunswick, New Jersey, studied at Columbia, and for many years in Europe. He was admitted to the New York State Bar Association in 1 ...
. He wrote an essay on the Barbizon painter
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and, because of his friendship with the French Impressionist, he wrote and illustrated the essay on
Claude Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. Durin ...
. The book was published in 1896 and his illustration of Monet was featured in the exhibition "In Monet's Light."
In 1895, Robinson enjoyed a productive period in Vermont, and in February 1896 he wrote to Monet about returning to Giverny, but in April he died of an acute asthma attack in New York City. He was buried in his hometown of
Evansville, Wisconsin
Evansville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,703 at the 2020 census.
History
Evansville was first settled in the 1830s by New Englanders who were attracted to the area by its pristine wooded landscape an ...
. He was 43 years old.
Today Robinson's paintings are in the collections of many major museums including the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
in New York City; the
Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University.
Overview
The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...
, Washington, D.C.; and the
Art Institute of Chicago.
Artwork gallery
File:Robinson The Layette.jpg, ''The Layette'', (1882)
Image:Robinson Girl at Piano.jpg, ''Girl at Piano,'' (c. 1887)
File:By the River Theodore Robinson 1887.jpeg, ''By the River'', (1887)
Image:Theodore Robinson - Capri.jpg, ''Capri,'' 1890, Collection Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum (in Spanish, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza (), named after its founder), or simply the Thyssen, is an art museum in Madrid, Spain, located near the Prado Museum on one of the city's main boulevards. I ...
, Madrid
Image:Theodore Robinson - The old bridge.jpg, ''The Old Bridge'', 1890. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza.
Image:Theodore Robinson (1852-1896) - Père Trognon and His Daughter at the Bridge (1891).jpg, ''Père Trognon and His Daughter at the Bridge,'' (1891)
Image:The Valley of the Seine, from the Hills of Giverny A30809.jpg, ''Valley of the Seine from Giverny Heights'', (1892), Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University.
Overview
The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...
File:Robinson House with Scaffolding.jpg, ''House with Scaffolding,'' (1892)
File:Theodore Robinson - Le Cortège nuptial.jpg, ''The Wedding March,'' (1892)
File:Brooklyn Museum - A French Hamlet - Theodore Robinson - overall.jpg, '' A French Hamlet '', (1892) Brooklyn Museum
File:Robinson In the Sun.jpg, ''In the Sun'' (1892), a study of his romantic companion Marie
File:Robinson Canal Scene.jpg, ''Canal Scene,'' (1893)
Image:Theodore Robinson - Low Tide, Riverside Yacht Club (1894).jpg, ''Low Tide Riverside Yacht Club,'' (1894), Collection of Margaret and Raymond Horowitz
File:Theodore Robinson - World's Columbian Exposition - 2010.73 - Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.jpg, ''World's Columbian Exposition'' (1894), Collection of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a museum of American art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The museum, founded by Alice Walton and designed by Moshe Safdie, officially opened on 11 November 2011. It offers free public admission.
Overview ...
.
Image:RobinsonTheodoreJamaicaVermont.jpg, Theodore Robinson, '' Jamaica, Vermont,'' (1895)
Notes
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
External links
theodorerobinson.org 150 works by Theodore Robinson
''Capri'' from Theodore Robinson, in YOUR CITY AT THE THYSSEN, a Thyssen Museum's project on Flickr*[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE2DA1531F930A35754C0A9639C8B63&sec=&pagewanted=print "When Your Neighbor is Monet" by Benjamin Genocchio, a review of "In Monet's Light: Theodore Robinson at Giverny" art exhibition in ''The New York Times'', July 3, 2005]
Theodore Robinson, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. Biography and works''American impressionism and realism : a landmark exhibition from the Met'' a 1991 exhibition catalog from the Metropolitan Museum of Art libraries
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Theodore
19th-century American painters
19th-century American male artists
American male painters
American Impressionist painters
American landscape painters
People from Irasburg, Vermont
Evelyn College for Women faculty
1852 births
1896 deaths
American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts faculty
People from Evansville, Wisconsin
Deaths from asthma
Painters from Wisconsin
Painters from Vermont
Burials in Wisconsin