Robert Henri (american, 1865-1929) - Feb 11, 2017 | Neal Auction Company In La
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Robert Henri (American, 1865-1929)

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Robert Henri (American, 1865-1929)
Robert Henri (American, 1865-1929)
Item Details
Description
Robert Henri (American, 1865-1929), "Ballet-Black Crook", 1894, oil on canvas, handwritten title and Henri inventory number "126A3" en verso, unsigned, 16 in. x 12 in., framed; accompanied by a copy of a letter from John C. LeClair, dated Oct. 13, 1964, discussing the work and copies of the Sotheby Parke Bernet catalogue page and invoice. Provenance: Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., New York, sale 4048, The American Heritage Auction of Americana, Nov. 17-19, 1977, lot 593; The Zigler Art Museum, Jennings, LA. Note: Robert Henri was an American Realist painter who led the Ashcan School, an informal group of artists known colloquially as “The Eight,” whose goal was to “advocate a new kind of ‘democratic art’ and to explore the everyday life of ordinary people in large cities.” Henri thought of himself as a reporter, faithfully documenting the lives of the urban and unglamorous with earnest enthusiasm. While initially quite taken with the style of French Impressionism, he rejected the “optical and plastic ‘sensations’ at [its] core.” Henri aimed to revolutionize what was considered acceptable subject matter for art.
In this painting offered here, Henri uses a dark palette reminiscent of Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas. The dimness of the room is amplified due to the harsh light from the orchestra illuminating the dancers, who are clustered in the lower right quadrant of the canvas. Henri captures the frenzy of the stage and elegant movement of the dancers with lively brushstrokes.
Ever the meticulous diarist, Henri kept detailed record books of his paintings, which he would label with a code of numbers and letters. This canvas is marked “126 A3” and is listed as “’Ballet-Black Crook’ Phila 1894”. He also made notes about the color palette used here, a “gray greenish light” as well as the composition, “many figures, six prominent.”
Ref.: Brown, Milton W., and Theresa C. Brakeley, American Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Decorative Arts, Photography. New York: Abrams, 1979, pp. 351-353. William Innes Homer – Robert Henri Papers, Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE.
Condition
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Robert Henri (American, 1865-1929)

Estimate $15,000 - $25,000
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Starting Price $10,000
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