45

ROBERT HENRI

American, 1865-1929

Faith, 1928

oil on canvas
signed and numbered on the reverse "Robert Henri"
22 x 18 inches

  • Provenance: ACA Galleries, New York, New York, 1993; Private Collection, Maryland.
  • Notes: This work is recorded in Henri's record book as "Study for Portrait of Faith." The sitter Faith Atkins [Witter] [Breeden] (1923-1977) was 5 years old at the time this work was painted. Henri did about 6 or so studies of Faith, including this one, and two portraits in 1928. The portraits were part of a commission from Faith's mother, Mrs. Gordon S. Rentschler.

    Our thanks to Valerie Ann Leeds, PhD, curatorial consultant, for her assistance cataloging and providing additional resource information for this lot.

    Framed dimensions: 28 1/4 x 24 1/4 x 2 1/2 inches

    In addition to his role as a leader of the Ashcan school and an influential teacher, Robert Henri is perhaps best remembered as an artist for his spirited portraits of children. In Faith, Henri depicts a young Irish girl in the artist's classic style–a portrait of a single child shown three-quarter length and painted in dashing strokes of color.

    Disparate from his earlier portraits in which the artist portrayed the playful personality of his subjects, his portraits in Ireland were more formal works investigating color and form. "Henri explored formal and abstract ideas of color and compositional harmonies in a virtual shorthand vocabulary. In these paintings, he used a more limited tonal range, with one or two foundation colors to build the composition."1 Part of this remarkable group, Faith exemplifies the hallmarks that make Henri's portraits some of his most coveted work.

    1 V.A. Leeds, "The Portraits of Robert Henri," in My People: The Portraits of Robert Henri, Seattle, Washington, 1994, p. 40.


    Tags: The Eight, oil painting, Ireland, beach scene, Ashcan School, listed artist, American Impressionist, American Impressionism, portrait, child
  • Condition: in overall excellent condition; unlined canvas; a few very minor scattered dots of inpaint; additional UV photos available upon request

    We are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Shannon’s is merely a subjective qualified opinion. Frames on all paintings are sold "As Is". Frames may need some conservation. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD “AS IS” IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE. 

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