Henri, Robert
(b. 1865
d. 1929)
Painter, Educator, IllustratorParis, France; New York, N.Y.; Cozad, Neb.
Diaries and sketchbook, 1880-1900 25 v.
Diary kept as an account of the daily activities of a 15 year old boy, son of a hay grower, living in Cozad, a small town in south central Nebraska along the Platte River, May-November, 1880 (122 p.). He writes about family events, play with his brother and friends, swimming and fishing in the Platte River, celebrating the 4th of July, town happenings, his grandmother's general store, a walking race, bailing hay for his father, and working on bridge repairs. He describes his attitude toward work and hardship, his reading and writing, gives an account of a fair and a dance, and describes houses in Cozad. Henri's real name was Robert Henry Cozad. Microfilm reel 1654. Original privately owned.
Diaries, 1888-1891 and 1896-1900. He writes about moving to Paris to study at the Académie Julian, the difficulty of getting an apartment (he was there with Harry Finney, James Fisher, Charles Grafly, and William Haefeker), his impressions of the Louvre, his shame at not being able to speak French, life at the Académie Julian, preparations for concours, work at home, trouble with his eyes, activities during his leisure hours with friends (reading aloud, games, drawing bones, working on compositions, studying history and French, playing musical instruments), models, other students, Bouguereau, etc. He describes the student's masked ball, and writes about his socializing with other students, including Louis Dessar, George Fox, Edward (Reddy) Redfield, [ ] Strickland, and Allen Tucker. He gives his impressions of a train trip to Provence with much about Lyon, and a trip to Arles. Back in Paris he recounts the problem of finding a good place from which to draw at the Académie Julian, criticisms from Fleury and Bouguereau (they get more detailed as his French improves), his transfer to the St. Honoré branch in May 1889, the International Exposition of 1889, and a trip to Brittany with Fisher. He frequently mentions students and the marks they received, describes a baseball game with the other students, a painting trip to the woods of Fontainebleau in May 1890, his impressions of the Salon of 1890, a trip to St. Nazaire where he and his friends sketched and painted outdoors, and describes how Fisher took William Trego's French fiancée away from him on the boat to the United States (frame 465). Upon his return to Paris in December 1890, he characterizes many of his friends, he records his expenses for the year, and he describes changes in school resulting from people leaving. He writes of meeting Henry O. Tanner (frame 594), and attending the Julian ball in February 1891 with his companions: E. Irving Couse, Grafly, Poole, George Henry Taggart, Ernest Seton Thompson, Tucker, and Williamson. He writes of his acceptance at l'Ecole des Beaux Arts and his plan to continue at the Académie Julian. He argues against a criticism by Bouguereau; expresses his opinions of various French artists; recounts a sketching trip to Brolles in March 1891, prepares for the Salon, and writes of his feelings of suspense prior to his rejection, and of criticisms by Ferrier (frame 631). Microfilm reel 885.
Diary of travels in Italy, November 19-December 2, 1890 (128 p.). Henri writes in detail about his daily activities including sightseeing visits to Roman churches, monuments, catacombs, and art collections, and getting lost in Perugia. He travels to Florence, where he meets artists Porter and Scanlon. Henri describes various churches and galleries, criticizes tourists and amateur artists who copy Old Master works, and reviews paintings in the Uffizi at length, writing, "It is a wonderful collection and a wonderful opportunity for us fellows who aspire to be artists ourselves." Microfilm reel 885, frames 526 f. Restricted access. Use requires prior permission.
Notebook/sketchbook documenting his travels in Chioggia, Lotto Marino, and Venice, Italy, August 29-September 12, 1891 (33 p.). He describes his fondness for Lotto Marino, writing that "it's a place to make an artist go wild over color and character." He refers to sketches by his friend [Italico] Brass, the Austrian painter he met as a student at [Adolphe William] Bouguereau's studio in Paris. While in Venice, he writes about the cafés and the street life and describes his train ride to Etaples, France. In addition to figure studies and pencil and ink sketches, a list of expenses and a list of items to purchase in Italy are included. Not microfilmed.
Diary, December 1896-March 1897 and sparsely until September 1900. He writes of teaching in Paris at 9, rue des Fourneaux, he lists his 11 students and their nationalities, writes about his own models, criticizes the exhibition of modern French painters at Durand Ruel's in January 1897, notes the arrival of various people from Philadelphia, Penna., comments on Augustus Koopman's home made frames (frame 665), recounts Adolphe [Borie's] tale of his encounters with Whistler (frames 690-691), and reacts to the Exposition of 1900. Microfilm reel 885.
Microfilm reel(s): 885-887
Location of Originals: REELS 885-887: Originals returned to the lender, Mrs. Janet LeClair, after microfilming.
REEL 1654: Original returned to the lender, Dr. Robert Gatewood, Las Vegas, Nevada, after microfilming.
Forms Part of: Robert Henri papers
