Thursday, August 13, 2015
Sewing outdoors - Theodore Robinson 1852-1896
Theodore Robinson was born in Irasburg, Vermont. His family moved to Wisconsin, & Robinson briefly studied art in Chicago. In 1874, he journeyed to New York City to attended classes at the National Academy of Design & the Art Students League. In 1876, he sailed to Paris to study under Carolus-Duran and, at the École des Beaux-Arts, with Jean-Léon Gérôme.
Beginning in the late 1880s, Theodore Robinson spent extended periods painting in & around Giverny, the French village where Claude Monet had settled in 1883. During that time he developed a close bond with Monet & embraced the color & light of Impressionism.
Theodore Robinson (American artist, 1852-1896) Sewing by the River
Robinson left France & Monet for the final time in 1892, although he intended to return. Back in America, Robinson obtained a teaching post with the Brooklyn Art School & conducted summer classes in Napanoch, New York, near the Catskill Mountains, where he painted landscapes. He also taught at Evelyn College in Princeton, New Jersey, & later at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia
Theodore Robinson (American artist, 1852-1896) Sewing in October Sunlight
While his reputation as an important American impressionst was growing, Robinson still needed to teach to support himself. He also harbored doubts about the quality of his work & if he could support himself by selling his art.
Theodore Robinson (American artist, 1852-1896) The Layette
In 1895, he enjoyed a productive period in Vermont, & 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 43 years old.
Theodore Robinson (American artist, 1852-1896) Woman Sewing in Giverny