In the saga of American art's coming-of-age, Robert Henri (1865-1929) and John Sloan (1871-1951) stand tall among those in the vanguard of the campaign. These two major American artists were kindred spirits who maintained a special friendship throughout their lives, from the moment they met in 1892 until Henri's death thirty-seven years later. This volume offers the first publication of the full correspondence between the two painters. These intimate letters capture the opinions, working habits, and various traumas of Henri and Sloan, thus casting a new light on their lives and art. Many of the letters are illustrated with previously unpublished examples--Henri's quickly sketched caricatures and Sloan's more carefully detailed and drawn compositions. Readers of these letters will also find passages that provide fresh perspectives on well-known paintings and published statements.
Robert Henri spearheaded the transition in American art from nineteenth-century academicism to twentieth-century self- expressionism, and John Sloan was an invaluable partner in this movement. As the leaders of the Ashcan School, Henri and Sloan proclaimed that all life was fit subject matter for the artist, and organized the landmark exhibition of The Eight--a group that included Maurice Prendergast and Arthur B. Davies--in 1908. These letters make mention of such individuals as William Glackens, George Luks, Everett Shinn, Ernest Lawson, Alexander Milne Calder, and Isadora Duncan, as well as others among the Henri-Sloan circle.
