"Art, when really understood, is the province of every human being.
It is simply a question of doing things, anything, well. It is not an outside, extra thing.
When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work my be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and he opens ways for a better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it, shows that there are still more pages possible.
The world would stagnate without him, and the world would be beautiful with him; for he is interesting to himself and he is interesting to others. He does not have to be a painter or a sculptor to be an artist. He can work in any medium. He simply has to find the gain in the work itself, not outside it.
Museums of art will not make an art country. But where there is the art spirit there will be precious works to fill museums. Better still, there will be the happiness that is in the making. Art tends toward balance, order, judgement of relative values, the laws of growth, the economy of living- very good things for anyone to be interested in."
*Back in the day, the use of 'he' was considered proper grammar if the writer wasn't referring to a specific gender-N. Meyer
One of the things I admire most about Henri's work is its immediacy- his paintings look like they were done in one session with an economy of mark making that gives the work great strength.
In fact, in The Art Spirit, he states, "Do it in one sitting if you can. In one minute if you can. There is no virtue in delaying."
Robert Henri
Cumulus Clouds, East River
1901-02
Oil on canvas
63.5 x 80.6 cm (25 x 31 3/4 in.)
Private collection
