:William Merritt Chase (1849–1916) and Robert Henri (1865–1929), significant painters and influential teachers, are two of the most important and admired figures in American art history. Their substantial contributions as artists pale in comparison to their roles as generous, charismatic mentors to such painting stars as George Bellows, Stuart Davis, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Rockwell Kent and Charles Sheeler.
Chase and Henri shared many interests, attributes and values. They admired and often emulated Old Master painters, they were revered by their students and they believed deeply in a distinctly American art.
A "genteel bohemian,” William Merritt Chase (shown at left) painted this "Self Portrait” around 1914, when his elaborate clothes, pince-nez glasses and effulgent whiskers had made him a celebrated figure in the art world. Detroit Institute of Arts. Shown at right, Robert Henri painted this somber "Self Portrait” in 1903, utilizing characteristically broad strokes and somber colors in a shadowed composition that reflected his affinity for the work of Diego Velazquez and Edouard Manet. Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Their early collaboration and friendship, however, eventually ended in controversies about styles and subject matter. The resulting rivalry, disputes and even antagonism affected the course of American art.
The little-known, contentious relationship between these two titans is the subject of a fascinating exhibition, "Painterly Controversy: William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri," on view at the Bruce Museum of Arts and Science through April 29. Organized by Kimberly Orcutt, associate curator of American art at the New-York Historical Society, it sheds new light on an important dispute.
The exhibition features some 34 paintings by Chase, Henri and their followers. By juxtaposing Chase and Henri works, along with examples of canvases by their pupils, the show illuminates the impact of their disagreements on the future course of American art.
