Theodore Robinson

An American artist, one of the first American painters that worked in the style of impressionism. He lived in Italy and France for a long time; studied painting and learnt the cutting-edge ideas of European art. Returning to America, Robinson worked as a teacher, opened his own studio in New York and entered the community of American artists “Ten”. A student and comrade of Claude Monet, Theodore Robinson brought Impressionist ideas to life, having re-thought them and adding some American flavor to them. He is famous for his landscape painting depicting the nature of France and the landscapes of his motherland. His paintings are considered masterpieces of American Impressionism.

Key ideas:

– Theodore Robinson is rightfully considered one of the key figures of American Impressionism. It was he who began creating paintings in this style at the beginning of the 1880s, when not everyone in America understood and accepted the new painting style.

– Lived in the famous suburb of Giverny for a long time, the artist learned the innovative technique. Working in the open air diligently and for a long time, he created a number of his best works, which are distinguished by colors and optimistic sound characteristic of Impressionism.

– Robinson preferred to depict landscapes and people surrounded by nature. In many paintings, you can see girls reading near the river or in the garden, working peasants, boats passing by, or resting shepherds. All the paintings are full of sunlight and perfectly convey the atmosphere of a summer day or spring morning. Also, the artist painted figures in the interior.

– The most famous canvases (such as “At the Piano”) are painted in warm, cozy colors. They do not have the bravura and over-expression that is characteristic of French Impressionists. Lyricism, not only in the landscape, but also in subject painting became the key idea of Robinson.