THEODORE ROBINSON 1852-1896 NORMANDY FARM (GARDEN AT GIVERNY; A CHARACTERISTIC BIT, GIVERNY) Measurements: 18 by 22in. Alternate Measurements: (45.7 by 55.8 cm) signed Th. Robinson, l.l. oil on canvas Painted circa 1891. Provenance: Sale: American Art Association New York, Theodore Robinson sale, March 24, 1898, 19 Samuel T. Shaw sold: American Art Association, New York, January 21, 1926, 169) G.F. McKinney Mrs. John L. McKinney, La Grangeville, New York Sale: Christie's, New York, December 4, 1987, 211, illustrated in color David Findlay Jr., New York (acquired at the above sale) Acquired by the present owner from the above, 1989 Exhibited: New York, Society of American Artists, 1895, no. 247 New York, Macbeth Gallery, Theodore Robinson, 1895, no. 30 San Francisco, California, Panama- Pacific International Exposition, 1915, no. 2669 New York, Macbeth Gallery, Theodore Robinson, 1943, no. 12 Literature and References: E Clark, "Theodore Robinson," Art in America, October 1918, p. 289, illustrated John I.H. Baur, Theodore Robinson 1852-1896, Brooklyn, New York, 1946, no. 155 Note: Of the many American artists drawn to the village of Giverny, Theodore Robinson developed perhaps the most significant relationship with the reclusive master of French Impressionism, Claude Monet. A native of Wisconsin, Robinson originally traveled to France to study under the renowned artist Carolus-Duran, but it was his friendship with Monet that left its imprint on Robinson's subsequent career. Although he would only live to the age of 43, Robinson, a gentle, physically frail young painter, would become one of the pioneers in the evolution of American Impressionism. Robinson lived in Giverny between 1888 and 1892, and during those years developed a distinctive and sophisticated Impressionist technique. Though Robinson's understanding and assimilation of these techniques undoubtedly resulted from his friendship with Monet, the young American artist was not merely an imitator of the older artist's style. Sona Johnston writes, 'He did not abstract the image before him as Monet had advised. With few exceptions, his forms remain solid, firmly-defined, and the subject matter is always clearly identifiable. Although the degree of his initial devotion to Monet's Impressionism is obvious, his art demonstrates a selection and subsequent interpretation of those elements most sympathetic to his manner of expression' (Theodore Robinson, Baltimore, Maryland, 1973, p. xiv). Robinson's paintings of the early 1890s, including Normandy Farm, exhibit his Impressionist style at its freest and most spontaneous. The present work, executed circa 1891, depicts a rustic farmhouse partially obscured by a dense cluster of flowering bushes, while a farm-girl tends to her work in the foliage beyond. Painted with short, precise strokes of green, white and pink pigment, Normady Farm is filled with light and color, vividly evoking the peace and beauty of the French countryside. This painting will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonne of the artist's work being compiled by Ira Spanierman and Sona Johnston.