The Art Spirit

This brilliant book is a master class on art and life by American teacher and master painter, Robert Henri (1865-1929). He wrote it in response to his students requests. He opens with a forward that explains that "no effort has been made toward the form of a regular book," and "the opinions are presented more as paintings are hung on the wall, to be looked at at will and taken as rough sketches for what they are worth."I read The Art Spirit on Kindle, but I think it would be much better as a coffee table book that you pick up, open and read a passage, and then go on with your day inspired by this bright, authentic spirit who is charmingly enthusiastic about art and the state of creating.Henri is generous in spirit towards other artists, (I looked up and saved ninety paintings while reading this book), presents a good slice of art history, and is instructive down to how to mix paints. His wise and pragmatic words feel like a hug from a dear friend.Here are ten of my favorite quotes from the book-"Cherish your emotions and never undervalue them. We are not here to do what has already been done.""A good painting is a remarkable feat of organization. Every part of it is wonderful in itself because it seems so alive in its share in the making in the unity of the whole, and the whole is so definitely one thing.""Do whatever you do intensely. The artist is the man who leaves the crowd and goes pioneering. With him there is an idea which is his life.”"The real artist’s work is a surprise to himself.”“A work of art is the trace of a magnificent struggle.”“Some one has defined a work of art as a “thing beautifully done.” I like it better if we cut away the adverb and preserve the word “done,” and let it stand alone in its fullest meaning. Things are not done beautifully. The beauty is an integral part of their being done.”"I have no sympathy with the belief that art is the restricted province of those who paint, sculpt, make music and verse. I hope we will come to an understanding that the material used is only incidental, that there is artist in every man; and that to him the possibility of development and of expression and the happiness of creation is as much a right and as much a duty to himself, as to any of those who work in the especially ticketed ways.”"All my life I have refused to be for or against parties, for or against nations, for or against people. I never seek novelty or the eccentric; I do not go from land to land to contrast civilizations. I seek only, wherever I go, for symbols of greatness, and as I have already said, they may be found in the eyes of a child, in the movement of a gladiator, in the heart of a gypsy, in twilight in Ireland or in moonrise over the deserts.”"We must paint only what is important to us, must not respond to outside demands. They do not know what they want, or what we have to give."And a quote for AI, "An artist must have imagination. An artist who does not use his imagination is a mechanic."What a gift Robert Henri gave us through his paintings, life, and teachings. The Art Spirit is a new favorite book.

Direct from his studio lessons at the Art Students League in New York's best period. He has been instructing members of my family for three generations. A clear understanding of the means of perception and the cognitive processes of expression.A must have for any one with a brush and stick of charcoal. Carpe Diem. Bill Fertik

This is an excellent book full of advice, motivation, and inspiration about being an artist. The content is not about commercial success but about being true to the spirit of your art. Therefore, it is invaluable.

I really enjoyed reading 'The Art Spirit' and found a lot of Henri's ideas and practices very inspiring. There were many parts while reading this book that I just wanted to put it down and do the very exercise he was describing. There is great art philosophy in this book and it is especially great if you are an art teacher or an artist. The only problem I had with this book is that about half way through it starts to become repetitive. You read the same ideas and concepts over and over again with little variation. I really liked this book and it has begun to change how I do my own art and how I'll teach my students, but I just might not recommend reading it all the way through.

Cannot believe that Henri died in the late 1920's. He writes as if he's practicing and teaching Art today. The book is filled with brilliance and insight, and makes a great gift for the curious artist and creative person especially if you teach.Note: Beware if you purchase this product! I appreciate this book so much and wanted to share as awards for my art students. Two more copies arrived today. They were ordered on Amazon Prime and arrived today. Both copies have a nice cover, but not as nice as the first copy received several months ago. These 2 new copies are not printed on a high quality, 100 % cotton rag paper as the first copy was. Also the pages have been photo-copied so the type is obviously faint on many pages.BE SURE to order the 85th ANNIVERSARY EDITION if you want a quality copy especially if this is to be a gift.Otherwise it may not matter. Note: I also paid more for the lesser quality product thinking that I was receiving the same product.I'm disappointed in the copies received today and hope they can be returned for an exchange.

I'll let Henri speak for himself. " 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 may 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 artisits are trying to close the book, he opens it, shows there are still more pages possible." (The Art Spirit, p. 15)There a many fine books with pictures, illustrations, how to mix paints, set up your pallet, etc. This book is not one of those, but scattered among his philosophical inspiration are many pragmatic tips. I bought the book from Amazon recently to give to a relative who wondered if someone who was not an artist could learn to draw. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship!

it is a reading book so don't expect to see a collection of paintings or photos of demos of paintings. Information can be repetitive at a couple of chapters and the expressive style of the book is somewhat old and a sometimes a bit poetic.

what a great read, for anyone, not just for the artist

En anglais...Et même un anglais assez ancien mais ça ne le rend pas plus difficile à lire (peut-être même l'inverse).Excellent, j'adore.Les références sont nombreuses mais surtout, il parle de l'art avec tellement de passion, c'est plus un livre de motivation qu'autre chose mais c'est efficace.Ça a 100 ans et c'est d'une actualité incroyable.

Muy interesante

Sehr differenzierter Content ! Schriftbild ok ( wurde anderswo kritisiert. Ist aber wirklich einwandfrei) . Buchformat etwas ungewöhnlich .... Wer sich Grundlagen erarbeiten will ist hier richtig