Biography on Theodore Robinson
Theodore Robinson (1852-1896)
Theodore Robinson was an American painter who studied for two years in 1874 in New York at National Academy of design. He then joined the Art Student League. Theodore Robinson was one of the first American painters to adopt the Impressionist style
of painting. He studied in Paris under Carolus Duran with Carroll Beckwith, Birge Harrison, and Will Hicok Low and John Singer Sargent. He then joined the atelier of Jean-Léon Gérôme. He got influenced by the Barbizon School and painted in the village of Grèz, with american fellows, Will Low, Walter Launt Palmer, Birge Harrison, and Willard Metcalf.
Theodore Robinson was fluent in French and familiar with the works of Flaubert and Zola. He was introduced to Claude Monet, in Giverny, in 1885 by Deconchy, a friend of Claude Monet and a fellow painter. He visited Monet’s exhibition at George Petit in June 1886, in Paris and was captivated by Monet’s use of color and luminosity. He decided to move to Giverny in June 1887 and stayed at the Hotel Baudy.
He lived there until 1892, becoming a loyal Givernois and a close friend of Claude Monet. Giverny was a popular destination for many artists in the -1890s.
One of the main influences of Monet on Robinson was his use of color and light. Robinson learned from Monet how to capture the changing effects of light on the landscape and how to use bright and contrasting colors to create a sense of vibrancy and movement. He also adopted Monet’s technique of painting outdoors, or en plein air, which allowed him to paint directly from nature and respond to the atmospheric conditions. Some of his paintings that show his use of color and light are The Valley of the Seine (1892), The Old Mill (1892).
Theodore Robinson used photography as a tool for his painting. He did a famous photograph of Claude Monet and of the Hoschedé Monet’s family. Theodore Robinson was an American painter who was influenced by Claude Monet and the
Impressionist movement during his stay in Giverny, France. He learned from Monet how to use color and light to create vivid and dynamic paintings that captured the beauty and variety of nature. He also followed Monet’s example of painting everyday scenes and objects that reflected his personal vision and experience. His paintings are considered among the finest examples of American Impressionism