14th of July - Boulevard St. Michel
Robert HENRI
(American, 1865-1929)
14th of July - Boulevard St. Michel
Dateca. 1898
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensionsoverall: 15 x 19 1/2 in. (38.1 x 49.5 cm)
frame: 23 x 27 3/8 x 1 1/2 in. (58.4 x 69.5 x 3.8 cm)
ClassificationPAINTINGS
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Merloyd Ludington Lawrence and Nicholas Saltus Ludington
Object number1993.2
Collection
- 20th century American
Sub-Collection(s)
- American Realism (Ashcan School)
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextThis nocturnal scene depicts a crowd gathered in the Latin Quarter of Paris for Bastille Day celebrations, the figures abstracted and illuminated only by the optical effect of fireworks blossoming overhead. Henri spent several formative years in Europe, where he was particularly inspired by the dark palettes and gestural brushwork of Manet, Velázquez, and Frans Hals. Henri first studied in Paris at the Académie Julian from 1888-1891, a popular alternative to the official École des Beaux-Arts for foreign (and women) artists. He then returned to Europe from 1895-1900, the period in which this canvas was painted, exhibiting at the Paris Salons in 1896 and 1897.
