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The Eight

As the intellectual leader of The Eight and the Ashcan School, Robert Henri’s influence as teacher, mentor, or colleague can be traced through the oeuvres of several artists, including George Bellows, Everett Shinn, Walt Kuhn, William Glackens, and Arthur Davies. Brought together by a shared frustration with the jury process for the National Academy of Design’s spring 1907 exhibition and committed to portraying city life through the lens of realism, The Eight only showed together once—in February 1908 at Macbeth Galleries—but as art historian Elizabeth Kennedy has pointed out, are “forever linked by their one and only collective enterprise. Notwithstanding the lionization of Henri as the natural leader of the group, the members were in truth more friends than followers.” In fact, several members remained closely associated throughout their careers and some, such as Walt Kuhn, Arthur Davies, and Robert Henri, went on to organize the 1913 New York Armory Show together. 

Robert Henri

Robert Henri

Mary, 1913 oil on canvas 1933.21 museum purchase

George Bellows

George Bellows

Anne in Purple Wrap, 1921 oil on panel 1928.2 gift of anonymous donor

William Glackens

William Glackens

Girl Sewing, n.d. crayon on wove paper mounted on board 1937.63 museum purchase

Everett Shinn

Everett Shinn

Ballet Dancer, n.d. pastel 1938.31 museum purchase

Walk Kuhn

Walk Kuhn

Female Juggler, 1947 ink on paper 1995.54 museum purchase

Walk Kuhn

Walk Kuhn

Acrobat in Green, 1927 oil on canvas 1931.88 bequest of Lizzie P. Bliss

Arthur Davies

Arthur Davies

Girl Running, 1917 etching on wove paper 1931.35 gift of Robert G. McIntyre, Esq.

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