The New Hope Art Colony: Edward Redfield, Pt. 2

"Winter Brook" by Edward Redfield

"Edward Redfield studied at the Pennsylvania Academy from 1887 to 1889 His instructors included Thomas Anshutz, James Kelly, and Thomas Hovenden. Thomas Eakins had left the Academy before Redfield's enrollment, but Anshutz maintained his tradition. This meant long, careful study of plaster casts and the nude model, anatomy lessons, and dissection of human and animal carcasses. While there, Redfield became acquainted with fellow students, Charles Grafly, Robert Henri, and Alexander Calder. Henri often spent weekends at the Redfield home.

In 1889 Redfield's father agreed to send his son fifty dollars per month to finance a period of study in Europe. Redfield left for Paris with Charles Grafly and met Robert Henri there. Redfield and Henri attended classes at the Julian Academy, a school which basically catered to foreigners who had difficulty gaining entrance to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. His instructors were William Adolphe Bouguereau and Tony Robert-Fleury. These instructors insisted on the study of the model for an eight-hour period instead of three as at the Pennsylvania Academy. But they allowed the students to work as they pleased. Redfield also learned from the other students, who were from all over the world, and many styles and techniques were being employed during the classes.

Redfield was interested in modern painters, not the masters of the past, unlike Henri, who was intrigued by both the art of the past and that in the present. Redfield stated: 'I am sorry! But I did not admire any old masters. I generally went to the Luxembourgh - was interested in Monet, Thaulow, Pissaro mostly.'"

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Pennsylvania Impressionists" by Thomas Folk.)