{{otheruses4|the American painter|the British Olympic archer|Theodore Robinson (archer)}} Image:Robinson_La_Vachère.jpg ]] '''Theodore Robinson''' (July_3,1852 – April_2,1896) was an American painter best known for his impressionist landscapes. He was one of the first American artists to take up impressionism in the late 1880s, visiting Giverny and developing a close friendship with Claude_Monet. Several of his works are considered masterpieces of American_Impressionism. == Training and early career == Robinson was born in Irasburg,_Vermont. His family moved to Wisconsin, and Robinson briefly studied art in Chicago. In 1874 he journeyed to New York City to attended classes at the National_Academy_of_Design and the Art_Students_League. In 1876 he traveled to Paris to study under Carolus-Duran and, at the École_des_Beaux-Arts, with Jean-Léon_Gérôme. He exhibited his first paintings in Paris in 1877, then returned to America in 1879 for several years. During this time Robinson painted in a realist manner, loosely brushed but not yet impressionistic, often depicting people engaged in quiet domestic or agrarian pursuits. == Robinson at Giverny == In 1884 Robinson returned to France where he would live for the next eight years, visiting America only occasionally. Robinson gravitated to Giverny, which had become a center of French impressionist art under the influence of Claude Monet. Historians are unclear when Robinson met Monet, but by 1888 their friendship was enough for Robinson to move in next door to the famous impressionist. Robinson's art shifted to a more traditional impressionistic manner during this time, likely due to Monet's influence. While a number of American artists had gathered at Giverny, none were as close to Monet as Robinson. Monet offered advice to Robinson, and he likewise solicited Robinson for opinions on Monet's own works in progress. At Giverny, Robinson painted what art historians regard as some of his finest works. These depicted the surrounding countryside in different weather, in the plein air tradition, sometimes with women shown in leisurely poses. An example of his mature work during this period is ''"La Débâcle"'' (1892) in the collection of Scripps_College, Claremont California. == Return to America == Robinson left France and Monet for the final time in 1892. Returning to America he stayed for awhile in Napanoch, New York, a small town near the Catskill_Mountains, painting several canal scenes. With New York City as his base, Robinson circulated among a growing number of American artists pursuing impressionism. He was particularly close to John_Henry_Twachtman and Julian_Alden_Weir, and spent time at the nearby Art_colony in Cos Cob, Connecticut. There he painted a series of boat scenes at the Riverside Yacht Club which have come to be regarded as among his finest works. == Final years == While his reputation as an important American impressionst was growing, Robinson still needed to teach to support himself. He also harbored doubts about the quality of his work. His career and life were cut short in April, 1896 by a fatal asthma attack in New York City. Today Robinson's paintings are in the collections of many major museums including the Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art in New York City; the Corcoran_Gallery_of_Art, Washington, D.C.; and the Art_Institute_of_Chicago. == Further reading == *{{cite book | author=Gerdts, William H. | title=American Impressionism, Second Edition | location=New York | publisher=Abbeville Press Publishers| year=2001| id=ISBN 0789207370}} *{{cite book | author=Larkin, Susan G. | title=The Cos Cob Art Colony | location=New York | publisher=the National Academy of Design | year=2001 | id=ISBN 0300088523}} ==External links== *Theodore Robinson Biography and Images: Hollis Taggart Galleries {{Commons|Theodore Robinson}} Robinson, Theodore Robinson, Theodore Robinson, Theodore Robinson, Theodore Robinson, Theodore Robinson, Theodore De:Theodore_Robinson