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Theodore Robinson

In the Orchard

1895

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An impressionist painting by Theodore Robinson (1852–1896) that depicts a woman seated in an orchard reading a book . Oil on canvas, 18 x 22 in., signed lower right

Theodore Robinson (1852–1896)
In the Orchard, 1895 (also titled Afternoon Shadows)
Oil on canvas, 18 x 22 in.
Signed lower right:  Th. Robinson

Inquire
An impressionist painting by Theodore Robinson (1852–1896) that depicts a woman seated in an orchard reading a book . Oil on canvas, 18 x 22 in., signed lower right (framed)

Theodore Robinson (1852–1896)
In the Orchard, 1895 (also titled Afternoon Shadows)
Oil on canvas, 18 x 22 in.
Framed dimensions: 26 ½ x 30 ½ in.
Signed lower right:  Th. Robinson

Inquire
An impressionist painting by Theodore Robinson (1852–1896) that depicts a woman seated in an orchard reading a book . Oil on canvas, 18 x 22 in., signed lower right
An impressionist painting by Theodore Robinson (1852–1896) that depicts a woman seated in an orchard reading a book . Oil on canvas, 18 x 22 in., signed lower right (framed)

Description

Theodore Robinson (1852–1896)
In the Orchard, 1895 (also titled Afternoon Shadows)
Oil on canvas, 18 x 22 in.
Signed lower right:  Th. Robinson

Provenance: Hamline E. Robinson; Mr. H. E. Robinson; Mrs. Ruth Barnard; Mrs. Pamela Ruzicka; Kennedy Galleries, New York, 1967; private collection, Denver, Colorado; Gerald Peters Gallery, Dallas, Texas; private collection, Connecticut; Sotheby’s, New York, December 1, 1994, lot 17; Charles C. Hermanowski, Miami, Florida; Sotheby’s, New York, May 24, 2000; Godel & Co., New York; Robert and Heidi Stott, Vero Beach, Florida, 2007; estate of Heidi Bingham Stott

Literature: John I. H. Baur, Theodore Robinson. Brooklyn, New York: Brooklyn Museum, 1946, no. 111, p. 66.

Exhibited: Brooklyn, New York, Brooklyn Museum, Theodore Robinson, 1946; New York, New York, Union League Club, Theodore Robinson, 1946; Tulsa, Oklahoma, Philbrook Art Center, French and American Impressionism, October-November 1967; Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Paine Art Center and Arboretum; Memphis, Tennessee, The Dixon Gallery and Gardens; Indianapolis, Indiana, The Indianapolis Museum of Art, The Figural Images of Theodore Robinson, American Impressionist, April - November 1987, no. 37, pp. 36-37, illus. in color p. 29, illus. p. 81.

Note: This work will be included in the forthcoming Theodore Robinson catalogue raisonée by and Sona Johnston.

In the Orchard dates from 1895 when Robinson had returned to his ancestral roots of rural Vermont. There, after over twenty years of wandering, he finally obtained peace of mind painting the landscape near the town where he was born.  Once back in America, Robinson returned to a Winslow Homer-type of rustic naturalism. Despite his earlier allegiance to the light of Monet, he could not fully dissolve form in favor of light. In our painting, Robinson placed great emphasis on the correct rendering of the model, integrating the figure into the surrounding landscape. Absorbed in her book, and unaware of the viewer, the girl’s isolation brings a quiet serenity and intimacy to the scene, as Robinson stresses the decorative aspects of the composition through his technique and use of color. In contrast to Monet’s opulent colorism, Robinson’s tonal poetry in this picture revolves around cool hues of green and blue violet with sporadic highlights of white and dark green. The subtle glow of the girl’s dress vibrates against the grassy foliage, but does not violate the unity of the landscape. In characteristic fashion, Robinson disperses small strokes of paint with a deceptive evenness that creates a uniform texture and softening blur across the canvas.

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