Written 100 years ago, The Art Spirit by Robert Henri is as relevant today as it was then. Although Henri offers practical advice on painting, the book is not primarily about how to do art, but how to become an artist. For Henri, there was no greater human ambition than to live the artistic life. Henri's own life was not without challenges, especially financial ones, but he does not dwell on his personal life. The book is a veneration of the artist's life, and how mundane difficulties pale to the joys of the artistic life.
Most books on creativity profess that creativity and financial success go hand-in-hand. Henri acknowledges that possibility, but he doubts any artist can succeed if money is an important goal. The goal is to create great personal art, and not to chase the dollar.
The Art Spirit provides insights into the mind of one of America's most influential artists and teachers, and the reader–artist comes away with an uplifting sense in what it means to be a part of the great "Brotherhood" of art.
One of the problems of the original edition was that Henri was a frequent name-dropper. In this new edition, names and terms are annotated along with illustrations, making the read more informative and enjoyable. It is the best of The Art Spirit reprints.
