Winter Morning

Circa 1922. Signed lower left. Complemented by a hand carved and gilt frame.

Henry A. Rand (1886-1961)
Born in Philadelphia, Henry Rand spent most of his life at the family estate, Shadowbrook Farm, in the town of Holicong, Bucks County, footsteps away from the Sotter Studio. In 1904, Rand enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with William Merritt Chase, Thomas Anshutz and Hugh Breckenridge. During his second year at the Academy, a still life by Rand titled “Purple and Gold” was included in an important exhibition at the Philadelphia Art Club. This was accompanied by the works of his instructors as well as paintings by legendary American painter, John Singer Sargent.

Chase was especially critical of his student’s experimentation and unconventional approaches to conventional class problems. On several occasions Chase admonished Rand saying “Young man, if you continue to paint in this vein, you’ll probably end up in jail.” Needless to say, Rand won the Thuron Prize and was awarded the Gold Medal Fellowship before leaving the Academy in 1908.

Rand was Fellow of the Pennsylvania Academy and a devoted member of the Philadelphia Sketch Club. He exhibited regularly at the Academy between 1909-1931, and his painting titled “Snow Shadows” was purchased by the institution for their permanent collection.

By 1920, Rand was living full time in Holicong, at Shadowbrook Farm, which provided him with enough inspiration and idyllic subject matter to paint for the rest of his life. Rand was close friends with many of his fellow New Hope artists and would often host painting outings on the grounds of his picturesque estate. Rand made occasional painting excursions to Provincetown during his career. He never married and in addition to painting, had great interest graphology, the science of determining a person’s characteristics through the analysis of their handwriting. He authored a book on this subject in collaboration with Harvard University.

Rand exhibited at the Philadelphia Art Club (1905), the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1908 prize and Gold Medal Fellowship, 1909-20, 1921 Gold Medal, 1922-31), the Phillips Mill near New Hope, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Sources: New Hope for American Art by James M. Alterman
-Philadelphia Sketch Club Archives, William Patterson, 2005.
-Henry Asbury Rand. Philadelphia Sketch Club Press Release, May 10, 1965.