Robert Beverly Hale
Encyclopedia
Robert Beverly Hale was an artist, curator of American paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
, and instructor of artistic anatomy at the Art Students League of New York
and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. He was also the author of the well-known book "Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters" as well as the translator of the classic anatomy text "Artistic Anatomy" by Dr. Paul Richer
.
Hale was born into a prominent family in Boston, Massachusetts, but grew up in New York City
, and studied at Columbia University
, where he did post-graduate work at the School of Architecture. He also studied at the Art Students League under George Bridgman
and William McNulty, and at the Sorbonne
in Paris
.
From 1942 to 1949 Hale worked as Editorial Associate for Art News magazine. In 1949 he became curator for contemporary American art at the Metropolitan Museum. A long-time Instructor of Drawing and Lecturer on Anatomy at the League, and Adjunct Professor of Drawing at Columbia, Hale taught and wrote on the principles of chiaroscuro and observation from life, encouraging his students to see and draw forms in nature as the geometric "mass conceptions" of cylinders, cubes, or spheres. His lectures at the League included demonstrations of life-size figure drawings, much as had those of his teacher and predecessor, George Brandt Bridgman.
Hale's draftsmanship was featured in one-man shows at the Stamford Museum and at the Staempfli Gallery in New York. In addition to several books on drawing, Hale authored numerous articles, including one on drawing in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and an entry on The History of American Painting for the Grolier Encyclopaedia. He also had verse and fiction published in The New Yorker
and Mademoiselle
magazines.
His careers as instructor, curator, and artist were apt to overlap: according to Hale, "One day in East Hampton de Kooning
came up to my little studio there and said that I was ruining any number of people by telling them about anatomy".
In 1961 Hale married Nike Mylonas, an art historian and the daughter of George E. Mylonas
. The Hales had two children, Alexander Curzon Hale and Evelyn Everett Hale.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
, and instructor of artistic anatomy at the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. He was also the author of the well-known book "Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters" as well as the translator of the classic anatomy text "Artistic Anatomy" by Dr. Paul Richer
Paul Richer
Paul Marie Louis Pierre Richer was a French anatomist, physiologist, sculptor and anatomical artist who was a native of Chartres...
.
Hale was born into a prominent family in Boston, Massachusetts, but grew up in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and studied at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where he did post-graduate work at the School of Architecture. He also studied at the Art Students League under George Bridgman
George Bridgman
George Brant Bridgman was a Canadian-American painter, writer, and teacher in the fields of anatomy and figure drawing. Bridgman taught anatomy for artists at the Art Students League of New York for some 45 years....
and William McNulty, and at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
From 1942 to 1949 Hale worked as Editorial Associate for Art News magazine. In 1949 he became curator for contemporary American art at the Metropolitan Museum. A long-time Instructor of Drawing and Lecturer on Anatomy at the League, and Adjunct Professor of Drawing at Columbia, Hale taught and wrote on the principles of chiaroscuro and observation from life, encouraging his students to see and draw forms in nature as the geometric "mass conceptions" of cylinders, cubes, or spheres. His lectures at the League included demonstrations of life-size figure drawings, much as had those of his teacher and predecessor, George Brandt Bridgman.
Hale's draftsmanship was featured in one-man shows at the Stamford Museum and at the Staempfli Gallery in New York. In addition to several books on drawing, Hale authored numerous articles, including one on drawing in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and an entry on The History of American Painting for the Grolier Encyclopaedia. He also had verse and fiction published in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
and Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle (magazine)
Mademoiselle was an influential women's magazine first published in 1935 by Street and Smith and later acquired by Condé Nast Publications....
magazines.
His careers as instructor, curator, and artist were apt to overlap: according to Hale, "One day in East Hampton de Kooning
Willem de Kooning
Willem de Kooning was a Dutch American abstract expressionist artist who was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands....
came up to my little studio there and said that I was ruining any number of people by telling them about anatomy".
In 1961 Hale married Nike Mylonas, an art historian and the daughter of George E. Mylonas
George E. Mylonas
George Emmanuel Mylonas was a prominent Greek and Aegean archaeologist....
. The Hales had two children, Alexander Curzon Hale and Evelyn Everett Hale.
Publications
- Anatomy Lessons from the Great Masters by Robert Beverly Hale and Terence Cole. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1977. ISBN 0-8230-0222-5
- Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters by Robert Beverly Hale. New York: Wason-Guptill Publications, 1989. ISBN 0-8230-1401-0
- Artistic Anatomy by Dr. Paul Richer, translated by Robert Beverly Hale. New York: Watson Guptill Publications, 1971. ISBN 0-8230-0297-7