"The Newspaper Boy" by John Henry Henrici (1863-1958)

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The classic hard luck, independent kid, maybe 8 or 10 years old here, selling the day’s papers out on the … Read more The classic hard luck, independent kid, maybe 8 or 10 years old here, selling the day’s papers out on the grubby streets of early 1900s New York City. He’s paused in a quiet spot, apparently already spending some of the day’s earnings on the pack of cigarettes in his hand instead of taking that money home to Mother. But then, maybe he’s an orphan without any other comforts. The sobering subject stands in stark contrast to its spectacular carved and gilded frame, which judged by the aged labels on the verso, may be original to the work.
A picture like this was right up the alley of American artist John Henry Henrici (1863-1958). He was specifically known for painting working street kids in New York, his native city. Among Henrici’s noted works are "The Shoe Shine Boy," "Two Boys Blowing Bubbles," and "Four Street Urchins.” After study at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, Henrici traveled abroad. By 1888, he had graduated from the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts (today’s Kunstakademie Düsseldorf). This was followed by a year at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles in Belgium, with further studies in Berlin and Munich before he returned in 1892 to New York, apparently multilingual as well by this time.
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