Henry Asbury Rand

"Young man, if you continue to paint in this vein, you'll probably end up in jail."
-William Merritt Chase, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia

Henry A. Rand was a gifted impressionist painter. He showed early promise as a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. During his second year, in 1905, his work hung alongside John Singer Sargent's art in a major show at the Philadelphia Art Club. Rand experimented with a wide range of styles. One of his instructors, William Merritt Chase, was especially critical of Rand's experimentation and exceptionally "way out" approaches to class assignments. Nevertheless, Rand won several prizes before he left the Academy, and his work was exhibited regularly in the Academy's annual shows. Interested in horticulture, he created an unusual outdoor studio at his home in Holicong, where he also raised orchids, which frequently became subjects for his still lifes. In addition to painting, Rand became interested in astronomy, erecting a very large telescope at the farm, which he shared with astronomers from the area. His strongest interest beyond painting, however, was the study of handwriting analysis. Collaborating with a Harvard professor, he wrote the Handbook of Graphology, which was used as a textbook on the subject by several universities.

Education and Training
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1903-1909
Studied in Paris, France, after 1909

Teachers and Influences
At the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Henry A. Rand studied with William Merritt Chase, Thomas P. Anshutz, and Hugh H. Breckenridge.

Connection to Bucks County
Henry A. Rand moved to Rushland from Philadelphia in 1917 and then to Shadowbrook Farm in Holicong in 1920. Interested in horticulture, he created an unusually beautiful outdoor landscaped studio at his home in Holicong. He also raised orchids, which frequently became subjects for his still lifes.

Colleagues and Affiliations
Henry Rand was a member of the New Hope Historical Society.

Major Group Exhibitions
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1909, 1915, 1917, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931
Philadelphia Art Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1905
Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1911
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 1920s and 1930s
The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1920s and 1930s
Private Showing, Crest Antiques and Gallery, New Hope, Pennsylvania, 1958
Henry Asbury Rand 1886-1961, Memorial Exhibition, Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1965

Nonfiction
Handbook on Graphology, 1961

Major Awards
Thouron Prize, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, 1908
Fellowship Gold Medal, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, 1908
Gold Medal, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, 1921

Affiliations and Memberships
Fellow, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Member, Philadelphia Sketch Club