Henri De Kruif

Henri De Kruif
Henri De Kruif (1914)
Born
Henri Gilbert DeKruif

(1882-02-17)February 17, 1882
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
DiedJuly 7, 1944(1944-07-07) (aged 62)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placePilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Michigan, U.S.
Other namesHenry Gilbert De Kruif
EducationSchool of the Art Institute of Chicago,
Art Students League of New York,
Hope College
OccupationsVisual artists, commercial artist, art theorist
Known forPainter, watercolorist, engravings, lithography, portrait paintings, landscape paintings, illustrator
MovementCalifornia Impressionism
Spouse(s)Xarifa Hamilton Towner (m. 1916–1918; her death)
Muriel Earle (m. 1922–1944; his death)

Henri Gilbert De Kruif (February 17, 1882 – July 7, 1944) was an American visual artist, and commercial artist. He was known for his work as a painter, printmaker, and illustrator.[1] For the majority of his career he lived in Laguna Beach, California, and Los Angeles, and worked within the California Impressionism movement.

Early life and education

Henri Gilbert De Kruif was born on February 17, 1882, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[1][2]

He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, under John Vanderpoel; at the Frank Holmes School of Illustration in Chicago; at the Art Students League of New York, under Frank DuMond, F. Luis Mora, and C. C. Beall; and the Hope College in Holland, Michigan.[2][3] In Los Angeles, De Kruif studied under Stanton MacDonald-Wright.

Career

De Kruif worked at the Grand Rapids Advertising Company.[4] In 1911, he moved to Los Angeles, initially working at Merrill Advertising Company as a commercial artist. In 1914, he worked as a manager at Moore Advertising.[4]

He was a member of the California Art Club (CAC) in Los Angeles; and a member of the Group of Eight, alongside artists Edouard Vysekal, Luvena Buchanan Vysekal, John Hubbard Rich, Clarence Hinkle, Donna N. Schuster, E. Roscoe Shrader, and Mabel Alvarez.[5] The Group of Eight was organized by Luvena Buchanan Vyeskal and Edouard Vyeskal, and had a basis in the progressive art movement in California.[6]

Death and legacy

De Kruif died of an illness on July 7, 1944, in Los Angeles.[2][7]

His artwork can be found in museum collections, including at the Springville Museum of Art in Springville, Utah;[3] the Los Angeles County Museum of Art;[8] and Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.[9]

Personal life

De Kruif was married in 1916 to artist Xarifa Hamilton Towner, however she died two years later from pneumonia.[10][11] In 1922, he married Muriel Earle.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b "Kruif, Henry Gilbert de", Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Oxford University Press, October 31, 2011, doi:10.1093/benz/9780199773787.article.b00101549, retrieved December 14, 2025
  2. ^ a b c "Henri De Kruif, Artist, Expires". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News (Obituary). July 7, 1944. p. 1. Retrieved December 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Henri Gilbert De Kruif". Springville Museum of Art. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Advertising Firm To Incorporate". Morning Tribune. April 15, 1914. p. 16. Retrieved December 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ California Southland. California Southland. 1920. p. 3.
  6. ^ Kirwin, Liza; Berman, Avis; Larsen, Susan C.; Karlstrom, Paul J. (January 1998). "Regional Reports". Archives of American Art Journal. 38 (3/4): 47–59. doi:10.1086/aaa.38.3_4.1557783. ISSN 0003-9853.
  7. ^ "Obituary for Henri G. De Kruif". The Los Angeles Times. July 8, 1944. p. 15. Retrieved December 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Moure, Nancy (April 1, 1975). "Five Los Angeles Artists in the Collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art". Southern California Quarterly. 57 (1): 27–51. doi:10.2307/41170566. ISSN 0038-3929.
  9. ^ "Henri Gilbert De Kruif". Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  10. ^ "News and Notes". The Los Angeles Times. April 30, 1916. p. 31. Retrieved December 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Xarifa Towner De Kruif". Vacaville Reporter (Obituary). November 8, 1918. p. 7. Retrieved December 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Marriage of Earle and De Kruif". The Los Angeles Times. June 2, 1922. p. 20. Retrieved December 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.