History
The Impressionist style of painting seeks to represent objects in their atmospheric veil, enveloped with light and air; Monet began his quest of seeing and painting the effects of these conditions on color painting his Haystacks. 1899-1930: In 1899, an artist named Charles Hawthorne founded The Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown Massachusetts. He trained his eyes to see and paint color as Monet had, and devised methods of teaching these principles to his students. In 1919, a young student named Henry Hensche began studying with Hawthorne and became an assistant instructor in 1927. Hawthorne died in 1930 and the school was closed. 1930-1987: After Hawthorne's death, Henry began teaching Hawthorne's principles and opened The Cape School of Art. Henry retired in 1987. 1987-2003: Lois Griffel, a Hensche student ran the school until it closed in 1993, 2010 - present A group of Henry Hensche students and disciples resurrected the school as The Cape School of Art, Provincetown,
Specialties
The Cape School of Art is a non profit organization that has a unique purpose: to educate the artist in the perception and use of color and light in representational painting. Through workshops, classes and lectures we seek to inform a new generation of artists, patrons, Provincetown residents and visitors about the teaching and enduring influence of American Impressionist Henry Hensche and his mentor, Charles W. Hawthorne, founder of Provincetown's historic art colony and the original Cape Cod School of Art.