Henry Francis Farny (1847-1916) was born in Alsace, France, in 1847, though he spent most of his artistic career in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1853, his family emigrated to western Pennsylvania, where he became acquainted with the Seneca tribe, an experience that sparked his lifelong interest in Native American cultures.

In 1859, the Farny family moved to Cincinnati. After the death of his father, Farny began working as a lithographer, producing scenes from the Civil War. He later moved to New York City, where he illustrated for Harper’s Weekly, before returning to Cincinnati to create circus posters and continue his work as an illustrator.

In 1881, Farny made his first trip back to the American West, marking the beginning of the Indian-themed paintings for which he is best known. His work often memorialized the daily life of Plains Indians, capturing quiet, reflective scenes of camp life, hunting parties, and journeys along the trail.

Studied

Briefly with Thomas Buchanan Read, Rome, 1867; with Herman Herzog in Dusseldorf, 1868-1870; with Wilhelm Diez, Munich 1873; Europe, including Munich, 1875-76; with Cincinnati friends, Duveneck, Dengler, and Twachtman

Member

Cincinnati AC

Exhibited

Cincinnati AM; Vienna Exp., 1883; Paris Expo, 1889 (medal); Calif Midwinter Int’l Expo, 1894; AIC, 1895-96; Boston AC, 1896; Charleston Expo, 1902 (medal); St. Louis Expo, 1904 (medal); Corcoran Gallery, 1908

Work

Cincinnati AM; Univerity of Texas, Austin; Taft Museum, Cincinnati; Amon Carter Museum

References

WW15; Henry Farny, New York, Spanierman Galleries, 1981; Hughes, Artists of California; P & H Samuels; Sotheby’s "The American West;  the John F. Eulich Collection" 1998; Cincinnati Painters of the Golden Age; Eldredge, et al., Art in New Mexico, 1900-1945