Rainy Evening on Hennepin Avenue

A rainy night in Paris, or something closer to home? Robert Koehler’s familiarity with French Impressionism is evident from the loose brushwork and soft, misty forms. Prominent in the picture are the artist’s wife, Marie, and their son, Edwin, along with the family dog. The building in the background is the Minneapolis Public Library (since demolished), which stood at 10th Street and Hennepin Avenue from 1889 until 1961. In 1893 Robert Koehler became the director of the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts, now the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.