KOEHLER--Henry W., passed away on December 24th at his home in Southampton, NY. The son of C. Walter Koehler and Julia McGuffin Koehler, Henry was born in Louisville, KY on February 2, 1927.

After serving in the Coast Guard, he enrolled at Yale University (Class of 1950), where was the art director of the yearbook, the Yale Record, and the Yale Literary magazine. As an illustrator his work appeared in Vogue, Town and Country, the New Yorker, and on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

In the late 1950's, through the Society of Illustrators, he recorded US Air Force operations around the world, including the airlift of Hungarian refugees. A renowned sporting painter, he had more than 70 one-man shows. His work was collected by President Kennedy, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Windsor, and Ralph Lauren.

In 1974, he designed the US postage stamp marking the 100th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby. His work was featured on posters for the Hampton Classic Horse Show in 1979, 1985, 1993, and 2009. Always stylish, he made the Vanity Fair Best Dressed List in 2017 at age 90.

His wife of 44 years, Audrey, died in 2008.

Source: Legacy Online Website (Obituary)

Submitted by: Sara Stessel

A sporting artist who lives in Southampton, New York, Henry Koehler was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He graduated from Yale University, and shortly after that had illustrations published by The New Yorker, Town and Country, and Sports Illustrated.

His first exhibition was in 1961, and since then he has exhibited in over 60 venues in London, Paris, Dublin, Johannesburg and the United States. His works are in the collections of the National Racing Museum in Saratoga and the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket.

He has painted several commission portraits of well-known thoroughbreds but prefers genre pieces depicting horse-racing, polo games, and hunting in the field with horses. He also does studies of jockey figures before and after their race; sensitive studies of jockeys before and after racing.

An July-October 2003 exhibition, Elegant Impressions of Turf and Field, was held at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs.

Source:
Christie's New York, December 2003

Henry Koehler's long association with the sporting life began soon after his graduation from Yale, when his illustrations appeared in The New Yorker, Town & Country and Sports Illustrated. His first exhibition was in 1961 and since that time he has shown 58 times in London, Paris, Dublin, Johannesburg and throughout the United States.

Racing and hunting come alive under his brush. He also offers us behind-the-scenes looks at jockeys, horses, dogs and the special accoutrements of each sport. Among his collectors are prominent people from the political, social and sports arena.

His works can be seen at the National Racing Museum in Saratoga and at the National Horse Racing Museum at Newmarket in Great Britain. Mr. Koehler lives in Southampton, New York.

Henry Koehler, born in 1927 in New York City, was an American artist known for his realistic paintings of horses and equestrian scenes. Growing up in an artistic family, he developed a passion for art early on. After studying at the University of Virginia, he worked as an illustrator for various publications, including Sports Illustrated. Koehler's deep love and understanding of horses, stemming from his own experiences as a rider and horse owner, translated into highly sought-after artworks that garnered him recognition as one of the most respected equestrian artists of his time. His works have been exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums such as the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, the American Museum of Natural History, and the National Sporting Library and Museum. Throughout his career, Koehler received numerous awards, including the Gold Medal from the Society of Animal Artists. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of exceptional equestrian art.