International Proofs
The Robert Girrard Collection has recently been released after years behind closed doors. These are rare and exclusive artworks which mark the early career of Thomas Kinkade.

The Robert Girrard era began in 1984 and continued for 6 years, representing more than 60 paintings.

It is the period in which Kinkade was free to experiment with new and unique colour combinations which resulted in a distinct broadening of his palette, the use of more exuberant brush strokes and impasto, and the refinement of the broken colour techniques of the French Impressionists.
Click Here for the collection

Until recently, the Robert Girrard era of Kinkade's work has not been widely recognized because it was created under a brush name to secure artistic anonymity giving Kinkade absolute artistic freedom.

"At that time, influenced by common wisdom among artists, I felt I couldn't take a creative shift using my own name. It would confuse, and possibly alienate, collectors of my studio work." Kinkade says.

The name Robert Girrard is an adaptation of the name of a record changer in Thomas Kinkade's studio. "As I was playing some records in the studio I noticed the brand name Garrard and thought it sounded like a great pseudonym. I changed the spelling and played with several first names, but for some reason Robert stuck. I liked the fact that the name Robert Girrard had four syllables, the same as Thomas Kinkade. The actual Robert Girrard signature evolved from my own signature style," Kinkade says.
 
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