Old Johnnie’s Wife 1913

Robert Henri painted this portrait of Old Johnnie's Wife with oils, and you can see the brushstrokes, how he's built up the layers, shifting and emerging through his intuition. I feel like Henri really saw this person. Did he feel sorry for her, or did he see strength in her? I wonder what it was like to paint her back then? Maybe she was thinking of the errands she had to run or the dinner she had to cook. The way he's captured the texture of her shawl, those deep blues and pinks, it makes you want to reach out and touch it. The painting isn't perfect, there's a wobble to it that makes it alive. It reminds me of some of Alice Neel’s portraits – not technically perfect, but deeply felt. And it makes me think about how we're all connected to one another. Artists across time, inspiring each other, creating a conversation that never ends.