Boy with a Green Cap (also known as Chico) 1922

Editor: This is "Boy with a Green Cap," or "Chico," painted by Robert Henri in 1922, using oil paint. The brushstrokes are so visible, almost raw. I am immediately drawn to how Henri captured the subject's expression and wonder how he came to decide on using oil paint in this piece? Curator: Let’s consider the context. Henri was a key figure in the Ashcan School, known for depicting everyday life. Oil paint enabled him to quickly capture fleeting moments of light and shadow, and more generally was readily available for purchase by even impoverished and struggling artists at that time. Think about the labor involved; he could rapidly build layers, manipulate the material’s texture. Are we then simply looking at an expression of youth or something more tied to class and industrialization? Editor: Class, really? I suppose I was focused on the portrait's intimacy...but, thinking about his rapid layering process, the brushstrokes feel like evidence of work and time, but what does class have to do with this? Curator: Consider the Ashcan School's focus. They weren’t painting aristocrats. They painted the realities of a rapidly industrializing America – immigrant communities, the working class. The materials available, the speed of production – it all points to a need for art to engage with, and maybe even serve, these emerging social dynamics. Do you think it's fair to classify this as a portrayal or simply a means to an end? Editor: It does make me reconsider how I initially viewed it. Before, I was focused on this child as a unique individual but, perhaps it speaks to something broader – and the chosen materials and means of production tell that story. It also leads me to consider how "high art" and other means of production intersect. Curator: Precisely. Materiality shapes meaning. Considering these broader questions allows us to reassess this painting’s role within its cultural environment. I think we've both had an opportunity to broaden our thinking. Editor: Thanks so much. It seems like by looking more deeply at how it was made, we can reveal why!