Maria, (Lucinda) 1917

Robert Henri made this painting, Maria, (Lucinda), with visible brushstrokes and a rich, earthy palette. It’s all about the feel of the paint, the materiality of it. Henri's got these confident strokes, especially in the white fabric draped around her. You can almost see him wrestling with the paint, trying to capture the light and shadow. He's not hiding anything, it’s all right there on the surface. The way he builds up those layers, it gives a sense of depth. The blue and green areas of the background are brushed in a loose way. Henri reminds me a bit of Manet, in how he simplifies form. But he’s also got this American directness, a kind of no-nonsense approach to painting, which is cool. Ultimately, it’s all about how the artist sees the world, how they translate that vision onto the canvas, and how we, as viewers, connect with it. Art doesn't have to explain everything.