Irish Lass 1913

Robert Henri made "Irish Lass" with oil on canvas, and what grabs me is the directness in his brushwork. He’s not trying to hide the process, you can see every stroke and dab of color. The way he models her face with these chunky, almost square strokes of pink and green feels so modern. It's like he's building her face rather than just painting it. And that red hair! It’s not just red, it’s a whole symphony of reds and browns and oranges, all swirled together. Henri's got this Ashcan School vibe, that reminds me of someone like John Sloan, capturing everyday life with a raw, unflinching eye. "Irish Lass" shows us that a portrait is never just a likeness, it’s a conversation between the artist, the sitter, and the paint itself.