The Spanish Gypsy 1912

Editor: Robert Henri's "The Spanish Gypsy," painted in 1912 with oils, has such an interesting aura. I can't quite place it, but I find her pose defiant and confident despite the somewhat gloomy background. What's your take? Curator: Defiant, yes, almost challenging you, isn't it? Henri had such an uncanny way of capturing spirit. I almost feel like I've met her before, perhaps in a smoky cafe somewhere. Think about the Ashcan School roots here; Henri sought authenticity, raw emotion. I feel that, don't you? Editor: Absolutely. It is kind of jarring that she is so sharply rendered and the background kind of falls away. What would you say about that conscious choice, with all that heavy oil paint in front of him? Curator: It isolates her, spotlights that gaze, that spirit. For me, it is kind of a mirror to urban life, a person lost and then found. He wanted the modern subject, didn’t he? What do you think she’s thinking? Editor: Maybe she’s tired of posing, or about to break into song? Her expression is very open, which makes me want to engage her, almost in conversation. The folds of that creamy yellow skirt almost invite a caress… Curator: Caress – a perfect description. You see the dance of brushstrokes too; almost like music captured, wouldn't you say? Editor: It does seem quite impulsive and captures such life, like Henri captured a fleeting moment. It's much more than a portrait in the conventional sense, right? Curator: Right! It is alive. I’m ready to go follow her story wherever it might lead. It’s all about energy, about spirit...a slice of real life viewed through an idealizing lens.