Smiling Tom (Thomas Cafferty) 1924

Robert Henri made this portrait of Smiling Tom, using oil on canvas, at an unknown date. Henri really loads up the paint here, you can see the brushstrokes, and the way the colors mix right on the canvas. It’s a process he’s letting us in on. There’s a lot of red happening – look at Tom's rosy cheeks. It's a direct and straightforward approach, but look closer, and you'll see how Henri uses those reds, juxtaposed with black, to create depth and warmth, especially in the shadows of the face and clothing. The brushwork feels confident and quick, not fussed over, and the lack of blending leaves a nice, raw feeling. I think of someone like Alice Neel, who was also interested in portraying people in all their messy humanity. Both artists seem to capture something essential about their subjects, not just a likeness, but a feeling.