Smiling Tom (Thomas Cafferty) 1924

This painting of 'Smiling Tom' is by Robert Henri, and it's all about capturing a fleeting moment of joy with some carefully placed brushstrokes. I’m struck by the way Henri uses color here; that dark indigo background really makes the red of Tom’s outfit pop. The painting feels like a dance between control and abandon. Those confident, visible brushstrokes give Tom’s face character and a sense of life – you can almost see him grinning at you. I wonder what Henri was thinking as he painted this? Was he chasing after something real, trying to catch the essence of Tom’s youth and energy? This painting reminds me of other portrait painters like Alice Neel, who also weren't afraid to show the raw, human side of their subjects. Artists are always in conversation with each other across time. Painting is a form of expression, and embraces that ambiguity, allowing for different ways of seeing things.