Upper Hudson 1917

Robert Henri painted this brooding, tonalist landscape, Upper Hudson, sometime in his career. He used thin layers of paint to create this hazy scene, it’s like he’s wiping the image into existence. Look at the upper right corner: see how the solid mass of rock rises up. It’s built from so many marks. A range of dark hues blend into one another, with individual strokes emerging like distinct thoughts within a larger, more complex idea. These marks aren’t blended away to create an illusion of seamlessness; they are left to speak to the overall process. This focus on mark making reminds me of some of Courbet’s seascapes. They both find a way to make something solid out of something fluid, they embrace ambiguity and multiple interpretations. I think that is what makes art so interesting, there isn't just one way of seeing or experiencing it.