The Little Irishman 1913

Robert Henri’s painting, The Little Irishman, is a juicy oil sketch full of warm colours and gestural marks. I wonder, was the paint applied alla prima, all in one go, or did it slowly build up in layers? I like to imagine the artist's quick, assured brushstrokes capturing the fleeting expression of the sitter. The artist probably blocked in the main shapes and then focused on details like the rosy cheeks and bright eyes that give his face such character. Henri seems like he was part of an ongoing dialogue with artists like Manet and Velazquez, looking at similar questions of how to capture the essence of a figure with simple means. Painting is like thinking, right? It's a way of feeling, of being in the world, and The Little Irishman definitely captures a little slice of life! I wonder who he grew up to be?