Blond Bridget Lavelle 1928

Robert Henri painted Blond Bridget Lavelle with oil on canvas. It's a classic portrait, but there's something very modern about the process: the speed of the mark-making, the thick paint, the way he’s unafraid to let the underpainting peek through. Look at the confident brushstrokes that define her red sweater. The paint is thick and juicy, each stroke loaded with color, almost sculptural. There is such energy, especially the way the dark background kind of melts into the figure. Henri is clearly not trying to achieve photorealism. He’s capturing a feeling, an essence. This reminds me a little of Alice Neel's portraits, in the way they are raw and honest. There's a vulnerability in Bridget’s gaze, but also a strength. It’s a painting that invites you to linger, to consider the many layers of meaning and feeling.