Berna Escudero 1922

Robert Henri painted this portrait of Berna Escudero with oils, and it's a dance of warm tones, isn’t it? A kind of earthy symphony. The whole thing feels so immediate, like Henri's chasing a fleeting feeling. Look closely, and you can see the brushstrokes doing their thing. Thick in places, especially around the face, where he's really building up the light. There’s this one stroke right on her cheek – a dab of orangey-red – that just pops. It’s like he’s trying to capture the very moment she blushes. The physicality of the paint, the way it sits on the canvas, gives Berna this incredible presence. Henri was part of the Ashcan School, you know, those guys painting everyday life, and you can see that spirit here. There's a tenderness, an intimacy in his portrayal, maybe like a nod to Velázquez, but with a real American grit.