Berna Escudero 1922

Robert Henri made this painting of a young boy, Berna Escudero, with thick brushes and a range of muddy colours. I bet he kept stepping back, squinting, going in, wiping, stepping back again. I imagine Henri, trying to get the form and expression of the boy just so. Look at those marks of brown in the shawl collar. They're loaded with feeling and intention. The light is hitting his cheek in a way that makes you wonder what he's thinking about, doesn't it? The painting reminds me of Manet, how he captured the essence of a person with just a few strokes. Henri and Manet had a similar kind of painterly thinking. Painters are always looking at each other’s work, challenging, arguing, and getting ideas. Painting is a form of expression, a way of thinking with your hands. It’s ambiguous and open-ended. It doesn’t give you one clear message, but invites you to think and feel along with the artist.