La Mora 1912

Robert Henri made this painting of La Mora with oil on canvas. The background is dark, a contrast with the white of the sitter’s blouse, but the dark shawl wrapped around her shoulders has been brushed with lighter tones. I imagine Henri’s hand moving with purpose, yet also with an openness to what might emerge. Look how the paint seems to build up energy. It is so knowing. I bet he mixed up a big pile of paint, the kind that holds its shape, then moved it around the canvas with great verve. The confidence in the brushstrokes is almost like he's trying to say something. This painting reminds me of Manet in its use of tonal contrasts and it’s something you see cropping up again and again in Henri’s work. Ultimately, it’s that conversation between artists, across time, each inspiring the other's creativity, that moves painting forward. You know? And this piece, it's not trying to give you all the answers; it’s okay with ambiguity. That’s where the magic is, for me, anyway.