Lily Cow and the Queen 1915

Robert Henri made this painting, Lily Cow and the Queen, with oil on canvas. I just love how Henri fearlessly plants color right on the surface – reds on the cheeks and lips, without too much blending. It’s like, bam, here it is! And that’s how you know it’s a painting, not an illusion. Looking at the paint itself, I notice these buttery strokes, especially in the doll's dress. It's thick and juicy. You can almost feel the push of the brush. And there are hints of underlayers peeking through. It’s almost like Henri wants to show us the process, the thinking, the making. The red and blue and the yellow clash in places, but that is kind of perfect. The whole composition feels so alive, like a fleeting moment captured in a flurry of brushstrokes. There’s a looseness to the way he handles the paint that makes me think of Manet. Both artists have this way of making a picture look effortless, even when you know it takes a ton of skill. But unlike Manet, Henri has this very personal sense of intimacy. Painting is like having a conversation, full of starts, stops, and happy accidents. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just real.