Little Indian 1917

Robert Henri made this portrait of a child, probably in oil, working with a mix of loose brushstrokes and areas of careful detail. Henri seems interested in the process of painting itself, letting the marks be visible and alive. Look at the boy’s blue jacket. The paint is applied with a kind of broken, textured stroke, almost like he was scumbling the color onto the canvas. It gives the jacket a lively, almost shimmering quality. And notice how the blue of the jacket kind of vibrates against the warmer tones of the boy’s face. Henri really understood how colors play off each other, creating a visual energy. I find that energy kind of electrifying. Henri's work reminds me of artists like Manet, who were also interested in capturing the immediacy of life through painting. Like Manet, Henri invites us to see the world with fresh eyes, appreciating the beauty and complexity of everyday moments.