Two Masted Schooner, Concarneau 1899

Robert Henri painted this small oil sketch of a ‘Two Masted Schooner, Concarneau’ with brushes and diluted oil paints. Henri captured the maritime scene with confident strokes, layering colours to evoke the boats and the surrounding harbor. The visible brushwork and fluid application of paint give the scene a sense of immediacy, as if Henri were working en plein air. The materiality of the paint – its viscosity and transparency – allowed Henri to model the forms and capture the effects of light on the water, while the gestural brushstrokes convey movement and atmosphere. Looking closely, it's also possible to see the history of labor and trade embedded in the scene. Schooners like this one were essential to maritime economies, requiring skilled craftsmanship for their construction and operation. The painting invites us to consider the relationship between artistic representation and the realities of maritime life. Ultimately, Henri's painting isn't just a picturesque scene, but a reflection of broader social and economic forces.