Irish Lass 1913

Robert Henri painted this Irish Lass with oils on canvas, and you can tell by the brushstrokes that he was really going for it. Look at those energetic strokes of warm browns and reds that make up her hair! I can almost feel the artist's hand as he worked, building up layers of paint, maybe scraping some away, then adding more. Did he step back often, or was he right up close to the canvas? The painting feels so alive, so in process, you know? I feel like Henri really saw her, this young girl—maybe he was trying to capture a certain feeling, a sense of youthful seriousness or quiet determination. I can imagine him thinking about Velazquez or Manet—I mean, all painters are in conversation with each other, right? And through his choices, through the way he laid down those strokes, he's inviting us into that conversation, too.