Carl Schleicher 1921

Robert Henri made this oil on canvas, "Carl Schleicher," and what grabs me first is its moody palette. It's all about how the marks create form, rather than outlining it. Look at the way Henri handles the paint, especially in the background – these broad, loose strokes of dark blue and purple. It’s like he's sculpting the shadows, pushing and pulling them to create this hazy space around the child. Then, see how he switches gears for the face, where the touches are smaller, more precise, especially around the eyes. There is this contrast between the fluidity of the background and the stillness in the subject's face, and the way the red is applied is so confident. Henri’s work reminds me of Manet – that same commitment to painting as a process of seeing and responding, rather than just representing. It’s a painting that stays open, inviting us to bring our own feelings and experiences to it.