Indian, Ricardo 1916

Robert Henri made 'Indian, Ricardo' with oil on canvas and he worked those browns, reds and whites so we can see Ricardo's expression, almost as if he's right here. I really admire Henri here, thinking about how he built up Ricardo's face with those warm, fleshy tones, and then the blanket, those bold chevrons, zinging with energy! You can tell Henri wasn't just copying what he saw, he was feeling it. The texture isn't super thick, but you can sense the brushstrokes, how they define the form and catch the light. Henri's really in dialogue with the old masters here – that light, that directness – while doing his own thing. It’s like he's saying, "Hey, painting can still be fresh, can still be about real people, real feelings."