Spanish Girl of Madrid 1908

This is Robert Henri’s *Spanish Girl of Madrid* painted in oil on canvas. I love the immediacy of the brushstrokes! You can almost feel Henri standing there, quickly capturing her essence. I imagine Henri, brush loaded with paint, circling the canvas, building up the dark background, then bam!, those flashes of red and white, bringing the figure to life. It’s like he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, the girl’s pose bold and confident. Look at the strokes that form the shawl and dress: thick, juicy, and full of energy. The white sleeves are rendered with such expressive brushwork; they feel almost sculptural. I can see Henri’s influence in the work of other painters who were also interested in capturing the vibrancy of modern life. Artists are always riffing off each other like that. Painting is just that; it's about embracing the unknown, the unpredictable. Every brushstroke is a question, an invitation to see the world in a new way.