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Robert Henri
Spanish Girl of Madrid (Una Chula), 1908
A dynamic painter, teacher, and art theorist, Henri was one of the pivotal figures in American art at the beginning of the 20th century. Leader of the so-called Ashcan school, he pushed against the prevailing trends of academicism and impressionism in favor of the slice-of-life realism associated with earlier French painters such as Gustave Courbet and Edouard Manet. With direct, quick strokes and a dark palette, he strove to make paintings that "express the undercurrent, the real life" of modern existence, which included gritty urban scenes and images of common, everyday people.
Bold, free brushstrokes energize this striking life-size portrait, painted by Henri during an extended visit to Spain. He positioned his attractive subject in a confrontational stance, hands on hips, and meeting the viewer's eyes with a direct, playful gaze. An entry in Henri's journal reveals that this model was a local dressmaker, which may account for a perceptible aura of pride from one whose beautiful traditional costume is likely of her own making. |