Francisco
Artist
Robert Henri
(American, 1865 - 1929)
Date1922
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsUnframed: 24 x 20 inches (60.96 x 50.8 cm)
Framed: 32 x 27 7/8 x 2 1/2 inches (81.28 x 70.8 x 6.35 cm)
Framed: 32 x 27 7/8 x 2 1/2 inches (81.28 x 70.8 x 6.35 cm)
Credit LineGift of Blanche and Neil Sosland
Object number2011.69
SignedVerso, top: Robert Henri
InscribedVerso, top: 231 L (circled)
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 218
Collections
DescriptionThis half-length portrait features a young Hispanic-American boy posed against a dark, non-descript background enlivened with a red and gray-striped Native American blanket at the lower left. Although his body is angled towards the right, the sitter gazes directly out at the viewer. He has short, black hair; large, dark, almond-shaped eyes accented with dark lashes; cheeks tinged with pink; and full, red lips that turn up slightly at the corners with a hint of a smile. The boy's face is more solidly painted than his clothing, which is summarily described with broad brushstrokes. Beneath his blue overalls with bright yellow fasteners at the chest, he wears a white shirt with three-quarters-length sleeves underneath a pink shirt/jacket. The young sitter's proper right arm rests in his lap with his forearm positioned parallel to the picture plane. His proper left arm is cropped at the wrist by the right edge of the canvas.Gallery LabelRobert Henri painted one of his favorite models, Francisco, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during a time when many American artists worked in the Southwest. Henri described the Hispanic American boy's unique character through different types of brush strokes. The twinkle in the boy's eyes and the hint of a smile convey an impish charm. The swiftly painted shoulder strap suggests an active energy. Altogether, the painting achieves Henri's goal of depicting realistic characteristics while also capturing the boy's spirit.
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