Himself

Robert Henri painted Himself and Herself (1924.911) (Irish terms of endearment for a husband and wife) during a summer trip to Ireland; the canvases depict the fisherman Johnnie Cummings and his wife, Biddy. The rich hues and thick, lush paint add depth to the works, while the figures’ elusive expressions and informal poses give them a brusque, forthright quality. Each portrait reveals a distinctive character and, according to Henri, was meant to be a dynamic example of “humanity in the making, in the living.”

Created in 1913, this work belongs firmly within the portrait tradition of American painting. Robert Henri worked at a moment when the young republic was still deciding what its own art should look like — how much to borrow from Europe, how much to invent from its own landscape and daily life. Every gesture, fabric, and gleam of light was pitched at an audience learning to take American subjects seriously.

As Oil on canvas (81.9 × 66.4 cm (32 1/4 × 26 1/8 in.)), the work shows the tool marks and layering choices typical of Robert Henri's output in this period — decisions about ground, underpainting, and glaze that a photograph can only partly convey.

Look closely and the painting opens up. Objects you might pass over — a folded letter, a half-drawn curtain, the angle of a glance — were placed to be read. The sitter is constructed: clothes, pose, and attributes were chosen to project status, virtue, and lineage.

Today the painting is held by Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, where it remains a touchstone for understanding Robert Henri's contribution to Western art. It has been studied, copied, restored, and argued over for centuries — proof that great paintings keep generating new readings long after their creators have gone.

“A silence so complete it becomes its own witness.”