Irish Girl

Robert Henri painted portraits of people he encountered on the streets of New York City, in the American Southwest, and during his extensive travels abroad. From 1927 to 1928, he painted over 140 portraits of children on tiny Achill Island off the northwest coast of Ireland. In these paintings Henri favored vivid colors and bold brushwork. His portraits capture the individuality of his sitters and the nature of their environment; here, the girl's ruddy cheeks suggest the cold, windswept climate of Achill.