This portrait of professional model Edna Smith is typical of Henri’s ability to capture his subject’s spirit. Around 1909, Henri adopted the color system of theorist Hardesty Maratta, which assigns a letter and number to 144 harmonically related colors. Painters could use the system of letters and numbers to carefully plan the color relationships of their paintings. The rich harmonies of this image based on red and green show Henri’s use of the Maratta system.

Robert Henri (1865-1929), “Edna Smith in a Japanese Wrap” (1915), oil on canvas, 50.8 x 61 cm.

In the early 1910s Henri had become excited by several theories about color interaction, and he kept palette diaries in which he recorded his experiments. His friend Hardesty Maratta sold packaged paints prearranged in harmonized groups of rich colors. This system encouraged Henri to abandon his earlier, somber palette for bolder hues, such as the flaming red of the model’s hair. Henri’s portraits of 1914 and 1915 also reveal an increased contrast of lights and darks: here the deep blue-green at the left of the canvas is counterposed to the glowing white of the negligee. By the time he painted Edna, Henri had devised his own color charts. The brilliant coloration of this work clearly demonstrates his enthusiasm for modern color theory. As he told his students, “Color represents the deeper strain in human life.” (source)

Today I say the name of Edna Smith (age 24),  East Trout Lake(SK), 12 siblings, 5’2”(157cm), 136lbs(62kg), cleft palate operation scars; last seen 15 Oct 1983 starting annual camping trip w/boyfriend, sis-in-law. Boat & bodies of bf & s-i-l found wks later. Edna Smith #MMIW

Roy DeCarava -  Edna Smith, 1955. 

View On WordPress

The color in this work is exceptionally vivid; the model Edna Smith’s red hair and fair coloring is set off by a complementary blue-green background. The brushwork is vigorous and joyous, clearly showing Henri’s dashing execution. Henri’s already powerful technique had steadily increased in facility into the 1910s. Here he is shown to be a dexterous and masterly craftsman.