Jessica Penn in Black with White Plumes
Jessica Penn in Black with White Plumes
Artist
Robert Henri
(1865 - 1929)
Date1908
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions77 x 38 in. (195.6 x 96.5 cm)
Framed: 83 in. × 45 3/8 in. × 2 3/4 in.
Framed: 83 in. × 45 3/8 in. × 2 3/4 in.
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2010.105
Signedl.r.: Robert Henri
Accession number
2010.105
On View
On viewLabel TextRobert Henri encouraged students at his New York art school to find inspiration in their contemporary surroundings. His portrait summons the grand manner seventeenth century Spanish tradition of full-length figures painted against dark backgrounds. Henri challenged the past with a modern subject, portraying a young woman who had come to New York in pursuit of professional opportunity. Penn, a dancer, made her debut on Broadway in 1901. Her bold gaze and confident pose communicate her independence and spirit.
Robert Henri estimuló a sus estudiantes en su escuela de arte de Nueva York a encontrar inspiración en su entorno contemporáneo. Este retrato epitomiza la tradición española del siglo XVII de pintar figuras de cuerpo entero frente a un fondo oscuro. Henri desafió el pasado, pintando un tema moderno en el que presentaba a una mujer joven que había llegado a Nueva York en búsqueda de oportunidades profesionales. Penn, quien era bailarina, debutó en Broadway en 1901. Su mirada atrevida y su pose audaz reflejan su independencia y espíritu.
Inscribedverso, on canvas: Robert / Henri / 168 / E
verso, on stretcher: Robert Henri /135 E. 40 NY City
