Robert Henri painted Himself (1924.912) and Herself (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.” Walter H. Schulze Memorial
Collection