Blind Spanish Singer

About this artwork

Robert Henri and his wife, Linda, made their first trip to Spain in 1900. They spent six weeks in Madrid, where Henri lingered at the Prado copying paintings by Velázquez. He traveled to Spain several times over the next few years, painting people from all walks of life with the directness that he had learned as a newspaper illustrator. Among his subjects were two blind street singers, who played their guitars in his studio for hours.

Art Historical Context

Robert Henri painted *Blind Spanish Singer* in 1912, drawing from his repeated travels to Spain that began in 1900. During his first visit, Henri spent weeks in Madrid studying and copying works by Velázquez at the Prado, an experience that shaped his approach to capturing human subjects with honesty and immediacy. Having started his career as a newspaper illustrator, he applied that same directness to portraits of everyday people, including street performers he invited into his studio. The painting depicts a female Spanish singer who was blind, one of two such musicians who played their guit...