Laura Dreyfus Barney, Head of Natalie Clifford Barney, 1910, cast and patinated plaster, 20 1⁄4 x 9 x 8 7⁄8 in. (51.5 x 23.0 x 22.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mme. Yvonne Guehennec and Mr. William E. Huntington, 1976.153.18
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Head of Natalie Clifford Barney
- Artist
- Date
- 1910
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 20 1⁄4 x 9 x 8 7⁄8 in. (51.5 x 23.0 x 22.5 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mme. Yvonne Guehennec and Mr. William E. Huntington
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- cast and patinated plaster
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Portrait female — Barney, Natalie Clifford — head
- Occupation — art — sculptor
- Object Number
- 1976.153.18
Artwork Description
The older sister of Laura Dreyfus Barney, Natalie Clifford Barney lived in Paris, where she wrote poetry and short essays in French. She also hosted a salon that was a popular meeting place for many noted artists, writers, and musicians. The same year Laura modeled this portrait, she also created a nude statue of Natalie and displayed it on the family’s front lawn, which caused such an uproar that the police were ordered to cover it with a sheet.