Alice Pike Barney, The Necklace, 1898, oil on canvas, 18 3⁄8 x 16 1⁄8 in. (46.6 x 41.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney, 1951.14.77
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Artwork Details
- Title
- The Necklace
- Artist
- Date
- 1898
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 18 3⁄8 x 16 1⁄8 in. (46.6 x 41.1 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on canvas
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Portrait female — Barney, Laura Dreyfus
- Occupation — art — artist
- Dress — accessory — jewelry
- Object Number
- 1951.14.77
Artwork Description
Alice Pike Barney studied in Paris with portrait painter Emile Auguste Carolus-Duran, who believed that a sitter's outward appearance reflected his or her inner character. The Necklace, which was probably a self-portrait, shows a self-assured woman with a gold necklace. Her direct gaze and the portrait's dramatic lighting lend her an almost haughty air, hinting at Barney's independent and somewhat rebellious character.
