Have you heard of Alice Pike Barney (1857-1931)? Like many accomplished women artists, her extensive body of work has not received the recognition it deserves. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, she spent the most significant years of her career in Washington, D.C. Currently, Barney’s paintings and pastels are featured in the exhibition Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900-1939, currently at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Below are some highlights including Barney’s self portrait, her portrayals of her daughters Natalie and Laura who were involved in the arts themselves, plus one of her works based on the theme of fantasy.
Alice Pike Barney, Self Portrait in Painting Robe, 1896, oil on canvas, 42 x 28 3?4 in. (106.7 x 73.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney, 1951.14.92
Alice Pike Barney, Natalie with Violin, n.d., oil on canvas, 78 3?8 x 44 1?8 in. (199.2 x 112.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney, 1952.13.48
Alice Pike Barney, Laura at Sixteen, 1896, oil on canvas, 30 3?4 x 26 5?8 in. (78.2 x 67.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney, 1951.14.51
Alice Pike Barney, Dream Book, 1901, oil on canvas, 19 7?8 x 16 in. (50.5 x 40.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney, 1971.456.2
