By Lamplight 1911

Curator: This is Alice Pike Barney’s “By Lamplight,” completed around 1911. Isn't it a gorgeous example of her Impressionistic, figurative work? Editor: Yes, there’s an undeniable tenderness here. At first glance, it feels almost like a hazy dream – the blues and yellows swirling together… very soft, comforting even. But you immediately see that labor went into its creation, like it might have been a pastel rubbing onto a rough tooth of paper. Curator: I think you've hit on something key there. Consider the social position of Barney: wealthy, connected. This artwork wasn’t about necessity but choice, reflecting a specific kind of maternal experience. Editor: Absolutely. When we look at how it's made, perhaps with those soft pastels instead of oils, we are already signaling that it’s intimate. You see how Barney applies those colors, almost dryly. The tooth of the paper peeks through – reminds me of that rawness that’s not fully “finished,” like it still has more process available. The light reflecting from those lamp filaments almost vibrate! Curator: The way she uses light and color really emphasizes the bond between mother and child, a visual lullaby almost. Do you find the intimacy sentimental at all? Editor: Not quite, but there is sentiment involved in both choosing this subject matter, choosing the materials. If it had been oil and took years? Or just a snapshot with Kodak Brownie in natural sunlight? How is it valued then? Curator: So much depends on these decisions! And of course, it has the stamp of its era – the fashions, the mood of a society grappling with modernity and rapid change. Editor: Exactly. But it still gives us access to materials and social history: We are talking pastels, yes, but in the production of these pigments and paper, the art exists in extraction of mineral colors, in mass paper production. Its story goes beyond domestic tenderness and enters an ecology. Curator: I love that way of seeing it, as more than just an isolated domestic scene. Thank you, as always, for that material perspective. Editor: My pleasure. Looking closely always opens new doors and unexpected histories!