Blonde Girl with Boa c. 1927

Alice Pike Barney created this portrait, Blonde Girl with Boa, without providing us with the date it was made. But, even without a precise year, we can still place the artwork in its cultural and social context. Barney was an American artist, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who lived and worked between Paris and Washington. The image evokes the aesthetic interests of the Parisian salons, as well as the bohemian circles in which she mixed. The subject here appears to be an independent young woman, someone who is making her own choices about her appearance and sexuality. To understand this artwork, it helps to know about the development of art institutions in America and France at this time. The portrait reflects a shift toward looser brushwork and a focus on the individual, away from traditional notions of beauty. Historical sources, such as letters or exhibition reviews, could tell us more about the way this portrait would have been seen at the time.