Endymion 1910

Alice Pike Barney made this oil painting called Endymion, and it's a real study in muted tones – browns, tans, creams, and hints of peach. Looking at the brushstrokes, you can almost see the artist at work, building up the face and hair with layers of paint. I wonder what Barney was thinking about as she painted this dreamy profile. It's easy to get lost in the details: the curve of his neck, the soft light on his cheek. I mean, the paint isn't too thick, but you can still see how she worked the surface, blending and smoothing, but also leaving traces of her touch. Take a look at how she shaped the hair with these small, choppy strokes – see how the painting almost becomes sculpture? Barney must have been looking at the Old Masters when she made this, but she’s also doing her own thing. Artists are always in conversation, borrowing and riffing off one another. And what emerges is something new, something that could only have come from her. It’s less about perfection, and more about feeling your way through.