Brittany Bonnet 

Curator: Ah, here we have Alice Pike Barney’s “Brittany Bonnet,” executed in pastel and gouache on paper. Editor: Oh, this has a whispery quality, like a half-remembered dream. It’s gentle, you know? The green is like faded sea glass, and the subject seems both present and distant. Curator: Absolutely, the choice of gouache lends itself well to that effect! I believe it connects with Intimism in capturing scenes of quiet, interior life. Consider the symbolic weight of the bonnet itself. Editor: Bonnets! Immediately I think of modesty, piety... hidden thoughts perhaps. But there's something incredibly modern about her gaze, somehow challenging these notions. She's not shrinking into the canvas. Curator: Indeed, the sitter’s gaze adds a layer of complexity. Head coverings have taken on diverse significances across different historical eras and geographies, serving as markers of identity, religious belief, and social status. The fact that she returns your gaze does complicate easy readings of the garment. Editor: Right? It's a statement, maybe not a loud one, but still firm. And those pastel colors feel intentionally muted, pulling us in, forcing us to look closer at this individual. There's something serene, but resolute about the woman being presented here. Curator: I’m struck by how Barney navigates representation—there’s a visible tension between societal expectations embedded in symbols and the sitter's personal assertion of self. The use of pastels enhances that very contrast. Editor: Almost as if she's pushing back against any attempt to contain her essence. Alice Pike Barney gives you something to ponder over... there’s more to the narrative here, something subtly suggested that resonates on multiple levels. It is very, very beautiful. Curator: A lovely assessment, underscoring how images accumulate meaning over time while holding both personal and universal resonances, making for a potent visual experience. Editor: Yeah! Gives a lot to consider about identity.