Henry M. Stanley c. 1927

Alice Pike Barney made this portrait of Henry M. Stanley, and it looks like she used pastels. Can you imagine her, smudging and blending colors across the paper? It feels like the portrait emerged slowly, coming into focus through layers of soft marks and erasures. I wonder what it was like for Barney to sit across from Stanley. Did she find him to be imposing, or kind? Look at how she rendered his eyes – they seem to hold a penetrating gaze. She was working to capture not just his likeness but something of his character. I find it curious to consider the many portraits that were made of famous people during this time. Barney’s choice of pastel gives this work a delicate, almost ephemeral quality, which makes me think of other Impressionist artists like Degas or Manet. It's a kind of conversation between artists, each one finding their own way to see and depict the world.