Man with Monocle
ca. 1887-1889
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney
Accession Number
1951.14.59
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Man with Monocle," painted by Alice Pike Barney around 1887-1889, captures the poised elegance of an aristocratic male subject, distinguished by his signature eyewear. This oil portrait exemplifies the refined portraiture of the Gilded Age, time when such works served as symbols of social status and sophistication in America's burgeoning elite circles. Barney, an accomplished American artist and Washington, D.C. cultural figure, skillfully renders the man's discerning gaze and formal attire, highlighting the era's fascination with European aristocratic tropes amid rapid industrialization. As...