Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Portrait of L'Amazone

Natalie in Fiur Cape by Alice Pike Barney

L'Amazone — Natalie Clifford Barney. She was only 19 or 20 years of age when this portrait was done. Note the self-possession she exudes in this painting.


"We have been called the Amazon, but surely our great adventure is with life, not death."

~ Natalie Barney

5 comments:

Kate S. said...

What a marvellous portrait. I bought a copy of Wild Girls, Diana Souhami's bio of Natalie Barney and Romaine Brooks, last year but haven't gotten to it yet. I must make a point of putting it closer to the top of the TBR pile!

Imani said...

Who did the painting?

Anonymous said...

Kate: Oh dear, Kate, I was very disappointed with Wild Girls for the sloppy research. A much better bio on Natalia Barney will be Suzanne Rodrigeuz's Wild Heart. In fact, I'm quite sure Souhami did part of her research from Wild Heart.

Imani: This portrait was done by Natalie Barney's mother, Alice Pike Barney. The painting is currently in the Smithsonian, if I'm correct.

Kate S. said...

Wild Heart instead of Wild Girls it is! Thanks for the tip. What I know of Barney so far is based on group biographies such as Shari Benstock's Women of the Left Bank and it's definitely time for me to find a good source which is devoted primarily to her rather than alloting her only a chapter.

Anonymous said...

Kate: yes, much better choice. Lots, lots more gossip in Wild Heart