Natalie at Ten

Emile Auguste Carolus-Duran, French, born Lille, France 1838-died Paris, France 1917 · 1887

This painting depicts Natalie Clifford Barney (1876-1972), the eldest daughter of Washington, D.C., socialite and painter Alice Pike Barney (1857-1931), who studied with the artist in Paris. Known for his realistic portraits, Carolus-Duran felt he could capture a sitter's character through his or her gestures and expression. Natalie's confident demeanor and inquisitive gaze, accentuated by her dark clothing, suggest her willful independence as a child. As an adult, Natalie hosted intellectual gatherings in her Paris home. She was one of the first openly lesbian modern writers and had a fifty-year relationship with artist Romaine Brooks.