In this haunting pastel portrait, Barney reimagines Medusa using her own daughter, Laura Dreyfus Barney, as the model. The figure’s face is pale and haunted, framed by writhing snakes that seem to emerge organically from her flowing hair. The subdued palette of icy blues and deep blacks underscores the work’s eerie, symbolist quality, suggesting both vulnerability and monstrous power. Rather than a creature of pure horror, this Medusa feels deeply human — introspective, tragic, and strangely sympathetic.

Alice Pike Barney (1857–1931) was an American painter, dramatist, and arts patron who played a key role in Washington, D.C.’s cultural life. Born into wealth, she studied in Paris and embraced symbolist themes, often using her daughters as sitters for mythological and emotional portraits.

Product Details: Cotton and polyester canvas on Radiata pine wood frame sourced from renewable forests. Includes back mounting.

Due to variation in monitor settings, finished products may appear different than they do on your screen.

To offer a broad range of sizes, each image is carefully adapted to its canvas dimensions. As a result, slight variations in composition may occur, and some reproductions may differ subtly from the original work.

Our canvases feature mirrored edges to create a seamless wrap-around effect without altering the original image. This effect is more noticeable on smaller canvas sizes.

NOTE: 6x6" Mini Series prints are cropped to fit the square canvas and may differ slightly from the full artwork. Product images reflect the final piece. Final sale only.