Alice Pike Barney, born Cincinnati, OH - Hat Sale Poster - 1906 - T-Shirt

A woman in a large plumed hat glances back over her shoulder, drawn in pastel and crayon against a flat grey ground.

Visual Elements & Composition

The figure is seen three-quarters from behind, and her head turns toward the viewer. Her hat dominates the upper half of the sheet: a dark, tall plume sweeps above a band of blue ribbon, and the brim casts a deep shadow across her brow. Below, a high white lace collar sits under a blue-grey jacket. The palette is restrained, built on warm grey, black, slate blue, flesh pink and violet. Bold capital lettering frames her on two sides, a block along the left edge and a vertical line of letters on the right, reading HAT, SALE and MAY, with FRIENDSHIP running up the right side.

Meaning & Symbolism

The sheet blends portraiture with commercial display. The hat, with its feathers and ribbon, is the subject the eye is led to, and the sidelong glance points straight at it. The lettering gives the piece the character of a shop notice, drawing on the illustrated display and lithographed poster traditions of the 1900s. Alice Pike Barney, born in Cincinnati in 1857, was a painter and pastellist who later became associated with Washington, D.C., where she hosted a well-known salon. This 1906 work, now in the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection, shows her interest in the fashionable figure, set in a poster-like layout.

Wearing the Artwork

A tee is worn close to the body and turns with every movement, so the figure's sidelong look suits a garment that is seen from the front and as the wearer moves past. The hat sits at the centre of the composition, where it reads clearly at a glance. The lettering runs around the figure, so the design keeps its frame whether it is worn casually or with a jacket.