Name/Title
Untitled [Portrait of Man in Pinstriped Suit]Entry/Object ID
2010.11Description
Bust portrait of a man in a grey, pinstripe suit and striped tie. Background is light blue.Context
By the 1930’s, Macena Barton was a known name in the Chicago art scene. She became known for her stately portraits painted in robust and vivid colors as well as her space-themed surrealist paintings done later in her career. It is also important to note that many of her paintings hold a strong feminist tone. Chicago art critics wrote in high regards about Barton, which certainly elevated her status but never stabilized her career financially. In 1931, critic Eleanor Jewett named Barton “the most surprisingly dynamic young painter in Chicago” (Chicago Daily Tribune). In a 1941 letter, C.J. Bulliet urged Illinois governor Dwight H. Green to choose Barton as his portrait painter, comparing her to the “old masters” and asserting that “her portraits are as interesting to onlookers who are unacquainted with the sitter as they are to his friends” (Smithsonian Archives of American Art). The portrait shown here is typical of her work as it displays rich colors and defined, intense features.Acquisition
Notes
Collection of DePaul University, gift of Jeff ZurlindenMade/Created
Artist
Barton, Alberta, MacenaNotes
Creation Date: mid-20th centuryEthnography
Notes
North America
United States
Chicago
North America, United StatesInscription/Signature/Marks
Type
InscriptionLocation
BLTranscription
[signature]Material/Technique
in paintDimensions
Dimension Description
canvasWidth
15-1/2 inLength
19-1/2 inDimension Description
frameWidth
20-3/4 inDepth
2-1/2 inLength
24-3/4 in