Anna May Wong
ca. 1927
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney
Accession Number
1966.111.19
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing by Alice Pike Barney captures the poised elegance of Anna May Wong, the groundbreaking Chinese-American performer whose career blossomed in the 1920s. Created around 1927 as a bust portrait, the work highlights Wong’s striking features and quiet dignity at a time when she was becoming one of Hollywood’s first Asian stars, appearing in films that introduced American audiences to nuanced representations of Chinese culture. Alice Pike Barney, known for her sensitive portrayals of notable figures, worked in a refined drawing style that emphasizes line and expression over bol...