Barry often worked completely alone in his studio, he would lock his door so people could not come in and disturb him: if someone knocked at the door, he would not answer and pretend he was not there, so his flow was not broken. When visitors and models were welcomed to his studio, they were met by a tall “unhappy Irishman” who typically would answer the door with an eye shade and a cigar dangling from his lips. Inside, hung heavy drapes and a black horsehair chair for guests to sit, hundreds of well kept paintbrushes and a scent of turpentine in the air.
“A nude girl is the most beautiful thing in the world
and the most difficult to paint”
– Barry from ‘Painting’
Barry’s writings on the “Artists Model”, noted the nude as the most “beautiful thing in the world” and the most difficult to capture. He rejected the idea that the English public equated nudity with indecency, he though the only thing truly indecent was the dirty minds of the viewers. He regarded his model as a professional engaged in hard work. This empathy was reflected in his process of painting the female figure; encouraging his models to smoke, drink and fidget as much as she wished, so the model would have a genuine interest in the work, achieving unforced and relaxed poses, both erotic and tasteful. Barry’s sensual and reclining figures are reminiscent of masters such as Manet and Titian.
Drawing on the influence of his mentors, Barry was driven by a centre of interest in his portraits, applying a focal point rather than a collection of details, to ensure the portrait remained alive. Ultimately, Barry sought a timeless quality for his figures, and he did so by understanding the model deeply, still translating poignantly all these years later. Despite his mastery, Barry remained a man perpetually unsatisfied, often complaining of his inability to draw and his constant, troubled wrestling with the complexities of human anatomy.
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Barry, Bt., R.B.A, why not get in touch?
