#richmond barthe

He had a studio in Harlem briefly, but moved to the more convenient Greenwich Village, allowing him better access to dealers and collectors. During this time, he could not initially afford to pay models, so he sought his inspiration in the world. Actors, dancers, and other artists. In 1933 his work was inaugurated at the Rockefeller center and exhibited at the Chicago World's Fair. The next year, he went abroad, to France with a friend of Harry F Kane. Richmond would not be exposed to classical art and the black performers in France, even making portraits of Josephine Baker. He would return to New York, and continue making incredible pieces. He depicted his black subjects with striking realism and incredible poise. His skill garnered him many commissions and even more praise. In 1939 he had his largest exhibition. 18 bronze sculptures. This success would lead him to win the Guggenheim Fellowship, not once, but twice. In 1940 and 1941. But with the 40's began World War II. His work now, was part of war propaganda, the US Office of War Information made a film of Richmond's work. It was shown both in the US and overseas and even received a prize for his inclusion in the Artists for Victory Exhibition. He was however, not so foolish that he took all this attention at face value. He knew this was the US's response to the Germans racist efforts abroad. In 1947 he traveled to Haiti. He created massive sculptures of revolutionary leaders Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. He also designed a new coins for Haiti. Richmond would grow tired of New York and the tension in the city. He would move to Jamaica and remain there until the 1960's when violence, and the Civil Rights Movement in the US led him back again. He received much attention. His work, once again at the forefront as the Civil Rights Movement continued. He was awarded the key to the city in his home town and a large reception was given to him in New Orleans. But it was too much, and Richmond, seeking less crowds, traveled Europe for the next five years. Richmond never married, as he was a gay man. He did have romantic relationships but all were sadly short-lived. Tragic as his letters indicate he greatly desired a long term relationship, a "friend and lover." In 1977, he returned to the US, settling in Pasadena California and began working on his memoirs. He was now impoverished and age had taken it's toll on his body. He did not qualify for social security as he had always been an artist and never had a salaried job. The irony, as outside the social security building in Washington, is a sculpture, by Richmond... His work was still exhibited, but only occasionally and he was not earning enough to survive. He did find respite. He befriends the actor James Garner, and Garner would come to his rescue, paying his rent and medical bulls and copyrighting Richmond's work, hiring a biographer to organize and document his work and establishing the Richmond Barthé Trust. It is thought that a bust of Garner was Richmond's last sculpture. Richmond Barthé would die, after years of illness March of 1989. He was eighty-eight. Richmond's work is powerful and not only in the strong sinewy bodies of his full sculptures. His busts are personal and endowed with life, feeling so real and alive that they seem they might just breathe at any moment. If you would like to learn more about his work and life: Richmond Barthe Harlem Renaissance Sculptor Richmond Barthe American Sculptor -Britannica Richmond Barthe Biography - Encylopedia.comRichmond Barthe: A Distinguished American SculptorJames Richmond Barthe in Harlem

Josephine Baker, Richmond Barthe, 1951

Occupation: Sculptor

An important film for those interested in art history and African American history, this silent film from the 1930s covers some important visual artists during the Harlem Renaissance. It starts with an appropriately arty montage of many African American artists made their living during the day, mostly working blue collar jobs, while working on their art in their off hours. Then we see a series of artists at work: Richmond Barthe, noted sculptor (in particular, large outdoor work); James Latimer Allen, noted portrait photographer (known particularly for documenting the Harlem Renaissance); Aaron Douglas, one the major painters of the era; Palmer Hayden, another prolific painter; and Augusta Savage, the leading female sculptor of the movement. While this film doesn't tell much about them, we see them in their studios, and examples of their work. The Harlem Renaissance was one of the transformative times of American art history, and this film serves as an important document of that time.

The museum contacted me over the summer and asked if I’d contribute something for the occasion of the museum’s reopening. I wrote about Isaac Julien’s incredible exhibit Once Again…(Statues Never Die), which I had the good fortune of seeing in London. Transfixed in that room, I knew I needed to write about it, so this felt like a fitting tribute for this space that celebrates Black Art.