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"Acrobat, " Highly Important Bas Relief by Richmond Barthé

About the Item

Without doubt America's finest black sculptor working in the 1930s-1950s, Richmond Barthé created an extraordinarily important body of work, with a clear, abiding focus on portraits and the male figure. Although he was a part of the Harlem Renaissance and had many important friends and clients, including Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison, Carl Van Vechten, Lincoln Kirstein, Paul Cadmus, and Jared French, his open homosexuality made it difficult for him to retain the prosperity and celebrity he might have otherwise achieved. This important bas relief shows a nude acrobat, in mid-somersault, shown on a richly-textured ground of blue and green. The artist added a patina to the nude figure and worked with layers of paints and glazes in the background to create the sense that the man is floating in the sky or sea.
  • Creator:
    Richmond Barthé (Sculptor)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 0.75 in (1.91 cm)Diameter: 9.88 in (25.1 cm)
  • Style:
    Art Deco (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1940s
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU8651939600
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