New Kid on the Block

Blackberry Woman by Richmond Barthé is an important new addition to the sculpture collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Richmond Barthé was the most widely exhibited and honored artist associated with the Harmon Foundation, which supported African American creativity.

Blackberry Woman is an authentic early cast and a work with great presence. It encapsulates the finest features of Barthé's sculptures: a sense of movement, character, and physical grace. The unassuming directness of the subject gives it a monumentality reminiscent of Egyptian sculptural figures.

This work greatly enhances our collection of 1930s sculpture and strengthens our African American art collection.

Pictured: Richmond Barthé, 1901–89, Blackberry Woman, 1932, bronze, 33 3/4 x 11 x 14 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment.