Richmond Barthe's "Feral Benga" Sells for 629,000 USD at Swann's African-American Fine Art Auction, June 4, 2020

On Thursday, June 4th, Swann Auction Galleries sale of African-American Fine Art included a record breaking price of 629,000 USD (with buyer's premium) for sculptor Richmond Barthe's Feral Benga.  The cast bronze sculpture with dark patina modeled in 1935 and cast in 1986 reached a hammer price of 520,000 USD, nearly 9 times its high estimate of 60,000 USD.

The signed 19 inch sculpture (excluding marble base) is numbered 1/10 and  cast under the supervision of the artist and the Richmond Barthé Trust.  Swann's sale of African-American Fine Art, April 2013 sold edition number 9/10 for 43,200 USD.

James Richmond Barthé (American, 1901-1989), known for his works depicting the Black experience and for his studies of the male physique, was a leading member of the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Mississippi, he was trained at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York.  

Feral Benga has been described as "Barthé's signature piece." It portrays François (a.k.a. Feral) Benga, a Senegalese cabaret dancer, who, like his female counterpart Josephine Baker, created a sensation on the Paris stage with his "carnal choreography often set in steamy and distant places." Barthé saw Benga perform in 1934 and began modeling the sculpture immediately after his return to New York City. The resulting work is a powerful blend of traditional European modes of sculpture combined with elements of modernity and the African American experience.  (Source: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

Féral Benga, 1937, by Carl Van Vechten  (Library of Congress)

Other Recent Auction Sales of Barthe's Sculpture

Inner Music, 1961/1986.  Bronze on marble base.  23-1/2 inches (height).  Signed and dated 86, AP. Sold for 62,500 USD at Black Art Auction, May 16, 2020. (see below, left)

Girl Putting Flower in Hair, 1965/1987.  Bronze on a marble base.  20 inches (height).  Signed, dated 87, AP. Sold for 27,500 USD at Black Art Auction, May 16, 2020.

The Awakening of Africa (Africa Awakening), 1959. Cast bronze with a dark brown patina. Approximately 15 x 28 x 8. Signed "BARTHÉ" on the top of bronze base. Sold for 87,500 USD at Swann Auction Galleries, African-American Fine Art, October 5, 2017.

Publications

Lewis, Samella Sanders, and Richmond Barthé. Barthé: His Life in Art. Los Angeles, Calif: Unity Works, 2009.

Smalls, James. Féral Benga: African Muse of Modernism. Nka 1 November 2017; 2017 (41): 44–59.

Vendryes, Margaret Rose. Barthé: A Life in Sculpture.     Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2008.

Top Five Results of Swann's Oct. 8 African-American Art Sale

As we roll into fall, the Tuesday, October 8, 2019 auction of African-American Art generates thrilling results for buyers at all price levels.  The top five results of the sale (including buyer's premium) list the more familiar names (found in African-American art history texts) along with a new auction record by abstract artist, Kenneth Victor Young.

Lot 63: ELIZABETH CATLETT (1915 - 2012)
Seated Woman. Carved mahogany, 1962. 22 1/2x13 1/2x7 inches. Initialed "EC" at the back base edge, lower right. 389,000 USD Auction Record

Lot 7: HENRY OSSAWA TANNER (1859 - 1937) At the Gates (Flight into Egypt),
24x19 inches. Signed in oil, lower left. 341,000 USD

Lot 95: KENNETH VICTOR YOUNG (1933 - 2017)
Untitled (Abstract Composition). Acrylic on cotton canvas, 1972. 2007x2997 mm; 79x118 inches. Signed and dated "72" in ink on the canvas overflap, upper edge verso. 233,000 USD Auction Record

Lot 85: ROMARE BEARDEN (1911 - 1988)
Girl in a Garden. Collage of various papers and printed fabrics, with ink and surface abrasion, mounted on masonite board, 1972. 22x14 inches. Signed in blue ink, upper left. 197,000 USD

Lot 10: ALLAN ROHAN CRITE (1910 - 2007)
Play at Dark (Westminster Street, Madison Park). Oil on canvas board, 1935. 610x457 mm; 24x18 inches. Signed and initialed in oil, lower left recto. Signed, initialed, dated in oil (twice), verso. Signed, titled and inscribed "Westminster Street, Madison Park" in pencil, verso. 185,000 USD Auction Record

Summer Reading?

Reading a book? During the summer?  I didn't set out to read any books this summer.  My already over-booked schedule wouldn't allow for it.  Couldn't even entertain the thought.  Between school work, appraisals, and the always engaging history projects, I was doing more than enough reading.  Or so I thought.  Yet, after reconciling library fees on overdue DVDs, I couldn't help but peruse the new arrivals section of history and art books at the Westfield Memorial Library.  I came across not one, not two, but three titles that just wouldn't let me walk away. Ugh! where do I start?  Well...the first selection was magnetically appealing.

Old In Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by artist and historian Nell Painter is an inspiring narrative on blazing new trails in the next phase of life.  This book was an easy first pick since it spoke to both of my personal and professional passions: history and visual art.  Painter shared tender stories of managing aging parents, navigating suburban commutes, and showing-up prepared and experienced (old) among millennial art students and teachers anxious to keep her placed in a particular box of expectations.  I loved how she manifested herself at every encounter: deeply listening and reflecting on some tough lessons learned, and applying new insights gained from outside supporters.  Her grit and determination was infectious, and exhausting at times as mounting responsibilities threatened to challenge her focus.


The most fun I had with this book was entrance into art school.  What drew me into the narrative where the colors and forms of her experience.  From sober grays to energetic greens of the natural landscapes, to the abstract fashions of budding and seasoned artists, Painter shared vivid details of the design of her art school life.  I loved how she took us on shopping excursions to the West Orange art supply store, Jerry's, and how she described her relationship to the  different art materials: paper types, paints, pencils and brushes.  The book is well-illustrated with examples of her evolving oeuvre.  She pairs the examples with commentary from peers, teachers, and her outside support network.  Painter was also quite candid about feelings of doubt as she navigated art studies.  Her village of family, friends, artists, scholars, and select peers and teachers really made the difference.

In reading Old in Art School, one also recognizes who is allowed to participate in "The Art World": what are the socio-economic and racial factors that have traditionally characterized an art school student?  Who is an artist, and where do artists reside?  How does one gain entrance into "The Art World?"  Throughout the text, Painter discusses the issue of age, and ageism.  Apart from the human insecurities one might expect with undertaking a tremendous shift in ones life, there is this agonizing no win situation of double-consciousness (1): this sense of viewing oneself through the social identities imposed by others.  For this book, I read those identities in terms of age, gender, location, and race.  You might feel differently after reading the book.

In summary, Old in Art School is a refreshing, sobering adventure book.  It helped me to see how one might tackle a long-desired dream that will not rest.  No matter the outcomes, you are called to realize your authentic self in the form that works best for you, loving yourself courageously and abundantly.