African Dancer

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  Richmond Barthé, African Dancer, 1933

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  Narrator: This sculpture of an African dancer is by the artist Richmond Barthé. 

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: He is the only African American sculptor of his era who worked on the nude. The only one. It was quite daring. 

  Narrator: Margaret Rose Vendryes was a painter and author of Barthé: A Life in Sculpture.

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: There was almost a restriction on using the nude because of all of the difficulties that have come out of this sort of hypersexualization of Black people during that time. And so Barthé, he took some risks, and he leaned in on his classical training to say that the nude is the standard, and that Black figures should be represented within the standard. 

  Narrator: Barthé made a number of these African Dancers during the 1930s. Like this one, they all stand on a circular form. 

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: And that is an indication that it is a spotlight, that it's a stage performance. But of course, at least in New York, which is where he was when he made this, you would not have seen a performance of a near nude African woman on stage publicly. That would not have happened. 

  Narrator: Barthé never went to Africa, and would have based this figure on photographic research.

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: I did a lot of research on when would a woman appear dancing with that kind of long covering on her? There are some celebrations and rituals where they're actually pieces of metal. So when they dance, there is a pretty loud sound that comes with it. But the closer you look at it, to me they look like leaves that are covered there. And that is a sign of a woman in mourning. And that matches up with the sort of possession, the posture of her head, the gesture on her face, that it does look like we are witnessing someone in mourning. 

  Richmond Barthé, African Dancer, 1933

  In “Untitled” (America)

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  Richmond Barthé, African Dancer

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  Narrator: Esta escultura de una bailarina africana es obra del artista Richmond Barthé. 

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: Fue el único escultor afroestadounidense de su época que trabajó el desnudo. El único. Fue muy audaz. 

  Narrator: Margaret Rose Vendryes es pintora y autora del libro Barthé: A Life in Sculpture. 

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: Había una restricción casi absoluta sobre el uso del desnudo debido a todas las dificultades que surgieron a raíz de esta suerte de hipersexualización de las personas negras en esa época. Entonces, como dije, Barthé se arriesgó y se respaldó en su formación clásica para decir que el desnudo es el estándar y que las figuras negras deben ser representadas dentro del estándar. 

  Narrator: Barthé realizó varias esculturas de estos bailarines africanos durante la década de 1930. Al igual que esta, todas se alzan sobre una base circular. 

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: Y eso es un indicio de que está en el foco de atención, de que es una representación escénica. Pero claro, al menos en Nueva York, que es donde él estaba cuando hizo la escultura, jamás se hubiera visto una función en público de una mujer africana casi desnuda. De ninguna manera habría sucedido algo así. 

  Narrator: Barthé nunca fue a África, por lo que habría basado esta figura en investigaciones fotográficas.

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: Investigué bastante para saber en qué contextos aparecería una mujer bailando con ese tipo de cobertura larga encima. Hay algunas celebraciones y rituales en los que se colocan piezas de metal. Entonces, al bailar, se produce un sonido bastante fuerte. Pero al mirar más de cerca, para mí parecen hojas que están cubiertas, lo cual es un signo que indica que la mujer está de luto. Y eso coincide con el tipo de pose, la postura de su cabeza y el gesto en su rostro, lo que indicaría que estamos presenciando a alguien que está en duelo. 

  Richmond Barthé, African Dancer

  In “Untitled” (America) and At the Dawn of a New Age: Early Twentieth-Century American Modernism (Spanish)

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  Richmond Barthé, African Dancer

  0:00

  Play Transcript

  Narrator: This sculpture of an African dancer is by the artist Richmond Barthé. 

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: He is the only African American sculptor of his era who worked on the nude. The only one. It was quite daring. 

  Narrator: Margaret Rose Vendryes was a painter and author of Barthé: A Life in Sculpture.

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: There was almost a restriction on using the nude because of all of the difficulties that have come out of this sort of hypersexualization of Black people during that time. And so Barthé, he took some risks, and he leaned in on his classical training to say that the nude is the standard, and that Black figures should be represented within the standard. 

  Narrator: Barthé made a number of these African Dancers during the 1930s. Like this one, they all stand on a circular form. 

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: And that is an indication that it is a spotlight, that it's a stage performance. But of course, at least in New York, which is where he was when he made this, you would not have seen a performance of a near nude African woman on stage publicly. That would not have happened. 

  Narrator: Barthé never went to Africa, and would have based this figure on photographic research.

  Margaret Rose Vendryes: I did a lot of research on when would a woman appear dancing with that kind of long covering on her? There are some celebrations and rituals where they're actually pieces of metal. So when they dance, there is a pretty loud sound that comes with it. But the closer you look at it, to me they look like leaves that are covered there. And that is a sign of a woman in mourning. And that matches up with the sort of possession, the posture of her head, the gesture on her face, that it does look like we are witnessing someone in mourning. 

  Richmond Barthé, African Dancer

  In At the Dawn of a New Age: Early Twentieth-Century American Modernism

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  May 20, 2015
  Carter Foster on African Dancer by Richmond Barthé

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  May 20, 2015
  Carter Foster on African Dancer by Richmond Barthé

  In 99 Objects