Richmond barthe biography of william shakespeare
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In 2010, the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Mississippi presented the solo exhibition Richmond Barthé: The Seeker. Shakespeare’s burial at Holy Trinity Church and the inscription on his tombstone have become important aspects of his legacy and continue to draw visitors from around the world.
Shakespeare’s influence on literature is profound and far-reaching.
These plays continue to be widely studied and performed due to their timeless exploration of universal human experiences.
Poetry
The sonnets and narrative poems, such as “Venus and Adonis,” are significant works in Shakespeare’s poetic output. Although Barthé never publicly revealed his homosexuality, many of his most well-known sculptures explore the political, racial, and homoerotic significance of the Black male nude.
He died in 1989, prior to a 1990 retrospective of his work by the American Art Association.
Image Credit: Carl Van Vechten
The Artist’s Work in Other Collections (selected)
• Whitney Museum of American Art Smithsonian Institution, Art Institute of Chicago, Jamaican Public Library, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jamaican Public Library, Los Angeles County Art Museum, Yale University Museum, Howard University Gallery of Art, and Tuskegee University Gallery of Art.
Exhibitions (Artist)
• Harmon Foundation
• Harlem Rensissance
• Women’s City Club (Chicago)
• Caz-Delbo Gallery
• Whitney Museum of American Art (New York)
• Arden Galleries (New York)
The Artist’s Work In Other Collections
Awards, Commissions, Public Works
Social Security Building in Washington, D.C.
(American Eagle), Harlem River Housing Project (bas relief), 40-foot equestrian statue monument to revolutionary leader Jean Jacques Dessalines (Port-au-Prince Haiti), Rosenwald Foundation Fellowship Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship (1946), Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago award in art from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters
Affiliations (Past And Current)
Harlem Renaissance
Harmon Foundation
Notable
Barthé designed several Haitian coins that are still in use and was commissioned by the Haitian government to create an equestrian statue of famed revolutionary leader Toussaint L’Ouverture.
Man is like a light bulb.
Histories, such as “Richard III,” are based on real historical events and often examine themes of political power, ambition, and the consequences of actions. Barthé worked in all parts of the Caribbean from 1947 until 1969 and designed many of the coins that are still used in Haiti.
April 27, 2012–September 3, 2012
African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond presents a selection of paintings, sculpture, prints, and photographs by forty-three black artists
His work won him a number of solo exhibitions and awards, but he moved to Jamaica after the strain of this success grew too great. Barthé also received numerous public and private commissions throughout the decade, most notably Green Pastures: The Walls of Jericho (1937–38), a frieze for the Harlem River Housing Project commissioned by the Works Progress Administration, and a monument to the journalist Arthur Brisbane commissioned by the city of New York and installed on the wall of Central Park in 1939.
This ongoing reinvention of his works speaks to their enduring relevance and impact on contemporary storytelling. Barthé enjoyed ever-increasing popularity in Jamaica. He relocated to New York, locating his studio in Greenwich Village area. His father died within months of his birth, leaving his mother to support the family through her gifted needlework.
The Globe Theatre’s influence on Shakespeare’s career cannot be understated, as it allowed him to showcase his talents and reach a wider audience.
Major Works and Themes
Comedies, tragedies, and histories are the three main genres of plays written by William Shakespeare. Though he was uninterested in his schooling, Barthé was a voracious reader and developed an impressive, self-taught drawing talent at an early age.
Surprisingly, he made what amounted to an ill-fated decision to leave the city for the Caribbean. In 1982, the city of Pasadena honored his artistic achievements by renaming the street on which he lived Barthé Drive. In 1942, Barthé and Jacob Lawrence became the first Black artists to enter the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with the museum acquiring Barthé’s The Boxer (1942); in 1948, The Art Institute of Chicago also acquired a cast of The Boxer.
The fast pace of city life gradually took a toll on Barthé’s health, and in 1948 he bought a house in the parish of Saint Ann in Jamaica.
From film and television to literature and theater, Shakespeare’s influence can be seen everywhere. His works have a global appeal and continue to be celebrated and studied across cultures and time periods. Shakespeare’s works have had a profound impact on the English language and have contributed to shaping the way we think about love, power, and human nature.