Born in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Richmond Barthé demonstrated artistic talent at a very young age. In 1924 he enrolled at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he pursued painting. During his senior year, he began modeling in clay in order to enhance his skill at depicting three-dimensional forms on canvas.

Following his graduation from the Art Institute in 1929, Barthé moved to New York, where he earned attention and praise, including that of leading black art critic and theorist Alain Locke. Almost immediately, he began to establish himself as a sculptor. In the 1930s, Barthé was the most widely exhibited artist affiliated with the Harmon Foundation, an organization that promoted the achievements of African American writers and artists from 1922 until its activities ceased, in 1967. His work was purchased by such important New York museums as The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He received commissions for public sculptures depicting biblical figures, African American luminaries, and African dancers and garnered prestigious honors, including a Julius Rosenwald Fellowship in 1931–32 and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1940–41.

When The Boxer was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in an exhibition sponsored by Artists for Victory, Inc., in 1942, it earned a $500 prize. This piece, executed during Barthé’s most productive period, was inspired by a prize fight the sculptor attended. In a letter to the Art Institute, Barthé explained, “I saw Kid Chocolate, the Cuban light weight. He moved like a ballet dancer. He danced back and forth ducking his head as though he didn’t want his hair messed up. I did him from memory, years later.” 8 The boxer’s sinuous, lithe physique and attenuated limbs suggest agility, elegance, and sensuality––qualities evident in the majority of Barthé’s work. (ADB)