Richmond Barthé (1901–1989) was a figurative sculptor originally from Bay St. Louis, Missouri, whose work often focused on religious subjects, prominent figures in African-American history, and entertainers. Barthé moved to Chicago in 1924 to attend the School of the Art Institute and his debut as a professional sculptor took place in the  Negro in Art Week exhibition while he was living in the city. He left Chicago for New York at the beginning of the 1930s, during the Harlem Renaissance, and lived amongst the bohemian creative circles downtown. While in New York, Barthé gained greater exposure among museums and collectors. The Whitney Museum purchased his sculpture Blackberry Woman (1930), his work was chosen to be exhibited at Chicago’s Century of Progress Exposition in 1933, and he received several honors, including a Rosenwald Fellowship (1930) and a Guggenheim Fellowship (1940). He was also the first African-American artist, along with painter Jacob Lawrence, to be represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s permanent collection. In 1942, Barthé had a solo exhibition at the South Side Community Art Center. In 1947, he moved to Jamaica, where he stayed until 1960, before traveling and living briefly in Spain, Italy and Switzerland. He eventually settled in Pasadena, CA where he lived until his death in 1989.