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THE DIXIE GUIDE
Serptemfc
Bay St. Louis Honors Native Artist At Receptio
Distinguished ^	Sculptor Richmond Barthe deeply appreciated as the friend- Also shown "hero iv a head of ecstasy on the face of
Distinguished-N^gro Sculptor Richmond Barthe Makes Sentimental Journey To His Home Town
tBy Clayton Rand
:hmond Barthe of Jamaica, West Indies, native son of Bay St. Louis, Miss., was presented the keys to the city by its Mayor A. Scafide at a reception in the sculptor's honors in the parlor of the St. Augustine?s Seminary.
Aclistinguished sculptor, son of and Louisiana to whom he is so
a widowed seamstress, Dr.. Barthe started" out at Bay St. Louis as a yard boy doing odd jobs. Tt was his mother?s custom when he was a child to give him paper and crayons and the young Negro began drawing things at her feet.
When he was sixteen years of age the Harry S. Pond family of New Orleans, who summered at Bay St. Louis, employed him as a butler, and Mrs. Pond save Barthe his first oil paints as a Christmas present. The first exhibit of his paintings was at a chqjc^b festival in New Orleans life-size painting of the Christ so impressed Fat\isr Harry Cane of The Blessed Saer*7?jerit: Parish that he helped Ba#ERV^-t<y'study at the Chicago Arffiytfo&e? His first attempt at sculpture was jn 192J8 when he ( modeled jhe nends of. two friends w'hieti were *j)ut?ojn exhibition- in Chicago Vt a'*?showing ' of The Negro in Art.
T^e genius of this artjsf ,found
rffe?" inj^f I?tajri f
likenesses or famou? actors. His model of^J<Ath.snqe Cornell as. ?Jul?eKI/il lrt^^i*ivLte^-?btleCtion'k in ^Argentina. ^iis v/orks are perppajvently gl&ced,in J;he..Metr<^ . l>olitan and Whitney Museums in New., jYprk , and elsewhere. His great American eagle is used at the entrance of the Social Security, g.\u(diq? in Washington,.D. C. Tfco.yigh folding two honorary art degTees, Barthe never went above tfcc seventh grade in the schools of 4 Bay,, St. Louis^. He^ holds v fJpe.. Audubon Artist Medal of Honor and numerous honors and citations from the National Academy of -Arts and Letters.
Dr/-Ri?hT7iond - tJartbe's 'eques--Irian of Jean Jacques Dessalines, the Haitian hero of independence, stands before the President?s ? paWce at Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Hia bronze statue of Christ he did for the Church of Saint Jude ir* Montgomery* Ala.
With a pronounced sense of racial pride, Dr. Richmond Barthe is fofemost of sculptors In the interpretation of the Negro. Like most* sculptors, he puts Michael-angelo first among the great attiStfsi and Mestrovich, the great Yugoslavian, as runner-up. He things noMotihe7i' sculptors have expressed so eloquently in stbne cr bronze phystcal 'and* spiritual strength, pr.. Barthe, who was honored wfth a* reception at Tu-ldne University .b^fpre his departure for his Tiom^e in Jamaipa, is now doing an autobiography.
I ft one chapter b?e' pays tribute to the -white people of Mississippi
deeply indebted for giving him encouragement and a helping hand.
Dr. Barthe, who at one time decided to devote his talents to painting altogether, now concentrates exclusively on sculpturing, the imperishable art. When asked vhat he considered his master--ptece, he said, ?I haven?t done it yet.? Striving for perfection, every finished product at the t?me is his favorite.
Soft spoken, cultured, cheerful, humble in his achievements, he says that nothing in his life ic so
deeply appreciated as the friendship and understanding of the white people of Mississippi and Louisiana. With all the current .acial turmoil in mind, I asked Dr. Barthe if he would permit me to quote him on that. He replied, ?You may quote it and then vnderscore it.?
Appearing with this story is a picture of Dr. Barthe with Bay St. Louis Librarian, Mrs. Katherine Wilson and a likeness of her daughter, Mrs. Thelma Hepler, which was done in Jamaica and presented by the sculptor to the city as an expression of his esteem, affection and gratitude to its people.
While visiting in the home of his sister. Mrs. Douglas Williams, and her husband, friends, black ?nd white, called to pay tribute to a home-town colored boy who made good.
Also shown ^hero iv a head of Saint Bernadette, one of the Doctor?s favorites, from which lumbers of reproductions have Veen struck in bronze. Working without a model, Barthe tried to put into this image the spiritual
ecstasy on the face of dette when she first Blessed Virgin as she app? the Shrine of Lourdes. E-Michelangelo and Vies Barthe can translate s qualities into stone.
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ST. BERNADETTE: One of Dr. Hurlhe?s favorite sculptures.? is that of St. Bernadette. Numbers of reproductions have bfen struck in bronze.
BAY ST. LOUIS HOMECOMING: Dr. Barthe is pictured above with Mrs. Katherine Wilson, librarian at Bay St. Louis. The bust of Mrs. Wilson?s daughter ? Mrs. Thomas Helper ? which was done in the foreground. Sisters of Mercy are pictured in background, in the foreground. Sisters of Mercy are pictured in Background