Swann Galleries - African-American Fine Art, Sale 2409

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RICHMOND BARTHÉ (1901 - 1989)

Quo Vadis

Cast bronze, with a dark brown patina, circa 1951. 558x235x130 mm; 22x9

inches. Incised

artist’s signature on the base, verso.

Provenance: acquired directly from the artist, Louis Hecht, NewYork; thence by descent, Philip H.

Rubin, NewYork; private collection, NewYork (2013).

Quo Vadis

or “Where are you going?” in Latin was first a 1895 popular historical novel written by

Henryk Sienkiewicz in Polish entitled

Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero

. Barthé was

apparently inspired by actor Robert Taylor’s masculine presence and performance as Nero in the

same-titled 1951 Hollywood movie adaptation.This muscular bronze displays a “Charles Atlas-like”

have found no other examples of this scarce and fine cast.

[15,000/25,000]