Advanced Search 
Benga: Dance Figure
Feral Benga
Benga: Dance Figure
James Richmond Barthé (American, 1901–1989)
modeled in 1935; cast in 1935-36
Object Place: New York, New York
Medium/Technique
Bronze, cast
Dimensions
Overall: 47.6 x 17.8 x 11.1 cm (18 3/4 x 7 x 4 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
William Francis Warden Fund and American Decorative Arts Deaccessioning Fund
Accession Number2007.1
OUT ON LOAN
On display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 20, 2024 – July 28, 2024
On display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 20, 2024 – July 28, 2024
CollectionsAmericas
ClassificationsSculpture
James Richmond Barthé, known for his works depicting the Black experience and for his studies of the male physique, was a leading member of the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Mississippi, he was trained at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York.
Feral Benga has been described as "Barthé's signature piece." It portrays François (a.k.a. Feral) Benga, a Senegalese cabaret dancer, who, like his female counterpart Josephine Baker, created a sensation on the Paris stage with his "carnal choreography often set in steamy and distant places." Barthé saw Benga perform in 1934 and began modeling the sculpture immediately after his return to New York City. The resulting work is a powerful blend of traditional European modes of sculpture combined with elements of modernity and the African American experience.
Feral Benga has been described as "Barthé's signature piece." It portrays François (a.k.a. Feral) Benga, a Senegalese cabaret dancer, who, like his female counterpart Josephine Baker, created a sensation on the Paris stage with his "carnal choreography often set in steamy and distant places." Barthé saw Benga perform in 1934 and began modeling the sculpture immediately after his return to New York City. The resulting work is a powerful blend of traditional European modes of sculpture combined with elements of modernity and the African American experience.
Signed
Signed on the top of the base: BARTHE
Provenance1999, sold by the Galerie Félix Marcilhac, Paris, to Joyce Wein (b. 1928 - d. 2005), New York; sold by the estate of Joyce Wein to Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York; 2007, sold by Michael Rosenfeld Gallery to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 24, 2007)
Copyright© Barthé Trust