ART VISIT EVENTS LEARN JOIN AND SUPPORT ABOUT TOGGLE SEARCH New on View Our collection galleries are continually being installed with newly acquired works as well as enduring favorites from the Museum’s collection. Visit us to view these newly installed objects in person. Admission is always free. Melchior Barthel, German, 1625–1672; Bust of a Man, 1660s; marble; 24 1/2 x 17 x 8 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. R. Crosby Kemper Jr. through the Crosby Kemper Foundations 54:1990 This sensitive portrait of an unknown man stands as one of the most dignified representations of black Africans from seventeenth-century Europe. It is the only secular work known to have been sculpted by Melchior Barthel. The bust exemplifies the artist’s mastery of flamboyant carving and bold contrast of color and material. Barthel’s greatest achievement was the completion of the Venetian tomb of Doge Giovanni Pesaro (died 1659), which included colossal figures of muscular Moors who stood, like the mythological Atlas, with the weight of the upper tomb on their shoulders. Bust of a Man probably records one of the models who posed for that project. Carved in black serpentine, it has been oiled to give it both greater luster and higher contrast with the white marble clothing. On view in Gallery 236 LEARN MORE DISCOVER MORE View the gallery below to learn more about New on View works in the collection. Find the location of the objects by following the More Information link in the caption below the image and plan your visit today. VIEW 50 MORE Careers and Opportunities Subscribe Blog Contact Terms of Use Privacy Policy One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri 63110-1380 | 314.721.0072 facebook (external link) twitter (external link) instagram (external link) youtube (external link)