Germaine Richier's First US Exhibition Since 1957 Revives Her Figurative Sculptures
From February 27 to April 12, 2014, Germaine Richier's artwork was showcased at 909 Madison Avenue in New York City, a collaborative exhibition presented by Dominique Lévy and Galerie Perrotin. This marked her first exhibition in the United States since 1957, featuring more than forty sculptures spanning her career. Born in 1902 and a pupil of Antonie Bourdelle, Richier earned acclaim in both France and the US, participating in five editions of the Venice Biennale starting in 1948. Her artistic journey transitioned from early figurative bronzes to expressionist works shaped by her exile in Switzerland during WWII. Following her passing in 1959, her art saw a decline, but the exhibition reignited interest for a potential museum retrospective, connecting her to modern artists like Robert Gober and Kiki Smith.
Key facts
- Germaine Richier's exhibition ran from February 27 to April 12, 2014 in New York City
- The show was held at 909 Madison Avenue, organized by Dominique Lévy and Galerie Perrotin
- Richier was a pupil of Antonie Bourdelle and active from 1902 to 1959
- She appeared in five consecutive Venice Biennale installments starting in 1948
- Her work includes figurative bronzes, expressionist figures, and human-insect hybrids
- Richier's art fell out of fashion after her death, overshadowed by Pop Art and minimalism
- The exhibition featured over forty sculptures, many large, in crowded gallery spaces
- This was her first US exhibition since 1957, hinting at a potential revival
Entities
Artists
- Germaine Richier
- Antonie Bourdelle
- Brassaï
- Hans Hartung
- Alberto Giacometti
- Marino Marini
- Rodin
- Carl Andre
- Eva Hesse
- Robert Smithson
- Robert Gober
- Kiki Smith
- Rosalind Krauss
Institutions
- Dominique Lévy
- Galerie Perrotin
- Venice Biennale
- artcritical
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- France
- Switzerland
- 909 Madison Avenue
- 73rd Street