About Barbara Chase-Riboud
French · 1939–present · Black Arts Movement
Sculptor and novelist who combines cast bronze with braided silk and wool fibres, and whose 1979 novel Sally Hemings sold over a million copies.
Read full biography →Barbara Chase-Riboud's works are held in 2 museums worldwide.
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🇺🇸 United States
2 museums
- 4 works
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York City, United States
Sun–Tue, Thu 10:00–17:00; Fri–Sat 10:00–21:00; closed WedAdults $30, students $17 (pay-what-you-wish for NY residents)86 St (4, 5, 6)Confirm on museum website before visiting. - 1 works
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Old Patent Office Building, United States
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Barbara Chase-Riboud?
Barbara Chase-Riboud is a sculptor, novelist, and poet. She was the first African American woman to earn a master's degree from Yale's School of Design and Architecture in 1960. She has lived in Paris for much of her adult life and received France's Legion d'Honneur in 2022.What is Barbara Chase-Riboud known for?
Barbara Chase-Riboud is known for her sculptures that combine cast bronze or aluminium with braided and twisted silk and wool fibres. The contrast between rigid metal and soft textile became her signature style, drawing on her academic training and her study of Benin bronze casting and Senufo textile arts. She is also known for her novel, Sally Hemings, which sold over a million copies.What was Barbara Chase-Riboud's art style?
Chase-Riboud's sculptures combine cast bronze or aluminium with braided and twisted silk and wool fibres. The contrast between rigid metal and soft textile became her signature. Her style draws on her academic training and her study of Benin bronze casting and Senufo textile arts.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Barbara Chase-Riboud's works across the following collections.
- [1] wikipedia Wikipedia: Barbara Chase-Riboud Used for: biography.
- [2] book Horst Woldemar Janson; Anthony F. Janson, A Basic History of Art Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [3] book guggenheim-museum00solo Used for: biography.
- [4] book Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw;, The Art of Remembering Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [5] book Norma Broude, The Expanding Discourse Used for: biography.
- [6] book Hodge, Susie, 1960- author, The short story of women artists : a pocket guide to movements, works, breakthroughs, & themes Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-30. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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