The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 13, 2025

Vertically oriented print in black ink cropped closely around the face of a person with light skin tone, looking to our left. They have straight, long, dark hair falling down their back, defined eyebrows, and relax their face with a faint smile turning up the corners of their lips. They wear a round-necked shirt with a light collar folded out from under. Fine, cross-hatch lines shade the portrait, especially on the left side of their face.

Bertha

c. 1938

Charles L. Sallée

(American, 1911–2006)
publisher

Works Progress Administration / Federal Art Project

America
etching and aquatint
Plate: 23.8 x 17.6 cm (9 3/8 x 6 15/16 in.); Sheet: 28.7 x 22.2 cm (11 5/16 x 8 3/4 in.)
Gift of John Puskas 1994.273
© The Estate of Charles L. Sallée
Catalogue raisonné: Salsbury, Benay, and Kruse 63
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Charles Sallée and his fellow artist Fred Carlo both praised Bertha’s ability as a model to find natural yet dynamic poses.

Description

Although members of Karamu Artists Inc. worked closely together, each had distinctive styles and favored different subject matter. Charles Sallée was known for portraits, inspired by his years spent teaching portraiture at Karamu through a scholarship from the Gilpin Players, the institution’s internationally renowned theater troupe. Bertha, seen here, was a dancer and regular model at Karamu and was also portrayed by Fred Carlo. This print uses Sallée’s preferred format, closely cropping the image around his subject’s head and focusing intently on their expression. Taken together, such portraits document the individuals who frequented the studio art program during his time.
  • Salsbury, Britany. "Karamu Artists Inc. and Printmaking in the WPA Era." In Karamu Artists Inc.: Printmaking, Race, and Community, Britany Salsbury and Erin Benay, 16-55. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2025. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 28-29, no. 6
  • Karamu Artists Inc.: Printmaking, Race, and Community. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 23-August 17, 2025).
  • {{cite web|title=Bertha|url=false|author=Charles L. Sallée, Works Progress Administration / Federal Art Project|year=c. 1938|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1994.273