Vernon Rickman Figurative Drawing 1967

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Vernon Rickman figurative nude study, charcoal on paper, 1967. From a cataloged collection of works by the artist, #vr.26.0012. His … Read more Vernon Rickman figurative nude study, charcoal on paper, 1967. From a cataloged collection of works by the artist, #vr.26.0012. His life's work is documented in the book “An Artful Life.” Presented in an antique gesso-gilt frame with mat, under glass.

Vernon Rickman (1929–2013) was an American artist and sculptor born in Newton, Kansas, best known for his two-decade career creating and designing exhibitions for the Smithsonian Institution, particularly at the National Museum of Natural History.
Rickman studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art (then known as the Cleveland School of Art) and the Kansas City Art Institute before earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Kansas.
He joined the Smithsonian in 1958 and worked there until the early 1980s, ultimately rising to senior sculptor. During his tenure, he contributed to major, scientifically grounded, visitor-focused exhibitions, including Neanderthal models for the museum’s Ice Age Hall. His work combined anatomical accuracy with artistic sensitivity, helping shape how generations of visitors visualized prehistoric life.
Outside his institutional work, Rickman was a quiet and deeply prolific artist, producing more than 300 oil paintings and numerous sculptures. His private body of work frequently explored themes of human bondage, suffering, isolation, longing, and historical journeys. Often described as an “Emily Dickinson of the art world,” he kept much of this personal work largely unseen during his lifetime.
After retiring in the 1980s, Rickman returned to Kansas, where he continued creating art until his death, leaving behind a substantial and introspective body of work. His life and artistic legacy are documented in Vernon Rickman, An Artful Life by Beverley Olson Buller. See less