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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1967.79
People
Stuart Davis, American (Philadelphia, PA 1892 - 1964 New York, NY)
Title
Stuart Davis Papers
Classification
Archival Material
Work Type
drawing
Date
1920-1964
Culture
American
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/29993

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Various media, including ink, graphite, and colored pencil on tan or brown paper

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Mrs. Stuart Davis
Copyright
© President and Fellows of Harvard College
Accession Year
1967
Object Number
1967.79
Division
Modern and Contemporary Art
Contact
am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Commentary
The Stuart Davis papers comprise approximately 10,000 pages, dating from the 1920s through the early 1960s, including notes on art theory, politics, and social commentary. Included in the papers are c. 1,100 drawings and diagrams. These have received individual accession numbers (1967.79.1-1165).

The collection consists of Davis's notes, largely written on individual sheets of highly acidic paper over a period of over 40 years. The pages have been kept in the order in which they were received, which appears to be roughly chronological (although some sheets are undated). Davis used a variety of writing materials: graphite, ink, ballpoint pen, felt marker, crayon, and colored pencil. Some of the papers are typed, and some include textual diagrams and drawings. The papers chronicle the evolution of the theoretical underpinnings of Davis's art, and address such topics as art theory, politics and social commentary. Also included are lectures, drafts of letters, sketches, diagrams, and studio notes accompanied by detailed studies for over 75 of his gouaches, caseins, and oils, including such major paintings as "Report from Rockport," "Arboretum by Flashbulb," "Ursine Park," "Ultra-Marine," "The Mellow Pad," "Visa," "Rapt at Rappaport's," "American Painting," "Deuce," "Cliché," "Ready-to-Wear," "Pochade," and "Unfinished Business."

The papers are extremely fragile, so the originals are not accessible. Thirty drawings have been matted and can be seen at the Harvard Art Museums. The papers can be seen on microfilm at Houghton Library, Harvard University (*69M-153). The drawings and diagrams have all been digitized and are available on the Harvard Art Museum's Collections Online website (http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collection) or Harvard's Visual Image Access (VIA) database (http://via.lib.harvard.edu/via/deliver/advancedsearch?_collection=via).

The drawings and diagrams were catalogued by Mark Rutkoski, co-editor (with Ani Boyajian) of "Stuart Davis: A Catalogue Raisonné" (New Haven: Yale University Art Gallery/Yale University Press, 2007).

For more information, see the Finding Aid and Index to the Papers: http://nrs.hvrd.art/urn-3:HUAM:art00006

Permission to quote from the papers may be obtained from the Curator of Archives, Harvard Art Museum.

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Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art at am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu