Cecilia Beaux (1855-1942), Les derniers jours d' enfance, 1883-8. Oil on canvas 45 3/4 x 54 in. (116.205 x 137.16 cm.). Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Gift of Cecilia Drinker Saltonstall, 1989.21. In a lecture on portraiture given at Simmons College on May 14, 1907, American artist Cecilia Beaux (1855–1942) stated, “The painter’s art must be powerful—magnetic enough to make us linger over a simple reserved rendering of an aspect of a person we do not know,—have  never seen and perhaps would not have noticed if we had seen.” While writing my senior thesis at Vassar College on Ceci ..read more

This entry is part of an ongoing series highlighting new collections. The Archives of American Art collects primary source materials—original letters, writings, preliminary sketches, scrapbooks, photographs, financial records, and the like—that have significant research value for the study of art in the United States. The following essay was originally published in the Fall 2021 issue (vol. 60, no. 2) of the Archives of American Art Journal. More information about the journal can be found at https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/aaa/current. Nela Arias-Misson in her studio on 9th Street ..read more

Photograph of Dorothy Liebes in her studio with staff, circa 1950s. Dorothy Liebes papers, circa 1850-1973. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. As the COVID-19 virus tightened its grip on the nation and the grim spring of 2020 gave way to an uneasy summer, I was one of the first staff members to return to in-person work at the Archives of American Art’s offices in downtown DC. Physically processing collections is one of the core duties of an archivist, and it can only be done onsite. So, after four months of telework, I ventured downtown to find boarded up buildings, shuttered ..read more

Welcome to Conversations Across Collections, a collaborative series between the Archives of American Art and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where we highlight archival documents and works of art from our collections that tell the story of American art. Read more about Ruth Asawa in Jen Padgett’s essay, “Conversations Across Collections: Ruth Asawa in Crafting America” on the Crystal Bridges blog. Mimi Jacobs. Ruth Asawa, 1973. Photographs of artists taken by Mimi Jacobs, photographer, 1971-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. In a 2002 oral history i ..read more

This entry is part of an ongoing series highlighting new collections. The Archives of American Art collects primary source materials—original letters, writings, preliminary sketches, scrapbooks, photographs, financial records, and the like—that have significant research value for the study of art in the United States. The following essay was originally published in the Spring 2021 issue (vol. 60, no. 1) of the Archives of American Art Journal. More information about the journal can be found at https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/aaa/current.    Julia Santos Solomon inserting cross ..read more

Jessica Esch, Totally, November 2020, 6 1/4" x 12 1/2" © 2020 Jessica Esch. My name is Jessica Esch. I’m a writer and illustrator in Portland, Maine. I’ve been lost in the Archives of American Art since July. Don’t send help. I’m here to stay. I rabbit hole, you see. When something or someone interests me, I dive in deep and explore. I’m smitten with people’s stories told in their own words, primarily women over the age of sixty reflecting on their lives and their work. By sharing their stories and perspectives, these women broaden my thinking and inspire me to be bolder. The Archives is ..read more

Welcome to Conversations Across Collections, a collaborative series between the Archives of American Art and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where we highlight archival documents and works of art from our collections that tell the story of American art. Read more on Marisol in Meg Burns’s essay, “Conversations Across Collections: The Journey of Marisol’s ‘The Bathers,’” on the Crystal Bridges blog.  Marisol almost exclusively used plaster casts of her own body for her sculptures. In this image, the molds of her legs and feet are on the floor, while on the table ..read more

This entry is part of an ongoing series highlighting new collections. The Archives of American Art collects primary source materials—original letters, writings, preliminary sketches, scrapbooks, photographs, financial records, and the like—that have significant research value for the study of art in the United States. The following essay was originally published in the Fall 2020 issue (vol. 59, no. 2) of the Archives of American Art Journal. More information about the journal can be found at https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/aaa/current. Lorna Truck and Tim Benson. Photograph documenting b ..read more

Welcome to Conversations Across Collections, a collaborative series between the Archives of American Art and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where we highlight archival documents and works of art from our collections that tell the story of American art. Read more on Oscar Bluemner in Larissa Randall’s essay, “Conversations Across Collections: Oscar Bluemner’s Self-Portrait is Anything But Simple,” on the Crystal Bridges blog. Oscar Bluemner, Self-Portrait, 1933, oil on panel, 19 3/4 x 14 3/4 in. Courtesy Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas. Phot ..read more

Welcome to Conversations Across Collections, a collaborative series between the Archives of American Art and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where we will be highlighting archival documents and works of art from our collections that tell the story of American art. Read more on Martin Johnson Heade in Mindy N. Besaw’s essay, “Conversations Across Collections: Martin Johnson Heade’s ‘Gems of Brazil,’” on the Crystal Bridges blog. Martin Johnson Heade, Black-eared Fairy, ca. 1863-1864, oil on canvas, 12 1/4 x 10 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2006 ..read more