Francis Steegmuller collection of Jacques Villon
Scope and Contents
Series I, Correspondence , contains twenty-seven folders of letters to Francis Steegmuller and his wife, Beatrice Stein Steegmuller, from Jacques and Gaby Villon. Both the Villons often wrote long notes to the Steegmullers on each other's letters. These letters have been filed under the principal author of the letter. Also included are letters from Louis Carré, Marcel Duchamp, Walter Pach and others. The correspondence with Louis Carré includes a typescript article about Villon by Lionello Venturi. The letters discuss Villon's life and work, exhibitions of art by Villon and others, the Villons' experiences in France during World War II, and the lives of friends of the Villons and the Steegmullers, including Jean and Jeanne Bailhache, Louis Carré, Cleve Gray, Charlotte Mare, Mary Reynolds, and Villon's siblings. This series also contains several letters written by Villon to members of the Stein family, and one letter to Roger Vieillard.
Series II, Photographs , contains photographs of Jacques and Gaby Villon, Beatrice Stein Steegmuller and others, as well as photographs of works by Villon. Several photographs can also be found in Series I.
Series III, Additional Materials , contains sketches and paintings done by Beatrice Stein Steegmuller while she was a student of Jacques Villon. Also included are notes about Villon, probably in the hand of Francis Steegmuller, and two pocket chess sets, used by Villon during his service in World War I.
Dates
- 1927-1968
Creator
Language of Materials
Conditions Governing Access
Box 3 and porfolio folders 78-87: Restricted fragile material. Reference surrogates have been substituted in the main files. For further information consult the appropriate curator.
Conditions Governing Use
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Extent
0.9 Linear Feet ((3 boxes) + 2 broadside folders, 1 portfolio)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
JACQUES VILLON, 1875-1963
In 1906 he moved to Puteaux, a suburb of Paris which had begun to attract like-minded artists, where he would live the rest of his life. In 1913, he married Gabrielle (Gaby) Charlotte Marie Boeuf. After serving in the infantry and in a camouflage unit during World War I, he continued to live outside of Paris, concentrating on his work, while remaining active in modern art circles. In the early 1930's, Villon took a student named Beatrice Stein, beginning a friendship with her and her husband, the writer and critic Francis Steegmuller, which would last until Villon's death.
After 1945, Villon began to achieve the widespread recognition that had previously eluded him. During this period, he was awarded first prize at the Carnegie International in 1950, Grand Prize for painting at the Venice Biennale in 1956, and the Grand Prize for painting at the Exposition Internationale in Brussels in 1958. In 1963 he was elected Grand Officer of the Légion d'Honneur in France. He died that year in Puteaux.
- Art, Modern -- 20th Century
- Artists
- Artists, French -- 20th Century
- Carré, Louis
- Drawings (visual works)
- Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968
- Pach, Walter, 1883-1958
- Painters
- Painters -- France -- 20th Century
- Photographic prints
- Steegmuller, Beatrice Stein
- Steegmuller, Francis, 1906-1994
- Venturi, Lionello, 1885-1961
- Villon, Gaby
- Villon, Jacques, 1875-1963
- Title
- Guide to the Francis Steegmuller Collection of Jacques Villon
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- by Kathryn Rawdon
- Date
- August 1998
- Description rules
- Beinecke Manuscript Unit Archival Processing Manual
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
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