Beauford’s Works Shown Again in Paris?
Might Beauford’s works be shown again in Paris? If Dorothy Polley of Dorothy’s Gallery has anything to say about it, the answer is a resounding “YES”!
You may remember the name Dorothy Polley from blog postings that I published during 2010. Dorothy’s Gallery generously donated twice to the Beauford Delaney Gravesite Project – first from funds from her gallery itself and then from the proceeds of the sale of a Henry Miller work entitled Sarasota.
Dorothy first became interested in Beauford’s story as a “cause” in which to participate to help preserve the legacy of an American painter. As she organized the sale of Henry Miller’s works for this cause, she discovered Miller’s love for Beauford and developed an interest in him as well. She envisioned having some of Beauford’s work hanging beside Miller’s paintings at the gallery.
Dorothy Polley and Sarasota
© Discover Paris!
While organizing the exhibit of Henry Miller’s work, Dorothy discovered a television documentary of Miller’s visit to Paris for his 80th birthday. Part of this film, entitled Henry Miller Odyssey, was shot in Beauford’s studio on rue Vercingétorix, where she could see Beauford and hear him speak for the first time. She could also see the paintings that hung on the walls of the studio at the time the documentary was filmed. As she learned more about his life and his persona, she decided that Beauford’s work deserved to be shown again in Paris.
Dorothy is a great admirer of James Baldwin, and when she learned what a profound effect Beauford had on Baldwin, she became even more determined to delve deeper into Beauford’s work and to find a way to organize a show featuring his paintings.
When I asked her what draws her to Beauford’s work, Dorothy responded that in painting, portraits have always had a profound effect on her. She finds that Beauford’s portraiture creates an aura of emotion that draws the viewer into the work. Because she likes to show artists who paint in a variety of styles and have a special sense of color, she finds Beauford’s portraits particularly appealing. When I asked Dorothy what she likes about Beauford’s abstracts, she that she was drawn above all to the movement in these paintings, and again, to the profound and poetic sense of color in them.
Mme du Closel
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery
(1964) Pastel on paper
Dorothy is now studying her options for mounting a show that features Beauford. Given that his works are scattered and difficult to obtain, her task will not be an easy one. Possibilities include inviting galleries that possess his works to share an exposition at Dorothy’s Gallery, where she could also hang works of other African-American artists who live or lived in Paris. This would be an exposition of “African-American Artists in Paris – Then and Now.” Alternatively, Dorothy could mount a “museum-type” show at another location in Paris where works would only be on display and not for sale.
I am very pleased that Dorothy’s Gallery is considering hosting an exposition. I stated in my blog posting of November 24, 2010 that instigating an exposition of Beauford’s work in Paris is something that I thought Les Amis de Beauford Delaney might undertake. We have now taken the first small steps in this direction! In future postings on this blog, I will keep you informed of how things are progressing.
Dorothy’s Gallery
27, rue Keller
75011 Paris
Telephone: 33 (0)1 43 57 08 51
Internet: http://dorothysgallery.com/art
E-mail: dorothysgallery@gmail.com
Hours: Sunday and Tuesday – 4 PM to 7 PM
Wednesday through Saturday – 1 PM to 7 PM
Closed Mondays.
Appointments possible.
You may remember the name Dorothy Polley from blog postings that I published during 2010. Dorothy’s Gallery generously donated twice to the Beauford Delaney Gravesite Project – first from funds from her gallery itself and then from the proceeds of the sale of a Henry Miller work entitled Sarasota.
Dorothy first became interested in Beauford’s story as a “cause” in which to participate to help preserve the legacy of an American painter. As she organized the sale of Henry Miller’s works for this cause, she discovered Miller’s love for Beauford and developed an interest in him as well. She envisioned having some of Beauford’s work hanging beside Miller’s paintings at the gallery.
© Discover Paris!
While organizing the exhibit of Henry Miller’s work, Dorothy discovered a television documentary of Miller’s visit to Paris for his 80th birthday. Part of this film, entitled Henry Miller Odyssey, was shot in Beauford’s studio on rue Vercingétorix, where she could see Beauford and hear him speak for the first time. She could also see the paintings that hung on the walls of the studio at the time the documentary was filmed. As she learned more about his life and his persona, she decided that Beauford’s work deserved to be shown again in Paris.
Dorothy is a great admirer of James Baldwin, and when she learned what a profound effect Beauford had on Baldwin, she became even more determined to delve deeper into Beauford’s work and to find a way to organize a show featuring his paintings.
When I asked her what draws her to Beauford’s work, Dorothy responded that in painting, portraits have always had a profound effect on her. She finds that Beauford’s portraiture creates an aura of emotion that draws the viewer into the work. Because she likes to show artists who paint in a variety of styles and have a special sense of color, she finds Beauford’s portraits particularly appealing. When I asked Dorothy what she likes about Beauford’s abstracts, she that she was drawn above all to the movement in these paintings, and again, to the profound and poetic sense of color in them.
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery
(1964) Pastel on paper
Dorothy is now studying her options for mounting a show that features Beauford. Given that his works are scattered and difficult to obtain, her task will not be an easy one. Possibilities include inviting galleries that possess his works to share an exposition at Dorothy’s Gallery, where she could also hang works of other African-American artists who live or lived in Paris. This would be an exposition of “African-American Artists in Paris – Then and Now.” Alternatively, Dorothy could mount a “museum-type” show at another location in Paris where works would only be on display and not for sale.
I am very pleased that Dorothy’s Gallery is considering hosting an exposition. I stated in my blog posting of November 24, 2010 that instigating an exposition of Beauford’s work in Paris is something that I thought Les Amis de Beauford Delaney might undertake. We have now taken the first small steps in this direction! In future postings on this blog, I will keep you informed of how things are progressing.
Dorothy’s Gallery
27, rue Keller
75011 Paris
Telephone: 33 (0)1 43 57 08 51
Internet: http://dorothysgallery.com/art
E-mail: dorothysgallery@gmail.com
Hours: Sunday and Tuesday – 4 PM to 7 PM
Wednesday through Saturday – 1 PM to 7 PM
Closed Mondays.
Appointments possible.
Beauford Delaney: The Artisan as Witness
by EL Kornegay
Delaney lived what he painted. He was a witness in the purest sense of the word, giving us a glimpse into a world we often pity and therefore prefer to gaze upon and understand second-hand. It is the world we thoughtfully remark about how grateful we are to encounter only in passing. Using the darkened corners of a peripheral world, Beauford brought color, light, images, and realities only imagined by some – but lived by him – to the center of the universe. Amongst the deepest blacks, through cascading earth tones, yellows, reds, blues, and abiding pastels; the prickly and soothing geometry of shapes gives witness, in a color-full panoramic voice, to a life obscured.
The Eye
Beauford Delaney
(1965) Oil on canvas
Private Collection
© Discover Paris
Beauford channeled the madness and painted saneness with it. He witnessed that fire from within the gulf of its flames and heat. His soul was charred in deep places and the searing images that emerged give us a glimpse into the mindful beauty that exists alongside the terror of the world in which we live and most often, without any resistance, allow to live in us. Beauford was trying to get it out, to exorcise through his art the pain, anguish, and beauty of one who witnesses a world gone mad and is maddened by it.
James Baldwin said of Delaney, “The reality of his seeing caused me to begin to see.”i This is the gift of Delaney’s work: it gives a “vocabulary of color and sounds” and “beauty even in the metaphorical and literal gutter” to our maddening world.
Dark Rapture
(Portrait of James Baldwin as it appears in Amazing Grace)
(1941) Oil on board
© Discover Paris
Beauford Delaney’s life and work is trying to speak to us: it is trying to get us to say and see something different about our world, ourselves, and the madness we all rationalize as reasonable. To appreciate the work of Beauford Delaney is to accept the beauty of those things – memories and people – we choose to throw away, to allow to lie in the gutter, and to not witness. It is also the acceptance of the idea that the things we hold onto to prove our sanity are, in fact, driving us insane. Delaney provides us a glimpse of beauty, color and sounds of the people, places, and things of the margins. Through Beauford’s artistic witness we are given a picture of sanity that makes the canvas of a maddening world beautiful and normal.
i David Leeming, James Baldwin: A Biography (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1994), 33-34
EL Kornegay, Jr. is a FTE Fellow and PhD Candidate at Chicago Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, where he is nearing completion of his dissertation on the religious and theological mind of James Baldwin. His awareness and appreciation of Beauford and his work has arisen because of his investigation of Beauford’s influence on Baldwin.I have come to know Beauford Delaney in a marginal and vicarious fashion. I say marginal in the sense that his works give color, shape, contexts and contours to the not-so-readily-apparent minds, bodies, and souls haunting the edges of our social, literal, and artistic worlds. I say vicarious because in his depictions of the margins of these worlds, he boldly exposes those things we are less willing to see and accept in ourselves and the world around us. Into our world and time, Delaney’s witness is slowly being unearthed and made recognizable to those of us whose social and cultural viewpoint obscures the gritty haunts and shadows of a world we mostly view as shockingly entertaining – a world of madness.
Delaney lived what he painted. He was a witness in the purest sense of the word, giving us a glimpse into a world we often pity and therefore prefer to gaze upon and understand second-hand. It is the world we thoughtfully remark about how grateful we are to encounter only in passing. Using the darkened corners of a peripheral world, Beauford brought color, light, images, and realities only imagined by some – but lived by him – to the center of the universe. Amongst the deepest blacks, through cascading earth tones, yellows, reds, blues, and abiding pastels; the prickly and soothing geometry of shapes gives witness, in a color-full panoramic voice, to a life obscured.
Beauford Delaney
(1965) Oil on canvas
Private Collection
© Discover Paris
Beauford channeled the madness and painted saneness with it. He witnessed that fire from within the gulf of its flames and heat. His soul was charred in deep places and the searing images that emerged give us a glimpse into the mindful beauty that exists alongside the terror of the world in which we live and most often, without any resistance, allow to live in us. Beauford was trying to get it out, to exorcise through his art the pain, anguish, and beauty of one who witnesses a world gone mad and is maddened by it.
James Baldwin said of Delaney, “The reality of his seeing caused me to begin to see.”i This is the gift of Delaney’s work: it gives a “vocabulary of color and sounds” and “beauty even in the metaphorical and literal gutter” to our maddening world.
(Portrait of James Baldwin as it appears in Amazing Grace)
(1941) Oil on board
© Discover Paris
Beauford Delaney’s life and work is trying to speak to us: it is trying to get us to say and see something different about our world, ourselves, and the madness we all rationalize as reasonable. To appreciate the work of Beauford Delaney is to accept the beauty of those things – memories and people – we choose to throw away, to allow to lie in the gutter, and to not witness. It is also the acceptance of the idea that the things we hold onto to prove our sanity are, in fact, driving us insane. Delaney provides us a glimpse of beauty, color and sounds of the people, places, and things of the margins. Through Beauford’s artistic witness we are given a picture of sanity that makes the canvas of a maddening world beautiful and normal.
i David Leeming, James Baldwin: A Biography (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1994), 33-34
Beauford's Portraits
In "A Narrative of Belonging: The Art of Beauford Delaney and Glenn Ligon," Dr. Catherine St. John writes:
When I reread this excerpt from Dr. St. John's paper, I was inspired to look at images of dozens of portraits that Beauford painted during his lifetime. I bring you several below; these have not been displayed previously on the Les Amis blog.
Untitled (Portrait of a Young Woman)
(1934) Color pastels
Private collection
Michael Fraenkel
(1946) Drawing
From Death, A Literary Quarterly Vol 1, No. 1 (Summer 1946)
Marian Anderson
(1965) Oil on Canvas
©2001 Malcolm Varon
Portrait of Bernard Hassell
(ca 1971) Oil on Canvas
Estate of Beauford Delaney
Ella Fitzgerald
(1968) Oil on canvas
The Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art
Beauford painted pastel portraits of Duke Ellington and W.E.B. DuBois, but I have never found images of them. If any of you have seen these portraits, or images of them, please let me know by leaving a comment below!
It is the expressive single-figure realist portrait that first brought Beauford Delaney critical notice and a measure of success. He loved people. He continued the art of portraiture without interruption throughout his career. His portraits tell a story that is human and real, saying as much about him as those he painted.
When I reread this excerpt from Dr. St. John's paper, I was inspired to look at images of dozens of portraits that Beauford painted during his lifetime. I bring you several below; these have not been displayed previously on the Les Amis blog.
(1934) Color pastels
Private collection
(1946) Drawing
From Death, A Literary Quarterly Vol 1, No. 1 (Summer 1946)
(1965) Oil on Canvas
©2001 Malcolm Varon
(ca 1971) Oil on Canvas
Estate of Beauford Delaney
(1968) Oil on canvas
The Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art
Beauford painted pastel portraits of Duke Ellington and W.E.B. DuBois, but I have never found images of them. If any of you have seen these portraits, or images of them, please let me know by leaving a comment below!
A Film about Beauford
Since the founding of Les Amis de Beauford Delaney in 2009, I have spoken with several filmmakers who have expressed interest in creating a work about Beauford. Zachary J. Miller of 2 Bulls on the Hill Productions is the first to take concrete action on this idea. He is currently producing a short film (30 minutes or less) about Beauford – the man and the artist. Miller’s goal is to present several aspects of Beauford’s life and a few of the many works that he created while living in Paris.
Zachary J. Miller
© Discover Paris!
Miller is a long time Paris resident. His idea for the film evolved after he donated his services and those of his team to film and photograph Beauford’s gravesite ceremony and reception in October 2010. Since then, he has sought out individuals in Paris who own Delaney paintings, interviewed them, and filmed and photographed the works. He has also interviewed persons who knew Beauford personally, and recorded their anecdotes and other remembrances.
Miller will direct and produce the short film, which does not have a title at present. Because of the volume of footage that he has recorded and the richness of the interviews that he has conducted, he is considering creating a documentary instead of a short film. He will make a final decision about this once he has conducted his final interviews.
The most important and extensive of Miller’s interviews was with Burt Reinfrank, a dear friend of Beauford who spends several months a year in Paris with his wife Pat. Miller and I met with the Reinfranks in their apartment, where we listened to Burt recount numerous stories about his relationship with Beauford, Beauford’s persona, and Beauford’s art.
Miller filming Burt and Pat Reinfrank
in their Paris apartment
© Discover Paris!
Other persons interviewed include Tannie Stovall, co-founder of 2 Bulls on the Hill Productions and a personal acquaintance of Beauford, and Constance Borde, president of Democrats Abroad and owner of a Delaney painting.
2 Bulls on the Hill Productions is an American-owned and operated French film production company with offices in Paris and Saint Tropez. The company produces feature films, documentaries, short films, and programs for television. It regularly participates in the Cannes Film Festival in France and takes part in other international film festivals such as the Raindance Film Festival in the UK as well.
© Discover Paris!
Miller is a long time Paris resident. His idea for the film evolved after he donated his services and those of his team to film and photograph Beauford’s gravesite ceremony and reception in October 2010. Since then, he has sought out individuals in Paris who own Delaney paintings, interviewed them, and filmed and photographed the works. He has also interviewed persons who knew Beauford personally, and recorded their anecdotes and other remembrances.
Miller will direct and produce the short film, which does not have a title at present. Because of the volume of footage that he has recorded and the richness of the interviews that he has conducted, he is considering creating a documentary instead of a short film. He will make a final decision about this once he has conducted his final interviews.
The most important and extensive of Miller’s interviews was with Burt Reinfrank, a dear friend of Beauford who spends several months a year in Paris with his wife Pat. Miller and I met with the Reinfranks in their apartment, where we listened to Burt recount numerous stories about his relationship with Beauford, Beauford’s persona, and Beauford’s art.
in their Paris apartment
© Discover Paris!
Other persons interviewed include Tannie Stovall, co-founder of 2 Bulls on the Hill Productions and a personal acquaintance of Beauford, and Constance Borde, president of Democrats Abroad and owner of a Delaney painting.
2 Bulls on the Hill Productions is an American-owned and operated French film production company with offices in Paris and Saint Tropez. The company produces feature films, documentaries, short films, and programs for television. It regularly participates in the Cannes Film Festival in France and takes part in other international film festivals such as the Raindance Film Festival in the UK as well.
Beauford and Al Hirschfeld
Albert Hirschfeld
Charcoal on paper, Private collection
Image from Beauford Delaney: New York to Paris catalog
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Al Hirschfeld was a well-known caracaturist and a friend of Beauford. Little detail is available in print about their relationship, but it is evident that Hirschfeld (and his wife, Dolly) were very fond of Beauford and supportive of him as well.
Much of what we know comes from the Leeming biography Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
. Beauford met Hirschfeld in New York, when Beauford was working as a doorman at the Whitney Studio Galleries (which would become the Whitney Museum). They became friends, and Beauford would go on to sketch Hirschfeld and paint his portrait. Hirschfeld was a part of Beauford's life during the "New York Years," socializing with him and introducing him to people who would become Beauford's patrons and friends as well. He and his wife would also visit Beauford several times in Paris.Leeming indicates that Hirschfeld, Don Freeman, and other friends helped Beauford through a period of depression that began at the end of 1941. Hirschfeld contributed funds for the ticket that Beauford purchased to sail to France in 1953 and arranged for Beauford to meet people in the art gallery world once he arrived in Paris. He introduced Beauford to Sergei Radamsky, a singer and music teacher with whom Beauford would travel through Europe in 1954. When Beauford needed medical care after his suicide attempt in 1961, Hirschfeld was among the many friends that sent money to settle Beauford's hospital bill.
Al Hirschfeld's papers are held by the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian. Among them, one finds letters from Beauford to Hirschfeld and a loan agreement from the Studio Museum in Harlem for one of Beauford's works. Two Delaney paintings that were owned by the Hirschfelds' were shown at the Studio Museum's 1978 exposition of Beauford's works: The Time of Your Life and Greene Street.
Special Video: Richard A. Long talks about Beauford - Part 2
In Part 2 of the video, Richard shares the story of how he came to be curator of Beauford's one-man show at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1979.
Special Video: Richard A. Long Talks about Beauford - Part 1
I was delighted to learn that Beauford's friend Richard A. Long, curator of the first retrospective of Beauford’s works that was mounted at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1978, would be visiting Paris this week. Tom and I met him at his hotel, where he was gracious enough to allow us to video him talking about Beauford:
Note: The High Museum obtained Beauford's portrait of Richard Long in 2001.
Note: The High Museum obtained Beauford's portrait of Richard Long in 2001.
Beauford in Color
I found this beautiful COLOR photo of Beauford, taken by Carl Van Vechten on March 18, 1953, while surfing the Web last week:
Portrait of Beauford Delaney
© 1953 Carl Van Vechten
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University
I then found a second portrait on another Web site (with no attributions mentioned) a few days later:
Van Vechten undoubtedly took these photos on the same day that he took the black and white photo that has graced the side bar of this blog since its inception in November 2009. He took them only five months before Beauford set sail for Paris on the S. S. Liberté.
Beauford looks quite handsome, doesn't he?
© 1953 Carl Van Vechten
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University
I then found a second portrait on another Web site (with no attributions mentioned) a few days later:
Van Vechten undoubtedly took these photos on the same day that he took the black and white photo that has graced the side bar of this blog since its inception in November 2009. He took them only five months before Beauford set sail for Paris on the S. S. Liberté.
Beauford looks quite handsome, doesn't he?
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Beauford at the Art Miami Basel Festival
Laurence Choko, proprietor of the Galerie Intemporel in Paris, displayed the Beauford Delaney painting entitled Portrait de Vasilli Pikoula during her Ten is One exposition at the Art Miami Basel Festival in December 2010.
Exposition Ten is One , Art Basel Miami Festival 2010
Photo courtesy of Galerie Intemporel
Choko has the following to say about Beauford’s work, and about this portrait (shown at the right in the photo above) in particular:
I love the expressionist aspect of Beauford Delaney’s figurative works. The subjects of his portraits often express great emotion, and their vulnerability brings them alive for me.
What I admire in the Portrait de Vasilli Pikoula, which I included in the Ten is One exposition from the Art Basel Miami Festival last December, is the generosity with which he represented his painter friend (Pikoula was a Greek painter). In this portrait, Delaney gives her an aristocratic air – it reminds me of the dignified, old women of the Antilles who carried themselves well regardless of their social position.
Beauford and Larry Calcagno
Catalog cover for art exposition
Palmer Museum of Art (2001)
Larry Calcagno was one of Beauford’s closest friends. They met in Paris through their mutual friend Charley Boggs. Beauford and Calcagno were both artists, both gay men, and both deeply philosophical. Beauford’s biographer, David A. Leeming
, describes their relationship as “intellectually intense, but for the most part physically platonic.”Calcagno had a studio on rue Vercingétorix, the street where Beauford’s patron Mme du Closel would later purchase a studio for Beauford. Beauford spent a great deal of time there before Calcagno returned to the United States. Calcagno gave Beauford several canvases, paper for watercolor paintings, and paints prior to his departure.
See a letter written by Beauford to Calcagno, dated December 1953, below.
Images: Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Instititution
The two men would correspond regularly for many years, with Beauford frequently confiding his emotional difficulties to Calcagno in his writings.
Calcagno returned to Europe in 1955, and invited Beauford to accompany him on the first of several trips that they would take together. He and Beauford traveled to Madrid for Calcagno’s art exposition at the Gallery Clan. Calcagno was able to convince the gallery to mount a show for Beauford in June 1955. It was Beauford’s first solo exposition in Europe, and it was a commercial success. In 1956, Calcagno and Beauford visited Ibiza, Spain, where they met up with James Baldwin and other friends. Calcagno, Darthea Speyer, and Charley Boggs took Beauford on a trip to Venice in 1966, where they attended the Bienniale exposition.
Photo from Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney (1998)
Calcagno would frequently send Beauford money with his letters – money that Beauford often desperately needed. When Beauford required hospitalization after his 1961 suicide attempt, Calcagno contributed money to pay for Beauford’s care and came to Paris to visit Beauford during this difficult time. In the spring of 1975, he interrupted his European travels to come to Paris to search for Beauford, who had disappeared. Calcagno wrote of this episode, saying:
He disappeared a couple of times. This time he can’t seem to be located. We called and looked in all the places where one might want to disappear to—I know a lot of them. He must still be alive, his body would have shown up. He has just simply dissolved himself to escape the final cruelty of the world. I weep for him and I bless him!Beauford was eventually found. He was committed to Sainte-Anne’s Hospital soon thereafter.
The relationship between Beauford and Larry Calcagno can be summarized in a single phrase that Beauford wrote in a letter to Calcagno in 1968, in which he described a “deathless kinship that is constant [and] is always alive and close between us.”
More on Beauford's Last Studio - Rue Vercingétorix
You may recall that I published a posting about Beauford's last studio, which was located at 53, rue Vercingétorix in Paris' 14th arrondissement, last year. (Click here to see photos of the neighborhood in its current state as well as photos of the interior of the studio and Beauford and Henry Miller in the courtyard outside.)
I have finally found a photo of the façade of the building that was located at this address!
53, rue Vercingétorix
Photo by Nicholas Breach
The Streets of Paris by Richard Cobb (1980) Pantheon Books
According to Beauford's dear friend Burt Reinfrank, Beauford's studio overlooked a schoolyard. The photo below may represent that same schoolyard.
Abandoned School, rue Vercingétorix
Photo by Nicholas Breach
The Streets of Paris by Richard Cobb (1980) Pantheon Books
Rue Vercingétorix was part of what used to be known as the quartier de Gergovie, which was originally settled by immigrants from Brittany. The photos shown above were taken during the 1970s, at a time when the neighborhood was in steep decline. This was the state of affairs during Beauford's last years there.
I have finally found a photo of the façade of the building that was located at this address!
Photo by Nicholas Breach
The Streets of Paris by Richard Cobb (1980) Pantheon Books
According to Beauford's dear friend Burt Reinfrank, Beauford's studio overlooked a schoolyard. The photo below may represent that same schoolyard.
Photo by Nicholas Breach
The Streets of Paris by Richard Cobb (1980) Pantheon Books
Rue Vercingétorix was part of what used to be known as the quartier de Gergovie, which was originally settled by immigrants from Brittany. The photos shown above were taken during the 1970s, at a time when the neighborhood was in steep decline. This was the state of affairs during Beauford's last years there.
Galerie Darthea Speyer Records Go to the Smithsonian
In commemoration of the 32nd anniversary of Beauford's death, I am pleased to reopen the Les Amis de Beauford Delaney blog with a wonderful guest posting that has been contributed by Jason Stieber of the Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Art. All images below have been provided by the Smithsonian.
**********
One of his most ardent admirers was the American cultural ambassador and art dealer Darthea Speyer. Speyer exhibited Beauford’s work in her Paris gallery and, from the moment of their meeting until her death in 2010, employed her considerable executive skills to advance the cause of his life and work. The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art in Washington, DC recently acquired the records of the Galerie Darthea Speyer as a gift from the dealer’s estate. These records are a rich trove of information on the network of friends who supported Beauford and whose loyalty proved vital in the dark years near the end of his life. While there are no letters from the artist himself, the collection contains correspondence to Speyer from Romare Bearden, Herbert Gentry, Ahmed Bioud, James Jones, and Bernard Hassell.
Darthea Speyer letter to Romare Bearden, 1974
In 1973, Speyer mounted a solo exhibition of Beauford’s work. The collection contains numerous photographs from the opening of this exhibition as well as documents pertaining to its organization and the sale of artwork. Jazz musician and composer Ornette Coleman made an appearance on opening night, as did one of Beauford’s most generous benefactors, Mme. de Closel, who provided him with a free flat on rue Vercingetorix during the last decade of his life.
Ornette Coleman (far left) and Beauford (middle left) at the 1973 exposition
Beauford and Darthea Speyer (middle right) stand before Beauford's portrait of Speyer
Letter from Romare Bearden to Darthea Speyer
The Galerie Darthea Speyer records are an invaluable primary resource for the study of Beauford’s life. The Archives of American Art is proud to have added these records to our research holdings so that generations of scholars may continue to encounter Beauford’s remarkable spirit. Other collections at the Archives of American Art relating to Beauford and his circle include:
Oral history interview with Darthea Speyer
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-darthea-speyer-11786
The Joseph Delaney papers
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/joseph-delaney-papers-7477
The Romare Bearden papers
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/romare-bearden-papers-5881
The Lawrence Calcagno papers
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/lawrence-calcagno-papers-9238
The Roko Gallery records
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/roko-gallery-records-7249/more
The Adelyn Breeskin papers
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/adelyn-dohme-breeskin-papers-8422
The Al Hirschfeld papers
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/al-hirschfeld-papers-7079/more
Oral history interview with Herbert Gentry
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-herbert-gentry-11493
The Adeline Herder papers
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/adeline-herder-papers-6323/more
For more information on the above mentioned Smithsonian archives, contact:
Jason Stieber
Collections Specialist
Archives of American Art
Smithsonian Institution
(202) 633-7958
Beauford at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
Photo possibly taken by Gjon Mili
The Michael Rosenfeld Gallery has mounted an exposition called Abstract Expressionism: Reloading the Canon, which is comprised of a selection of paintings and sculpture. Two of Beauford's works – Composition, 1958 and Composition Bleu, 1960 – are part of the show. Both works are oil on canvas, and both are signed and dated. Beauford painted them during his "Paris years," when he lived in the suburb of Clamart.
To see these works, and the other works in the show, click here. Among the other works are sculptures by Harold Cousins and a painting by Hale Woodruff, both of whom were African Americans who lived in Paris.
Abstract Expressionism: Reloading the Canon
January 22 through March 19, 2011
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
24, West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
Tel: 212-247-0082
Happy Birthday, Beauford!
Portrait of Beauford Delaney
© 1953 Carl Van Vechten
Beauford was born 109 years ago today!
I am both pleased and a little saddened as I write this posting, because I am honoring Beauford’s beginning as well as announcing an ending of sorts. I am celebrating Beauford today by presenting several of my favorite images of him and his work. But I am also placing the blog on hiatus as of today, and will no longer be bringing you information about this wonderful artist on a regular basis.
You may remember that I broached the subject of retiring the blog last month, in the posting about Les Amis’s first anniversary. In that posting, I said:
I have done my best to find information on Beauford from as many reliable sources as possible, and to present that information with clarity, integrity, and love. But I am running out of sources, and will not diminish the quality of this Web publication just for the sake of continuing on. My goal is to publish through the end of this year, targeting Beauford’s birthday (December 30) as the date of the final posting.
Be assured that I will post noteworthy information as I discover it. And I am certainly willing to publish personal anecdotes about Beauford and other information from credible sources. However, I can no longer actively and efficiently pursue the discovery process.
I will post on milestone dates such as the anniversary of Beauford’s death. I will also begin publishing regularly again if Les Amis decides to pursue one of the projects that I mentioned in the November posting (example: creating a scholarship fund in Beauford’s name). There is some activity underway to create a short film about Beauford, and I hope to have good news about the progression of this project within the next few months. So do check back periodically! Follow the blog or pull its content through RSS so that you do not miss anything.
I encourage you all to purchase a copy of Beauford’s biography – Amazing Grace
. It is the only book that chronicles Beauford’s life. It is a quick read that captures Beauford’s spirit admirably. Note that Les Amis earns a few cents on each book purchased through the links found in this and other postings, as well as through the link in the sidebar.Before going on to the images, I would like to thank all the people who contributed to the blog once again – you know who you are – and to say that we will remain in touch through e-mail and Facebook.
Happy Birthday, Beauford! Long live your art and your memory!
A young Beauford Delaney
Photo: African-American Registry
Still Life with Pears
(1946) Oil on canvas
Private collection
(1946) Oil on canvas
Private collection
Composition 16
(1954-56) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney; Private Collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney; Private Collection
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York , NY
Detail of Self-Portrait
(1944) Oil on canvas
Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
Photo courtesy of Tim Paulson
Portrait of Beauford Delaney
(ca. 1950)
Possibly by Gjon Mili
Possibly by Gjon Mili
Self-Portrait
(1962) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney; Private Collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney; Private Collection
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York , NY
Greenwich Village
(1945) Oil on canvas
Private collection
(1945) Oil on canvas
Private collection
Beauford's Paint Box
© Discover Paris!
Untitled
(1964-65) Oil on canvas
Bill Hodges Gallery, New York
(1964-65) Oil on canvas
Bill Hodges Gallery, New York
Nativity Scene
(1961) Oil on canvas
Private collection
Private collection
Portrait of Beauford Delaney
Georgia O'Keeffe
(1943) Pastel on paper
Curtis Galleries, Minneapolis, MN
(1943) Pastel on paper
Curtis Galleries, Minneapolis, MN
The Beauford Delaney Letters
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
© 2007 – Dmadeo
The Schomburg Center in Manhattan holds an archive of twenty-four pieces of correspondence that pertain to Beauford. They date from 1958-1963. Eighteen of these are personal letters written by Beauford to Lynn Stone, a friend and supporter from his “New York Years.” Biographer David Leeming refers to Stone several times in Amazing Grace
, citing that she visited Beauford in Paris during the summers of 1956 and 1962, and that she was the instigator of the idea that the Urban League sponsor an exposition of Beauford’s works. (This idea would never come to fruition.) He indicates that she gave Beauford a blanket and warm clothes to help him survive the cold winter of 1963 at his rue Vercingétorix studio, and that Beauford wrote to her about his love of reading “wisdom literature of the Far East.”The Schomburg has many additional letters concerning the Urban League exposition. One was written by James Baldwin in his capacity as chairman of the committee charged with raising money for the show. Two were written by Edward C. Califano, the director of Galerie Internationale – an organization that was to be a partner in the exposition. Two others represent correspondence between Lynn Stone and Beauford’s dear friend Charlie Boggs.
The Schomburg archive presents a rare opportunity to view Beauford’s personal papers and to read firsthand his reflections about himself and others as well as his life philosophy. The library Web site lists call number Sc MG 217 as the reference for the archive.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Boulevard
New York, NY 10037-1801
Telephone: 212-491-2200
Closed Mondays
Colin Gravois Remembers Beauford
Colin Gravois has lived in Paris / Ile de France since 1968. He met Beauford when Beauford lived on rue Vercingétorix, and has very fond memories of him. Colin spoke at the gravesite ceremony that Les Amis held at Thiais Cemetery on October 14th. He recently recounted his memories of Beauford in an interview at his office in Antony (a suburb located south of Paris).
Upon arriving in Paris, Colin lived for five years at the Hôtel de Blois at 50, rue Vavin, which was located very near the café Select on boulevard du Montparnasse. (The hotel was a functioning brothel when Colin lived there, with the first three floors being used for "business" and the three upper floors being reserved for long-term residents.) He recalls that the rent was only 10 francs a day – roughly $2 in those times – and that the one franc per day increase that the hotel proprietor charged in 1974 was considered a big deal!
Colin would often have breakfast at the Dôme, which was only a stone’s throw from his hotel. (The café still stands on the corner of boulevard du Montparnasse and rue Delambre.) The Dôme is where he met Beauford in 1968 or 1969. Beauford would come in at around 9 AM every day – alone – to have breakfast, and Colin became accustomed to seeing him there. He remembers being impressed by Beauford’s “beatific smile.” Colin said that Beauford seemed wary that people might try to take advantage of him, so at first he did not attempt to engage Beauford in conversation about personal things.
At that time, the Dôme had a sidewalk terrace (it is enclosed today). Colin recalls that Beauford always wanted to sit on the terrace in the front row, facing the street. In this way, he could watch people as they passed by. Beauford knew lots of people, so he was often quite busy greeting friends and acquaintances when he was at the Dôme.
Eventually, Colin offered to take Beauford back to his studio on rue Vercingétorix in the large black sedan (of the type used for London cabs) that he drove around town. He did this a few times before Beauford invited him up to the studio. Colin recalls that the entrance was au fond de la cour (at the back of the courtyard), and that it was up a flight of stairs. His most vivid memory of the studio is that everything was covered with white sheets.
Colin remembers that Beauford would occasionally take meals at the Coupole, and that he also liked to eat at a restaurant called Les Mille Colonnes on rue de la Gaité. This was not very far from his studio, and it also happened to be a place where Colin and his friends invariably had dinner. Beauford would always join them if he was there. At Les Mille Colonnes, starters and desserts cost only 90 centimes, and main courses cost 3.50 francs. Though these prices were “Beauford's style” (affordable), Colin and his friends would chip in most of the time to take care of Beauford’s bill.
By the early 1970s, Colin began to note early signs of Beauford’s mental deterioration, mostly in the form of forgetfulness. Around 1973, he gave Beauford four large canvases that he has previously used for a promotional event. Beauford was grateful to receive them, and this strengthened the bond between him and Colin.
Colin’s favorite memory of Beauford is of taking him for rides in his big black cab. He named the car “Bill” because the license plate began with the letters “BLL.” Because the space next to the driver was reserved for luggage, Beauford always sat in the back, as a taxi passenger would do. He had an excellent vantage point for viewing the city because the seat was high, and Colin remembers that Beauford would look out the window at the buildings, cars, and pedestrians with a big smile on his face.
Colin was unequivocal when he said that the most important aspects that he remembers of Beauford’s persona were his kindness and gentleness – the same attributes that numerous others have cited in this blog and elsewhere.
Beauford painted a portrait of Colin at the Vercingétorix studio in 1975. Colin sat for Beauford several times as the painting took shape. He remembers being seated in an armchair wearing a green army jacket for the sittings. When it was almost done, Colin had his friend Kathleen photograph him with the painting, with Colin posing in the chair where he sat for the painting and the painting perched behind and above him. Kathleen also took several photographs of Beauford’s studio at that time. Colin said that Beauford’s signature appeared on the painting as though it had been done in pencil.
Colin then went on a trip to the U.S., thinking that he would retrieve the painting upon his return. But by the time he came back to Paris, Beauford had been taken to Saint Anne’s Hospital and his studio had been vacated. Colin never saw the portrait again. He is hoping that his friend Kathleen will be able to find the photos that she took so that he will have some visual record of himself with the painting, as well as the studio.
Upon Beauford’s commitment to Saint Anne’s, James Baldwin most likely moved the painting to an apartment on rue des Anglais in the 5th arrondissement where he stored Beauford’s works and other belongings on a temporary basis. Several of these would later be shown at the Studio Museum in Harlem retrospective organized by Richard A. Long.
In looking at the catalog of that exhibition, I came across an image of a painting called Portrait of a Man in Green. Intrigued by the parallels that I noted in Colin’s description of Beauford’s painting of him and what I saw in the image, I contacted Colin to see if he could identify the portrait.
Both he and his daughter immediately identified Colin as the person represented there! In addition to the physical likeness (curly hair, moustache and goatee) and the armchair and green jacket, Colin said that he always wore his wristwatch on the right arm. The man in Beauford’s portrait also has a wristwatch on the right wrist.
What a fortuitous outcome to my interview!
Colin Gravois at Beauford’s Graveside Commemoration Ceremony
© Franz Fox Kennedy
Upon arriving in Paris, Colin lived for five years at the Hôtel de Blois at 50, rue Vavin, which was located very near the café Select on boulevard du Montparnasse. (The hotel was a functioning brothel when Colin lived there, with the first three floors being used for "business" and the three upper floors being reserved for long-term residents.) He recalls that the rent was only 10 francs a day – roughly $2 in those times – and that the one franc per day increase that the hotel proprietor charged in 1974 was considered a big deal!
Colin would often have breakfast at the Dôme, which was only a stone’s throw from his hotel. (The café still stands on the corner of boulevard du Montparnasse and rue Delambre.) The Dôme is where he met Beauford in 1968 or 1969. Beauford would come in at around 9 AM every day – alone – to have breakfast, and Colin became accustomed to seeing him there. He remembers being impressed by Beauford’s “beatific smile.” Colin said that Beauford seemed wary that people might try to take advantage of him, so at first he did not attempt to engage Beauford in conversation about personal things.
At that time, the Dôme had a sidewalk terrace (it is enclosed today). Colin recalls that Beauford always wanted to sit on the terrace in the front row, facing the street. In this way, he could watch people as they passed by. Beauford knew lots of people, so he was often quite busy greeting friends and acquaintances when he was at the Dôme.
Terrace of the Dôme Café, 1959
Photo from Cafés d’Artistes à Paris (photo credit-Archives)
Le Dôme, today
© Discover Paris!
Eventually, Colin offered to take Beauford back to his studio on rue Vercingétorix in the large black sedan (of the type used for London cabs) that he drove around town. He did this a few times before Beauford invited him up to the studio. Colin recalls that the entrance was au fond de la cour (at the back of the courtyard), and that it was up a flight of stairs. His most vivid memory of the studio is that everything was covered with white sheets.
Colin remembers that Beauford would occasionally take meals at the Coupole, and that he also liked to eat at a restaurant called Les Mille Colonnes on rue de la Gaité. This was not very far from his studio, and it also happened to be a place where Colin and his friends invariably had dinner. Beauford would always join them if he was there. At Les Mille Colonnes, starters and desserts cost only 90 centimes, and main courses cost 3.50 francs. Though these prices were “Beauford's style” (affordable), Colin and his friends would chip in most of the time to take care of Beauford’s bill.
By the early 1970s, Colin began to note early signs of Beauford’s mental deterioration, mostly in the form of forgetfulness. Around 1973, he gave Beauford four large canvases that he has previously used for a promotional event. Beauford was grateful to receive them, and this strengthened the bond between him and Colin.
Colin’s favorite memory of Beauford is of taking him for rides in his big black cab. He named the car “Bill” because the license plate began with the letters “BLL.” Because the space next to the driver was reserved for luggage, Beauford always sat in the back, as a taxi passenger would do. He had an excellent vantage point for viewing the city because the seat was high, and Colin remembers that Beauford would look out the window at the buildings, cars, and pedestrians with a big smile on his face.
A London Taxicab
Photo: Wikipedia
Colin was unequivocal when he said that the most important aspects that he remembers of Beauford’s persona were his kindness and gentleness – the same attributes that numerous others have cited in this blog and elsewhere.
Beauford painted a portrait of Colin at the Vercingétorix studio in 1975. Colin sat for Beauford several times as the painting took shape. He remembers being seated in an armchair wearing a green army jacket for the sittings. When it was almost done, Colin had his friend Kathleen photograph him with the painting, with Colin posing in the chair where he sat for the painting and the painting perched behind and above him. Kathleen also took several photographs of Beauford’s studio at that time. Colin said that Beauford’s signature appeared on the painting as though it had been done in pencil.
Colin then went on a trip to the U.S., thinking that he would retrieve the painting upon his return. But by the time he came back to Paris, Beauford had been taken to Saint Anne’s Hospital and his studio had been vacated. Colin never saw the portrait again. He is hoping that his friend Kathleen will be able to find the photos that she took so that he will have some visual record of himself with the painting, as well as the studio.
Upon Beauford’s commitment to Saint Anne’s, James Baldwin most likely moved the painting to an apartment on rue des Anglais in the 5th arrondissement where he stored Beauford’s works and other belongings on a temporary basis. Several of these would later be shown at the Studio Museum in Harlem retrospective organized by Richard A. Long.
In looking at the catalog of that exhibition, I came across an image of a painting called Portrait of a Man in Green. Intrigued by the parallels that I noted in Colin’s description of Beauford’s painting of him and what I saw in the image, I contacted Colin to see if he could identify the portrait.
Portrait of a Man in Green
Beauford Delaney
Beauford Delaney
Oil (undated)
Photo from catalog of Beauford Delaney: A Retrospective
Studio Museum in Harlem
Studio Museum in Harlem
Both he and his daughter immediately identified Colin as the person represented there! In addition to the physical likeness (curly hair, moustache and goatee) and the armchair and green jacket, Colin said that he always wore his wristwatch on the right arm. The man in Beauford’s portrait also has a wristwatch on the right wrist.
What a fortuitous outcome to my interview!
Beauford Describes Beauford: Beauford's Tribute to Henry Miller
Here is yet another contribution to the Les Amis blog by Beauford's dear friend Burt Reinfrank. Though I have thanked Burt privately for these guest postings, I want to do so publicly today. Burt has been one of my staunchest supports regarding the blog, and everything else concerning Beauford and the gravesite project. Thank you, Burt!
Though the title of the painting shown below is Self Portrait, Burt indicated that he believes it is a composite of Beauford and Henry Miller. What do you think?
**************Burt writes:
After a day out together with Beauford we passed by Beauford’s studio. Beauford said to my first wife Sara, “You type well. I’ve written a homage to Henry Miller but my handwriting is so bad I would really like to send it typed if you could do that for me.” Sara took the handwritten copy and several days later I returned the typed version to Beauford. When I read what Beauford had written to describe how he saw Henry Miller, I thought, “He is describing himself.” I have never met Miller and for Beauford it may be Miller. But for me it is Beauford.
Beauford wrote:
H E N R Y M I L L E R
Henry Miller is a transcentdental [sic] spirit whose vision illumens [sic] the cosmic heritage of mankind. His constant growth of enlightenment includes the unity and obligations of the human family, to honor one and all with patience and understanding of the universal oneness of our varied heritage. His understanding of this unique necessity and truth flows through all of his writing, his painting, and includes varieties of joy, and some patience with the painful human condition in its search for clarity, offering himself to problems, vision and minute observation, arousing intention by awareness and urgency, through methods of philosophical techniques, and finding time to persuade all of us to look back as well as forward into our historical past, and by so doing, augment the present with our findings of the differences and sameness of each epoch, including art, science and philosophy, giving light to the eternal heritage of all mankind, with joy and selflessness, devotion and infinite patience.
What sometimes seems impossible, his faith augments by years of discovery of himself, and with joy accomplishes the almost impossible task of uniting into his art the entire substance of this experience. This source in a work of art has magnetism and engages all mankind, because, like the “sun”, it is eternal and benevolent. Miller reveals to all people that life is a miracle to be lived and exploited to release its fullness.
Beauford Delaney
In conjunction with this posting, I am pleased to announce that Dorothy's Gallery has mounted an exposition called Henry Miller aux jeunes artists d'aujourd'hui that features twenty original works and lithographs by Miller. On Saturday, December 11, at 7:30 PM, the gallery will host an evening performance in homage of Miller's writing and painting entitled Tropique d'Os.
I believe that Beauford would be very pleased!
Dorothy's Gallery
27, rue Keller
75011 Paris
Telephone: 01 43 57 08 51
Internet: http://www.dorothysgallery.com
Email : dorothysgallery@gmail.com
Métro : Bastille, Voltaire
Parking : Ledru Rollin et Opéra Bastille
Open Wednesday through Saturday from 1 PM to 7 PM
Tuesday and Sunday from 4 PM to 7 PM
Though the title of the painting shown below is Self Portrait, Burt indicated that he believes it is a composite of Beauford and Henry Miller. What do you think?
**************
After a day out together with Beauford we passed by Beauford’s studio. Beauford said to my first wife Sara, “You type well. I’ve written a homage to Henry Miller but my handwriting is so bad I would really like to send it typed if you could do that for me.” Sara took the handwritten copy and several days later I returned the typed version to Beauford. When I read what Beauford had written to describe how he saw Henry Miller, I thought, “He is describing himself.” I have never met Miller and for Beauford it may be Miller. But for me it is Beauford.
Beauford Delaney (1901-1979)
Self Portrait, 1962
oil on canvas
25 1/2" x 21 1/4" x 3/4", signed
© Estate of Beauford Delaney; Private Collection
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York , NY
Beauford wrote:
H E N R Y M I L L E R
Henry Miller is a transcentdental [sic] spirit whose vision illumens [sic] the cosmic heritage of mankind. His constant growth of enlightenment includes the unity and obligations of the human family, to honor one and all with patience and understanding of the universal oneness of our varied heritage. His understanding of this unique necessity and truth flows through all of his writing, his painting, and includes varieties of joy, and some patience with the painful human condition in its search for clarity, offering himself to problems, vision and minute observation, arousing intention by awareness and urgency, through methods of philosophical techniques, and finding time to persuade all of us to look back as well as forward into our historical past, and by so doing, augment the present with our findings of the differences and sameness of each epoch, including art, science and philosophy, giving light to the eternal heritage of all mankind, with joy and selflessness, devotion and infinite patience.
What sometimes seems impossible, his faith augments by years of discovery of himself, and with joy accomplishes the almost impossible task of uniting into his art the entire substance of this experience. This source in a work of art has magnetism and engages all mankind, because, like the “sun”, it is eternal and benevolent. Miller reveals to all people that life is a miracle to be lived and exploited to release its fullness.
Beauford Delaney
****************
In conjunction with this posting, I am pleased to announce that Dorothy's Gallery has mounted an exposition called Henry Miller aux jeunes artists d'aujourd'hui that features twenty original works and lithographs by Miller. On Saturday, December 11, at 7:30 PM, the gallery will host an evening performance in homage of Miller's writing and painting entitled Tropique d'Os.
I believe that Beauford would be very pleased!
Dorothy's Gallery
27, rue Keller
75011 Paris
Telephone: 01 43 57 08 51
Internet: http://www.dorothysgallery.com
Email : dorothysgallery@gmail.com
Métro : Bastille, Voltaire
Parking : Ledru Rollin et Opéra Bastille
Open Wednesday through Saturday from 1 PM to 7 PM
Tuesday and Sunday from 4 PM to 7 PM
Brief Musings on Beauford and James Baldwin
Baldwin, Beauford, and Lucien Happersberger in Paris, 1953
Photo from James Baldwin by David Leeming
Baldwin owed a great deal to his friendship with Beauford. In the introduction to The Price of the Ticket, he states that his career began when his life in Greenwich Village began, and that this life began when he met Beauford. He describes how he walked into color and into music when he walked into Beauford’s studio at 181 Greene Street. In his inimitable style, he pays tribute to the man whose unshakable example of “courage and integrity, humility and passion” gave him the strength to survive and the ability to hope for a future.
Much later, Baldwin would become Beauford’s source of strength during Beauford's “Paris Years.” It was Baldwin’s turn to introduce Beauford to people around town in the early days, and to provide council and comfort when Beauford more frequently became depressed or distraught.
Beauford and James Baldwin at the American Cultural Center
(1970s) United States Information Service
He would do this (or at least attempt to do this) in the face of his own emotional crises. Baldwin would “send for” Beauford when his friend suffered psychological episodes or physical illness, having Beauford join him in Saint-Paul de Vence. But at the very end, Baldwin did not attend Beauford’s funeral due to illness and other problems. He deeply regretted this, and spoke of his feelings in an interview with his secretary and biographer, David Leeming.
Beauford would paint Baldwin many times. Here are a few examples:
Dark Rapture, as it appears in Amazing Grace
Portrait (oil on board) dates from 1941
Portrait of James Baldwin
Beauford Delaney
(1945) Oil on canvas
Philadelphia Museum of Art
James Baldwin
Beauford Delaney
(1963) Pastel on Paper
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institute
As do all of Beauford’s portraits, these paintings of James Baldwin depict much more than his physical likeness. They express Baldwin’s “life essence” as Beauford saw it at various stages of Baldwin’s life – his accomplishments, his insecurities, his hopes and dreams. They also represent the deepest, most profound expressions of Beauford’s love for Baldwin.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney's First Anniversary!
One year ago today, the Journal Officiel published an announcement declaring Les Amis de Beauford Delaney a bona-fide non-profit association in France. It seems like only a few weeks ago!
As president of the association, I am proud to say that we have accomplished every element of the mission that we presented to the government as part of our application for official status:
1. Placement and maintenance of a tombstone for the grave of painter Beauford Delaney, who is buried at the Parisian Cemetery of Thiais.
2. Payment of the renewal fees for his grave.
3. Organization of commemorative or educational events in his honor.
4. Inform the press and the media of his life and accomplishments.
The placement of the tombstone was our overriding goal. I hope that you have all seen the postings about the gravesite ceremony and the reception held at the Marshall Center last month. We now have the funds to pay for the maintenance of the tombstone for a year, as well as to renew Beauford’s concession at Thiais Cemetery. However, we must wait, until January 2011 to establish the maintenance contract with the funeral parlor and to conclude the transaction with the cemetery.
Regarding organizing commemorative or education events in Beauford’s honor, we did extremely well! I have spoken about Beauford three times this year, including a successful presentation at the George R. N’Namdi Gallery in Chicago. Most importantly, we exceeded expectations with the commemorative ceremony and reception held in October!
We have made significant progress in informing the press and the media of Beauford’s life and accomplishments as well. Two newspaper articles (that I know of) were published about our project earlier this year. Prissy Mag, an online magazine, ran a terrific article about the reception that we held at the Marshall Center, and editor Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen also talked extensively about Beauford, his work, and the Gravesite Project on a radio interview with Paris Expat last month. I revised Wikipedia’s English language page on Beauford with a section called “The Beauford Delaney Burial Site.”
Musician and artist Joe Langley has posted his video of the reception on YouTube. Filmmaker Zachary James Miller is planning to create a short film on Beauford’s life and work for the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and has already begun work by filming the gravesite ceremony and the reception. And two additional filmmakers have expressed interest in making feature films about Beauford’s life.
The biggest question for Les Amis at present is “Where do we go from here?” Several things are under consideration:
• An annual Beauford Delaney commemoration, to be held in Paris
• Placement of a plaque in Beauford’s honor on a building in Paris
• An exposition of Beauford’s paintings in Paris
• A scholarship to support an art student in Beauford’s name.
Of course, time and money will be required to successfully pursue any one of these projects. I am mulling over the possibilities for fundraising, and even more importantly, for finding people who are willing to help with implementation.
Finally, I am seriously considering retiring this blog! I have done my best to find information on Beauford from as many reliable sources as possible, and to present that information with clarity, integrity, and love. But I am running out of sources, and will not diminish the quality of this Web publication just for the sake of continuing on. My goal is to publish through the end of this year, targeting Beauford’s birthday (December 30) as the date of the final posting.
If any of you have information pertaining to Beauford that you believe is worthy of publication, or if you know of anyone who has such information, please contact me at amisdebeauford[at]yahoo[dot]com. As long as there is something worth publishing, I am willing to write about it!
As president of the association, I am proud to say that we have accomplished every element of the mission that we presented to the government as part of our application for official status:
1. Placement and maintenance of a tombstone for the grave of painter Beauford Delaney, who is buried at the Parisian Cemetery of Thiais.
2. Payment of the renewal fees for his grave.
3. Organization of commemorative or educational events in his honor.
4. Inform the press and the media of his life and accomplishments.
Journal Officiel Announcement
24 November 2009
The placement of the tombstone was our overriding goal. I hope that you have all seen the postings about the gravesite ceremony and the reception held at the Marshall Center last month. We now have the funds to pay for the maintenance of the tombstone for a year, as well as to renew Beauford’s concession at Thiais Cemetery. However, we must wait, until January 2011 to establish the maintenance contract with the funeral parlor and to conclude the transaction with the cemetery.
Beauford's new tombstone
(c) Discover Paris!
Regarding organizing commemorative or education events in Beauford’s honor, we did extremely well! I have spoken about Beauford three times this year, including a successful presentation at the George R. N’Namdi Gallery in Chicago. Most importantly, we exceeded expectations with the commemorative ceremony and reception held in October!
We have made significant progress in informing the press and the media of Beauford’s life and accomplishments as well. Two newspaper articles (that I know of) were published about our project earlier this year. Prissy Mag, an online magazine, ran a terrific article about the reception that we held at the Marshall Center, and editor Priscilla Lalisse-Jespersen also talked extensively about Beauford, his work, and the Gravesite Project on a radio interview with Paris Expat last month. I revised Wikipedia’s English language page on Beauford with a section called “The Beauford Delaney Burial Site.”
Musician and artist Joe Langley has posted his video of the reception on YouTube. Filmmaker Zachary James Miller is planning to create a short film on Beauford’s life and work for the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and has already begun work by filming the gravesite ceremony and the reception. And two additional filmmakers have expressed interest in making feature films about Beauford’s life.
The biggest question for Les Amis at present is “Where do we go from here?” Several things are under consideration:
• An annual Beauford Delaney commemoration, to be held in Paris
• Placement of a plaque in Beauford’s honor on a building in Paris
• An exposition of Beauford’s paintings in Paris
• A scholarship to support an art student in Beauford’s name.
Of course, time and money will be required to successfully pursue any one of these projects. I am mulling over the possibilities for fundraising, and even more importantly, for finding people who are willing to help with implementation.
Finally, I am seriously considering retiring this blog! I have done my best to find information on Beauford from as many reliable sources as possible, and to present that information with clarity, integrity, and love. But I am running out of sources, and will not diminish the quality of this Web publication just for the sake of continuing on. My goal is to publish through the end of this year, targeting Beauford’s birthday (December 30) as the date of the final posting.
If any of you have information pertaining to Beauford that you believe is worthy of publication, or if you know of anyone who has such information, please contact me at amisdebeauford[at]yahoo[dot]com. As long as there is something worth publishing, I am willing to write about it!
Beauford and the Influence of Claude Monet
Everyone in Paris who has an interest in art is talking about Claude Monet these days. The huge retrospective of this revered Impressionist painter at the Grand Palais is sold out through the end of the exposition on January 24, 2011! Not to mention the fact that the 170th anniversary of his birth (November 14, 1840) was just a few days ago, and the 84th anniversary of his death (December 5, 1926) is rapidly approaching. Amidst the buzz, I thought it appropriate to look at how Monet’s work influenced Beauford.
Beauford first saw Monet’s work in Boston, shortly after Monet died. The exposition was held in the studio of American artist John Singer Sargent, whose work also influenced Beauford. In the biography Amazing Grace, author David Leeming indicates that Beauford “found a serious attempt to understand the effects of different stages of daylight on color and form” in Monet’s paintings. Citing Monet’s Water Lily (French translation: Nymphéas) series, Leeming also states that Monet’s view of light as subject matter during his later years is suggestive of the abstract expressionism that Beauford would adopt years later.
In the catalog for the 2004-2005 Minneapolis Institute of Arts exposition Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris
, curator Sue Canterbury notes that Beauford arrived in Paris the same year that the Orangerie, home to Monet’s famous murals, was reopened (1953). She says that French gallery owner Paul Facchetti attested to the fascination that Americans had for Monet, and that they “all rushed like flies to one place: the Orangerie” to see the famous murals. Notes for her essay on Beauford’s “transatlantic transformation” indicate that Beauford mentioned Monet to his biographer Leeming on several occasions, and that friends of Beauford (including Ed Clark) believe that Monet’s work influenced Beauford’s early experiments with abstraction in Paris.
In the same catalog, Michael D. Plante states that Beauford may have seen Monet’s paintings at the Orangerie in September, the month that he arrived in Paris. He describes in detail how Monet’s influence can be seen in Beauford’s paintings as early as 1954.
Richard A. Long arranged two visits with Beauford to see Monet’s works during the early 1970s – first to the Orangerie, and then to the Marmottan (not yet called Musée Marmottan Monet) shortly after the opening of the Monet galleries there.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts Web site has an interesting education section for young students called Object in Focus. One of the “objects” is Beauford’s raincoat painting Untitled (1954), which students are encouraged to compare and contrast to Monet’s The Japanese Bridge (c. 1923-1925). Both paintings are part of the museum’s permanent collection.
The Michael Rosenfeld Gallery showed three of Beauford’s paintings in a 2009 exposition called Abstract Expressionism: Further Evidence. The catalog for this show describes Beauford’s Paris abstractions as “lyrical, colorful, [and] non-objective” and “pure and simplified expressions of light.” It goes on to say that “the paintings have clear ties to Monet’s studies of light…”
I believe that Beauford would have been first in line to see the current Monet exposition at the Grand Palais – if he could have gotten a ticket! I plan to go to the Orangerie to see Monet’s murals in honor of the occasion.
Beauford first saw Monet’s work in Boston, shortly after Monet died. The exposition was held in the studio of American artist John Singer Sargent, whose work also influenced Beauford. In the biography Amazing Grace
, author David Leeming indicates that Beauford “found a serious attempt to understand the effects of different stages of daylight on color and form” in Monet’s paintings. Citing Monet’s Water Lily (French translation: Nymphéas) series, Leeming also states that Monet’s view of light as subject matter during his later years is suggestive of the abstract expressionism that Beauford would adopt years later.In the catalog for the 2004-2005 Minneapolis Institute of Arts exposition Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris
, curator Sue Canterbury notes that Beauford arrived in Paris the same year that the Orangerie, home to Monet’s famous murals, was reopened (1953). She says that French gallery owner Paul Facchetti attested to the fascination that Americans had for Monet, and that they “all rushed like flies to one place: the Orangerie” to see the famous murals. Notes for her essay on Beauford’s “transatlantic transformation” indicate that Beauford mentioned Monet to his biographer Leeming on several occasions, and that friends of Beauford (including Ed Clark) believe that Monet’s work influenced Beauford’s early experiments with abstraction in Paris.
Nymphéas (detail)
(1920-1926) Oil on canvas
Claude Monet
Musée de l’Orangerie
Claude Monet
Musée de l’Orangerie
In the same catalog, Michael D. Plante states that Beauford may have seen Monet’s paintings at the Orangerie in September, the month that he arrived in Paris. He describes in detail how Monet’s influence can be seen in Beauford’s paintings as early as 1954.
Richard A. Long arranged two visits with Beauford to see Monet’s works during the early 1970s – first to the Orangerie, and then to the Marmottan (not yet called Musée Marmottan Monet) shortly after the opening of the Monet galleries there.
Nymphéas
(1916) Oil on canvas
Claude Monet
Musée Marmottan Monet
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts Web site has an interesting education section for young students called Object in Focus. One of the “objects” is Beauford’s raincoat painting Untitled (1954), which students are encouraged to compare and contrast to Monet’s The Japanese Bridge (c. 1923-1925). Both paintings are part of the museum’s permanent collection.
Untitled (raincoat painting)
Beauford Delaney
(1954) Oil on raincoat fragment
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Photo courtesy of Sue Canterbury
The Japanese Bridge
(ca. 1923-1925) Claude Monet
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The Michael Rosenfeld Gallery showed three of Beauford’s paintings in a 2009 exposition called Abstract Expressionism: Further Evidence. The catalog for this show describes Beauford’s Paris abstractions as “lyrical, colorful, [and] non-objective” and “pure and simplified expressions of light.” It goes on to say that “the paintings have clear ties to Monet’s studies of light…”
I believe that Beauford would have been first in line to see the current Monet exposition at the Grand Palais – if he could have gotten a ticket! I plan to go to the Orangerie to see Monet’s murals in honor of the occasion.