Boston and New York Painters, Critics, 1970-2008

Boston and New York Painters, Critics

Mainly correspondence with painters and critics. Also records of dealings with two Minneapolis galleries and one in Chicago. Arranged by correspondent. Nationally-known figures include Clement Greenberg and Tom Wolfe, Philip Pearlstein, Charles de Tolnay, June Wayne, Rollo May, Elaine de Kooning, Burt Silverman, Wolf Kahn.

Art Acquisitions, Inc., St. Paul. Correspondence between Bela Petheo and Shelly Ross, Christine M. Podas-Larson, and George M. Reid. August 31, 1984-May 6, 1986.

The Younger Gallery, Chicago. Franchisee of The Great Frame Up. Correspondence with Rebekah T. Younger, including consignment sheets and information on the gallery. February 12, 1982-January 6, 1986. The Art Acquisitions and Younger Gallery files give a good idea of prices and popularity of hand-pulled prints in that period.

Harold Bruder. Correspondence and one exhibition catalog. February 25, 1970-April 9, 1978.

Vern Carver & Beard Art Galleries, Minneapolis. Interactions with one of the oldest and most prestigious Minneapolis galleries. Bela Petheo writes, "Practically ceased to exist in 2011-12." Correspondence, catalog, artist log of works, consignment agreements. July 7, 1980-January 17, 2008.

Wanda M. Corn. Correspondence. May 2, 1989-May 22, 1989. Prompted by her article in Art Bulletin which called for attention to artists beyond New York City.

Tom Cowley. SJU alumnus (1969) and former student of Bela Petheo. Correspondence, May 15, 1981-January 8, 1983. Cowley wanted to purchase a piece of original art by an artist he knew. Balance sheet is on back on one letter. Also includes shipping record. Reactions to art.

Elaine de Kooning. Trying to introduce her to Oskar Kokoschka. Letter to Elaine de Kooning, March 15, 1975.

Enclosed: Letter to Oskar Kokoschka, spring, 1975. In German.

Louis Finkelstein. Letter to Louis Finkelstein, June 3, 1981. Reactions to Finkelstein's essay "Painterly Representation."

Nathan Goldstein. Correspondence, May 30, 1992-June 8, 1992. Pleasure at meeting. Potential artist-in-residence program.

Paul T. Granlund. Correspondence, November 16, 1992-November 20, 1992.

Clement Greenberg and Tom Wolfe. Correspondence, June 23, 1976-October 15, 1981. Includes two incomplete drafts.

Harold Haydon. Letter from Harold Haydon, December 7, 1976. About letter of recommendation, faculty at the University of Chicago. With envelope.

Enclosed: "Whither goest art's substance?" by Harold Haydon, in the Chicago Sun-Times, December 5, 1976, section 4, p. 2. Review of three art exhibitions then in Chicago.

Letter from Harold Haydon, November 14, 1976. Painting commission, University of Chicago.

Edward B. Henning. Letter from Edward B. Henning, May 19, 1971. Thanks for the note about the Paul Olsen show. With envelope. Both letter and envelope have notes about further items sent to Henning by Bela Petheo.

Henry R. Hope. Correspondence, April 4, 1971-September 18, 1979. Two unrelated letters. The first, from Hope, concerns notes Bela Petheo sent him about small college art museums. The second is Bela Petheo's reaction to an article by Hope about Alice Neel.

Wolf Kahn. Correspondence, December 28, 1981-December 21, 1982.

Martyl. Letter from Martyl, January 16, 1982. Response to Bela Petheo's article about a painting owned or commissioned by Harris Bank. The bank was secretive about who damaged the work. Martyl, Works on Paper. Exhibition catalog, June 5, 1981-June 30, 1981.

Naomi and Evan Maurer. Correspondence, March 2, 1993-March 9, 1993.

Ingrid and Rollo May. Letter from Rollo and Ingrid May, undated. Envelope is postmarked April 26, 1972. Thanks for hospitality.

Paul Olson. Correspondence, March 11, 1971. Two letters from Paul Olson, undated. Envelope is postmarked March 11, 1971.

Philip Pearlstein. Postcard from Philip Pearlstein, March or May, 1976.

Irving Sandler, Jack Spector, Rose Weil. Correspondence, February 26, 1981-May 21, 1981. The topic of auto-image (self-portrait) in an upcoming issue of Art Journal. Includes shipping record, and one envelope that has become separated from the letter it enclosed but has copious notes.

Hans Sedlmayr. Correspondence, July 18, 1971-September 17, 1971. In German. Books of art criticism. Will Bela Petheo visit if he travels to Hungary?

Burt Silverman. Correspondence, October 6, 1992-February 22, 2001. American Arts Quarterly, Spring 1992. Includes article "What Makes Art Great" by Burton Silverman, p. 20-21.

Raphael Soyer. Letter to Raphael Soyer, November or December, 1981. Draft version. Deplores art historians and critics who promote shallow novelties as art. Art Journal auto-image fiasco.

Jack Spector and Irving Sandler. Correspondence, January 5, 1982-January 25, 1982. Bela Petheo's New York show. Two of the letters to Professor Spector are undated drafts.

Viola Dehn Tiala. Letter from Viola Dehn Tiala, March 30, 1976. She is the sister of the late Adolf Dehn. She and her husband Alfred have a large number of Adolf's lithographs. Would Bela Petheo be interested in seeing them?

Charles de Tolnay. Postcard from Károly Tolnay, December 24, 1963. In Hungarian.

James Toub and Anthony Barrand. Correspondence, February 1, 1991-September 17, 1993. Toub wished to do his doctoral dissertation on Oskar Kokoschka as a teacher, and Bela Petheo indicated willingness to serve on his committee.

Harry Vanderstappen. Letter from Harry Vanderstappen, October 11, 1981.

Gustave von Groschwitz. Letter from Gustave von Groschwitz, February 20, 1985. Thanks for the letter and copy of a drawing.

John L. Ward. Correspondence, January 28, 1977-August 8, 1986. His art criticism essays and his own painting.

June Wayne. Correspondence, February 17, 1989-March 12, 1989. Shared admiration for Ed Hamilton.

Rose R. Weil. Letter to Rose R. Weil, February 26, 1981. The topic of auto-image (self-portrait) in an upcoming issue of Art Journal. Same letter as grouped with Irving Sandler. Photocopy.

Theodore F. Wolff. Letter from Ted Wolff, February 25, 1985. Wolff thinks that a review by Bela Petheo was well-written.