Fairfield Porter was born near Chicago in 1907, the fourth of five children of James and Ruth Furness Porter. His father was an architect, his mother a poet from a literary family, and Porter grew up in an environment where art and literature were highly valued. His father designed the family homes in Winnetka, Illinois and on Great Spruce Head Island, an island in Maine that he purchased for the family in 1912. Fairfield Porter spent summers there from the age of six, and views of the island, its structures, and neighboring towns were the subjects of many paintings.
Porter attended Harvard from 1924 to 1928, studying fine art with Arthur Pope and philosophy with Alfred North Whitehead. After graduating from Harvard, Porter moved to New York City and took studio classes at the Art Students League from 1928 until 1930, studying with Boardman Robinson and Thomas Hart Benton, and immersing himself in the art and radical politics of Greenwich Village. In the 1940s, he studied at Parson's School of Design with art restorer Jacques Maroger, adopting the Maroger recipe for an oil medium in his own painting.
To further his education as an artist, Porter traveled to Europe in 1931, where he spent time with expatriate art theorist Bernard Berenson and his circle. When he returned to New York, he allied himself with progressive, socialist organizations, and like many of his contemporaries, worked at creating socially relevant art. He did artwork for the John Reed Club, a communist group; taught drawing classes for Rebel Arts, a socialist arts organization; wrote for their magazine,
In 1932, Porter married Anne Channing, a poet from Boston, and they settled in New York. The Porters had five children, and their first son, born in 1934, suffered from a severe form of autism. In the next decade, they had two more sons, and spent three years in Porter's hometown of Winnetka, where he had his first solo exhibition of paintings. When they returned to New York in 1939, the Porters became friends with Edwin Denby, Rudy Burkhardt, and Elaine and Willem de Kooning. Porter became an earnest admirer of Willem de Kooning's artwork and was among the first to review and purchase it.
In 1949, the Porters moved to the small, seaside town of Southampton, New York. Their two daughters were born in 1950 and 1956. Like the family home on Great Spruce Head Island, Southampton became the setting of many of Porter's paintings. In fact, almost all of his mature paintings depict family homes, surrounding landscapes, family members, and friends. Porter was an individualistic painter who embraced figurative art in the late 1940s and 1950s, when abstract expressionism was the prevailing aesthetic trend. Porter once made a comment that his commitment to figurative painting was made just to spite art critic Clement Greenberg, a respected critic and ideologue who had championed abstract expressionism and denigrated realism as passé.
Porter established his reputation as a painter and as a writer in the 1950s. John Bernard Myers of the vanguard Tibor de Nagy gallery gave Porter his first New York exhibition in 1951 and represented him for the next twenty years. That same year Tom Hess, editor of
The 1950s and 1960s were prolific years for Porter's writing and art, and saw the development of his critical ideas and the maturation of his painting. Porter enjoyed an elder status among a circle of younger artists such as Jane Freilicher, Larry Rivers, and Alex Katz, and their many poet friends, now known as the New York School of Poetry: Frank O'Hara, John Ashbery, James Schuyler, Kenneth Koch, Barbara Guest, and others. Porter himself wrote poetry and was published in the 1950s, sometimes alongside poems by his wife, who had been publishing poetry since the 1930s (twice in the vanguard Chicago journal,
Besides his annual exhibitions at Tibor de Nagy and later Hirschl and Adler Galleries, Porter exhibited regularly at the Whitney, and had one-man exhibitions at many museums including the Rhode Island School of Design (1959), The University of Alabama (1963), Cleveland Museum of Art (his first retrospective, 1966), Trinity College (1967), the Parrish Art Museum (1971), the Maryland Institute of Art (1973), and the 1968 Venice Biennale. He also had residencies at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (1964) and Amherst College (1969). Porter died in 1975 at age 68. A full-scale retrospective of his artwork was held at the Boston Museum of Fine Art, Boston in 1983, and a study center and permanent home for his artwork was established at the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton through a donation made by Anne Porter. A posthumous collection of his poems was published by Tibor de Nagy Editions in 1985, and a catalogue raisonnée, edited by Joan Ludman, was published in 2001.
This biography relies heavily on information found in Justin Spring's biography of Porter,
The papers of New York-based painter, lithographer, art critic, and poet Fairfield Porter measure 9.3 linear feet and date from 1888 to 2001, with the bulk of material dating from 1924 to 1975. The collection includes a biographical chronology; certificates, awards, and diplomas; letters to Fairfield and Anne Porter; scattered outgoing correspondence; and reviews, essays, notes, poems, and translations written by Porter and others. Among the writings are poetry manuscripts written by several New York School Poets including Frank O'Hara, James Schuyler, and Kenneth Koch. Also found are gallery records, inventories and appraisals, financial records, exhibition catalogs, clippings, posters, and records of Anne Porter's efforts to place his collection and document and publish his work after his death. Photographs of Porter, his homes, and his family are also present, as well as sketchbooks, loose sketches, and drawings spanning his entire career.
Significant correspondence is present from the Porters' many poet friends, including Kenneth Koch, James Schuyler, Ron Padgett, Kenward Elmslie, Barbara Guest, Carl Morse, David Shapiro, and others. Among the letters are poetry manuscripts by Koch, Morse, Schuyler, Padgett, and Shapiro. Some letters are actually written in verse, especially those from Kenneth Koch.
Artists with letters in the collection include Joe Brainard, Rudy Burkhardt, John Button, Lucien Day, Rackstraw Downes, Philip Evergood, Jane Frielicher, Arthur Giardelli, Leon Hartl, Alex Katz, Edward Laning, Roy Lichtenstein, Larry Rivers, Richard Stankiewicz, Nicolas Vasilieff, among others. Other art world figures represented include John Bernard Myers, curator at the Tibor de Nagy gallery (New York), and Tom Hess, editor of
The collection is arranged into the following nine series. See the series descriptions below for more information about the content of each series.
The papers of Fairfield Porter were given to the Archives of American Art by the artist's wife, Anne Porter, in five separate accessions between 1977 and 1997.
Before donating the papers to the Archives, Anne Porter returned letters from Frank O'Hara to Fairfield Porter to the O'Hara estate. Letters from John Ashbery to Fairfield Porter were returned to Ashbery, and photocopies have been placed in the collection.
The Archives of American Art holds an oral history of Fairfield Porter conducted by Paul Cummings in 1968.
The bulk of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not digitized requires an appointment.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the
The papers of
Fairfield Porter papers, 1888-2001 (bulk 1924-1975). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
These papers were initially processed for microfilming upon their accession to the Archives on reels 1311-1314 and 2675-2676. The collection was fully re-processed, arranged, and described by Megan McShea in 2006, and the bulk of it was scanned, with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art Digitization Project.
Biographical Materials include a chronology of Porter's life prepared by Prescott D. Schutz of Hirschl and Adler Gallery, a birth certificate, a diploma from Harvard College, various other certificates, two passports, a copy of Porter's will, bills and correspondence related to healthcare for the Porters' first son, Johnny, and writings by and about Porter's mother, Ruth Furness Porter. Also found is a copy of a letter from Porter's great-grandfather agreeing to the marriage of his daughter Margaret Eliot to James Furness.
Chronology of Fairfield Porter's Life (1981)
Certificates and Diplomas
Passports
Fairfield Porter's Will (1961)
Correspondence includes letters written by Fairfield Porter, Anne Porter, family members, artists, writers, critics, curators, neighbors, and others in Porter's circle. Incoming and outgoing letters are filed separately and arranged by correspondent. Single items of correspondence are filed in miscellaneous files by the first letter of the individual's last name. Incoming letters include letters to Fairfield and Anne Porter, as well as scattered third-party correspondence. Outgoing letters are mostly drafts and carbon copies of letters written by Fairfield Porter, although actual letters sent to his mother, wife, and Frank O'Hara are present.
Significant correspondence is present from the Porters' many poet friends, including Kenneth Koch, James Schuyler, Ron Padgett, Kenward Elmslie, Barbara Guest, Carl Morse, David Shapiro, and others. Among the letters are poetry manuscripts by Koch, Morse, Schuyler, Padgett, and Shapiro. Some letters are actually written in verse, especially those from Kenneth Koch. See Writings for additional poetry manuscripts.
Artists with letters in the collection include Joe Brainard, Rudy Burkhardt, John Button, Lucien Day, Rackstraw Downes, Philip Evergood, Jane Frielicher, Arthur Giardelli, Leon Hartl, Alex Katz, Edward Laning, Roy Lichtenstein, Larry Rivers, Richard Stankiewicz, Nicolas Vasilieff, among others. Other art world figures represented include John Bernard Myers, curator at the Tibor de Nagy gallery (New York), and Tom Hess, editor of
Porter's interest in leftist politics during the 1930s is seen in outgoing letters and in letters from Alex Haberstroh and Paul Mattick. Letters to Porter's mother, Ruth Porter, contain detailed descriptions of his boarding school and college years and his travels abroad in the 1920s and 1930s.
Annotations made by Anne Porter are found throughout this series, including dates, last names, and other explanatory notes.
Additional correspondence can be found in Personal Business Records, especially among the gallery records, and in Anne Porter's Posthumous Projects. A collection of excerpts about Fairfield Porter, compiled by Anne Porter from letters she wrote to her mother, is filed with Writings by Others.
Adams, Pat
Auerbach, Ellen and Walter
Miscellaneous A
(includes an undated letter from Peter Ackroyd and a 1981 letter from John Ashbery to Anne Porter)
Benedict, Michael
Berend, Charlotte
Bergman, Joy
Bigelow, Don N.
Birch, Barbara Channing
Bishop, Isabel
Brainard, Joe
Brooks, Jim
Brown, Garrett Mills
Buckley, Senator James L.
Bullowa, Arthur
Burkhardt, Rudy
Button, John
Miscellaneous B
(includes a 1989 postcard from Bill Berkson and a 1952 note from Louise Bourgeois)
Campbell, Larry
Channing, Katherine M.
Clement, Adele
Cornell, Joseph
Cummings, E.E.
Miscellaneous C
(includes a 1975 photo postcard from Dale Chihuly picturing him in Europe, and a 1966 letter from Oscar Collier)
Day, Lucien
DeMott, Benjamin
Denby, Edwin
Downes, Rackstraw
Miscellaneous D
(Includes a letter from James Deely)
Elmslie, Kenward
Evergood, Philip
Miscellaneous E
Frazer, James
Freeman, Dick
Freilicher, Jane
Miscellaneous F
(includes 1953 letter from John Ferren, a 1975 letter of condolence from Joe Fiore, and a 1956 letter from Jean Follett)
Giardelli, Arthur
Gilbert, Creighton
Gordon, Albert
Griffin, Howard
Guest, Barbara
Miscellaneous G
(includes a 1955 note from John Graham and a 1966 letter from Dorothy Grotz)
Haberstroh, Alex
Hartl, Leon
Hess, Tom
Miscellaneous H
Ickes, Betty
Javits, Senator Jacob R.
Johnson, Ben
Katz, Alex
Klein, Samuel and Pauline
Koch, Katherine "Koko"
Koch, Kenneth
Koethe, John
Miscellaneous J, K
(includes a brief 1968 note from Robert F. Kennedy, a 1960 note from William King, and a 1952 note from Doris Kreindler)
Laning, Edward
Leake, Eugene W.
Leigh, Ted
Miscellaneous L
(includes a 1954 letter from John C. LeClair, a 1994 letter from Denise Levertov, an undated letter from Roy Lichtenstein, a 1952 letter from Charles Locke and a 1963 letter from Tom Locker)
Maroger, Jacques
Mattick, Ilse Hamm
Mattick, Paul
Mattick, Paul
Morse, Carl
Myers, John Bernard
Miscellaneous M
(includes an undated letter from Dwight MacDonald, an undated letter from Norman MacLeish, an undated letter from John MacWhinnie, a 1952 note from Ezio Martinelli, a 1975 note from Harry Mathews, circa 1975 note from Peter Matthiessen, a 1963 note from Henry Mayer, and an undated note from Howard Moss)
Miscellaneous N
O'Hara, Frank
Padgett, Ron
to Katherine M. Channing
to Fairfield Porter
to Fairfield Porter
to Fairfield Porter
Porter, Edward and Audrey
Porter, Eliot and Aline
Porter, John (Fairfield and Anne Porter's son)
Porter, John (Fairfield and Anne Porter's son)
Porter, John (Fairfield and Anne Porter's son)
Porter, John and Trudy
Porter, Ruth Furness
Miscellaneous P
(includes an undated letter from Harley Perkins and a 1947 letter to a family member from Miss Probst, Fairfield's German governess)
Rivers, Larry
Miscellaneous Q-R
(includes a 1966 letter from Frank Redelius describing the prepartion of the Maroger Medium)
Schuyler, James
Schuyler, James
Schuyler, James
Schuyler, James
Schloss, Edith
Shapiro, David
Smith, Elizabeth
Stankiewicz, Richard
Straus, Francis
Straus, Nancy Porter
Miscellaneous S
(includes a 1969 letters from Robert G. Skinner, a 1956 postcard from David Smith, a 1956 letter from Raphael Soyer, and a 1970 note from Henry Striebel)
Tworkov, Jack
Miscellaneous T
Vasilieff, Nicholas
Walker, John
Wallace, Frank
Welliver, Neil
White, Bobby
Miscellaneous V, W, Y
(includes 1965 letter from Jean Volkmer concerning conservation of a Porter painting and a 1953 letter from Hudson Walker)
First Name Only, Albert
Illegible and Unsigned Letters
Miscellaneous A
Channing, Katherine M. "Kee"
Miscellaneous F
(includes copy of a 1956 letter sent to Alfred Frankfurter and Betty Chamberlain)
Miscellaneous G-N
(includes drafts of letters to Clement Greenberg and Dwight MacDonald)
O'Hara, Frank
Porter, Anne
Porter, Anne
Porter, Anne
Porter, Anne
Porter, Ruth Furness
Porter, Ruth Furness
Porter, Ruth Furness
Porter, Ruth Furness
Porter, Ruth Furness
Porter, Ruth Furness
Porter, Ruth Furness
Miscellaneous P, W
First Names Only
Writings by Fairfield Porter include manuscripts and corrected typescripts of artist profiles, art criticism and theory, talks and lectures, notes, research, preparatory writings, poetry, translations, and other writings. Artist profiles include essays about Richard Stankiewicz, Joseph Cornell, and Albert York. Porter's essays on various art-related subjects are often found in multiple drafts and are filed under the title of what appears to be the latest draft. Early versions of these writings are found in Porter's research notes and other notebooks. Teaching notes include a class register and syllabus for a 1969 art course taught at Queens College in New York. Reviewing notebooks contain detailed notes and rough sketches from visits with artists made while Porter was writing criticism. Other notebooks contain a variety of entries, including prose writings and scattered poems, sketches, and other notes. Scattered notes are also found in many of the sketchbooks in th e Artwork series.
Two folders of poetry manuscripts by Porter, and a single poem by Porter and Kenneth Koch, contain a mix of published and unpublished poems, often in multiple drafts. A few of Porter's translations from French of Stéphane Mallarmé's poetry are present in various drafts. Miscellaneous Creative Writings include a work of experimental fiction called "Lake Mahopac," a school essay entitled "A Neighbor," and a tune Porter composed for the William Blake poem "Ah, Sunflower."
Writings in this series represent only a small portion of Porter's literary output. See Printed Materials and Anne Porter's Posthumous Projects for published writings.
Artist Profiles
Reviews
"Art Reveals the Nature of Society"
"Art Should be Independent of Science"
"The Arts Today: Reflection of a Sick Society?"
"The Class Content of Modern Painting"
"Poets and Painters in Collaboration"
"Technology and Artistic Perception"
"Technology and Artistic Perception"
untitled
untitled
Talks and Lectures
Paint Recipes
Research Notes
Research Notes
Research Notes
Research Notes
Research Notes
Research Notes
Miscellaneous Notes
Reviewing Notebook
Reviewing Notebook
Reviewing Notebook
Reviewing Notebook
Reviewing Notebook
Reviewing Notebook
Other Notebook
Other Notebooks
Other Notebooks
Other Notebooks
Other Notebooks
Other Notebooks
Other Notebook
Poetry
Poetry
Translations from Mallarmé
Miscellaneous Creative Writings
This series includes essays, diaries, poetry, notes, and other writings. Writings about Fairfield Porter include essay-length memoirs by several of his contemporaries and criticism of his writings and art written by Rackstraw Downs and others. Travel Diaries written by Porter's mother, Ruth Porter, document three family trips to Europe between 1922 and 1931. A typescript created by Anne Porter from letters she wrote to her mother between 1931 and 1960 contains passages from those letters that mention Fairfield Porter. The original letters were destroyed by Anne Porter.
Poetry manuscripts are arranged by author, with unsigned poems at the end of the series. Included are poems in typescript and corrected typescript by some of Porter's well-known friends including John Ashbery, Robert Dash, Edwin Denby, Howard Griffin, Kenneth Koch, Carl Morse, Frank O'Hara, Larry Rivers, James Schuyler, and David Shapiro. Additional poetry manuscripts can be found in Correspondence. Published poetry is filed with Printed Materials.
Miscellaneous essays are filed alphabetically by author with unsigned essays filed at the end of the series. These include writings of family members, including Fairfield Porter's mother, Ruth Porter, and maternal grandmother, Lucy Fairchild Furness. Also found are articles by cosmologist Arthur Young with notes by Fairfield Porter, and a review of James Schuyler's
Throughout this series, photocopies are filed separately and have not been scanned.
Memoirs
Memoirs
Criticism
Criticism
Criticism
Travel Diaries by Ruth Porter
Travel Diaries by Ruth Porter
Travel Diaries by Ruth Porter
Excerpts from Letters by Anne Porter (1931-1960)
Excerpts from Letters by Anne Porter (1931-1960)
Excerpts from Letters by Anne Porter (1931-1960)
Excerpts from Letters by Anne Porter (1931-1960)
John Ashbery
Susan Baran
Sisco E.S. Barnard
Barbara Channing Birch
Marc Cohen
Robert Dash
Edwin Denby
Maggie Eaton
Margaret Tynes Fairley
Howard Griffin
Kenneth Koch (with Janice Koch)
Jamie Levinson Morris
Carl Morse
Frank O'Hara
Frank O'Hara
Johnny Porter
Laurence Porter
Ruth Furness Porter
(also includes short story manuscript)
Larry Rivers
James Schuyler
David Shapiro
Mary Soles
Ralph Wright
Unknown Author 1
Unknown Author 2
Unknown Author 3
Unknown Author 4
Miscellaneous Unknown Authors
Lucy Fairchild Furness
Ruth Furness Porter
Arthur Young (with notes by Fairfield Porter)
Unknown Author on James Schuyler
Personal Business Records include account books, receipts, notes, business agreements, correspondence, bank records, inventories of artwork, appraisals, copyright registrations, and other records related to Fairfield Porter's professional activities and, to a lesser extent, personal finances. This series is arranged by type of material.
Gallery records include contractual agreements, accounting statements of painting sales, inventories, insurance claims, and scattered correspondence. The bulk of gallery records are for Tibor de Nagy Gallery, the first to represent Porter, and Hirschl and Adler Gallery, which represented Porter from 1972 on and managed his estate after his death. Also found are records from the Brooke Alexander Gallery, which handled Porter's small oeuvre of limited edition prints.
Inventories and appraisals include property appraisals of furnishings and other assets, as well as detailed artwork inventories created after Porter's death. Additional artwork inventories are found with gallery records for Hirschl and Adler Gallery.
Detailed records are also found relating to the major estate gift of Porter's collection to the Parrish Art Museum (Southampton, NY), as well as smaller gifts and loans made by Anne Porter to various museums and galleries after Porter's death. These records are arranged by museum or organization name. Museum research contains notes and printed materials related to the estate settlement.
Account Books
Account Books
Account Books
Account Books
Account Books
Account Books
Account Books
Account Books
Tibor de Nagy Gallery Contract and Sales Records
Tibor de Nagy Gallery Contract and Sales Records
Tibor de Nagy Gallery Contract and Sales Records
Tibor de Nagy Gallery Contract and Sales Records
Tibor de Nagy Gallery Contract and Sales Records
Tibor de Nagy Gallery Inventories
M. Knoedler and Company Gallery
Hirschl and Adler Gallery
Hirschl and Adler Gallery
Hirschl and Adler Gallery
Hirschl and Adler Gallery
Hirschl and Adler Gallery
Hirschl and Adler Gallery
Brooke Alexander, Inc.
Brooke Alexander, Inc.
Brooke Alexander, Inc.
Brooke Alexander, Inc.
Other Galleries and Misellaneous Receipts
Inventories and Appraisals
Inventories and Appraisals
Inventories and Appraisals
Artwork Inventory Notes
Receipts and Deeds of Gift
Correspondence and Minutes
Drafts of Master List
Press Clipping Report
Other Loans and Gifts
Other Loans and Gifts
This series contains research, writings, and correspondence related to three publication projects executed by Anne Porter and various editors after the death of her husband, Fairfield Porter. Projects include a catalog raisonée of Porter's artwork edited by Joan Ludman, an edition of collected letters edited by Ted Leigh, and an edition of collected poems edited by John Yau.
Materials for the catalog raisonée include notes, correspondence, reproductions of works of art, and clippings. Correspondence contains information about the provenance and subject matter of artworks. Correspondents include John MacWhinnie, Lucian Day, Bill Berkson, and Larry Campbell. Also found is a letter concerning a forged painting, and two proposals for the catalog raisonée project.
Materials related to the collected letters include correspondence between Anne Porter and Ted Leigh, copies of letters from a few of Porter's correspondents including James Schuyler, and a manuscript of an article by Leigh. The collected poems file contains correspondence, a typescript and a corrected proof for the 1985 publication. A copy of the Collected Poems is filed with Printed Materials. Manuscripts of Porter's poetry are filed with Writings. Publicity for these publications is filed with Printed Materials.
Catalog Raisonée Materials
Catalog Raisonée Materials
Catalog Raisonée Materials
Collected Letters Materials
Collected Letters Materials
Printed materials include printed artwork, books, book covers, clippings, magazines, exhibition catalogs, posters, chapbooks, journals, reproductions of works of art, and other printed miscellany primarily related to the art and writings of Fairfield Porter and others in his circle.
Books include a book about Thomas Eakins written by Porter and a book about the New York School with an article Porter wrote about Richard Stankiewicz. Book covers illustrated by Porter are found for books of poetry by James Schuyler, Kenneth Koch, and John Koethe. Clippings include magazines, magazine clippings, newspaper clippings, and other ephemeral publications. Reviews by Porter, mostly for
Exhibition catalogs and posters are present for Porter's individual and group exhibitions. A file of items found in Porter's studio at the time of his death consist mostly of photographs and illustrations clipped from newspapers and reproductions of works of art.
Poetry publications include chapbooks, journals, and books. Volumes containing poems by the Fairfield and/or Anne Porter are filed at the beginning. Poetry publications include the magazine
Subject files include pamphlets, newsletters, and brochures related to nuclear energy, an issue with which Porter was involved, and Subud, a spiritual practice Porter followed. Printed miscellany includes a teaching guide for a slide program of Porter's paintings created by the Parrish Art Museum.
Portions of this series have not been digitized.
Reviews by Porter
Reviews by Porter
Artwork by Porter
Articles about Porter
Articles about Porter
Articles about Porter
Articles about Porter
Articles about Porter
Articles about Porter
Articles about Porter
Articles about Porter
Articles about Porter
Articles about Porter
Reviews of Anne Porter's Poetry
Miscellaneous Clippings
Exhibition Catalogs
Exhibition Catalogs
Exhibition Catalogs
Exhibition Catalogs
Exhibition Catalogs
Exhibition Catalogs
Exhibition Catalogs
Exhibition Catalogs
Exhibition Catalogs
Exhibition Catalogs
Exhibition Catalogs
This series includes photographs of Fairfield Porter, his family, homes and studios, photographic studies, and works of art. Most of the photographs are unattributed, but photographs by James Schuyler, John MacWhinnie, Ellen "Pit" Auerbach, and Edith Schloss are found. Photographs of Fairfield Porter are filed at the beginning of the series, except for his childhood photographs, wedding photographs, and photographs of Porter with his wife and children, which are filed with family photographs. New York City street scenes appear to have been used as studies for some of Porter's paintings. Photographs of works of art by others include paintings by Alex Katz and Alex Haberstroh that were owned by the Porters, and a bust of Porter sculpted by Robert White. See file headings below for more information about subjects.
Throughout this series, duplicates, negatives, and copy prints have not been scanned. The remainder of the series has been selectively scanned.
Fairfield Porter
With Siblings and Friends
In Studio, Gallery, Working
Childhood Photographs of Fairfield Porter and Family
Childhood Photographs of Fairfield Porter and Family
Childhood Photographs of Fairfield Porter and Family
Anne Channing Porter and Family
Wedding Photographs
Fairfield Porter, Anne Porter, and Their Children in Groups
Fairfield Porter, Anne Porter, and Their Children in Groups
Fairfield and Anne Porter with Their Grandchildren
Possibly Winnetka, Illinois Home
Great Spruce Head Island, Maine
Southampton, New York
Artwork includes sketchbooks, loose sketches and drawings, illustrations, prints, and cartoons by Fairfield Porter. Artwork by others includes works of Peggy Bacon, Alex Haberstroh, Leon Hartl, and Edith Schloss, and a portrait of Porter in pencil by Joe Brainard.
Sketchbooks contain sketches and drawings in pencil, charcoal, ink, watercolor, and pastel of subjects similar to those found in Porter's paintings: homes, family, landscapes, city street scenes, and figure studies. Notes in Anne Porter's handwriting are found in many of the sketchbooks and on sketches, and were presumably made retrospectively, upon donation of the collection. Sketchbooks also contain notes written by Fairfield Porter. Many of the dates assigned to sketchbooks in this finding aid have been estimated based on the relationship of sketches to dated paintings.
Loose sketches and drawings are mostly from Porter's early career and schooling. Life Class Sketches are from the Art Students League and from Barbara Merrick's dance class, and include two black and white oil paintings on paper. Sketches for murals and frescoes are related to two commissioned works from the 1930s, and also include sketches in oil. A mixed group of early sketches of landscapes, people, street scenes, and copies of museum pieces, filed under the heading "miscellaneous sketches and drawings," appear to contain the pages of two disassembled travel sketchbooks, among other sketches. Sketches and drawings of people are mostly of family members, with scattered sketches of friends, neighbors, and interiors of family homes. Miscellaneous landscape sketches also include several sketches in oil. Miscellaneous painted sketches include several scenes from a trip to the Western United States in 1938, along with other landscapes, scenes, and still lifes in oil and watercolor.
Illustrations made for the socialist arts organization Rebel Arts include a silk-screened poster and a drawing for a print made by Porter in the 1930s. Other prints found in this series are from the same era, and several of them were published in John Wheelwright's chapbooks, copies of which are filed in Printed Materials. Also among the prints is a lithograph illustrating Dostoyevsky's
Throughout this series, duplicates, negatives, and copy prints have not been scanned. The remainder of the series has been selectively scanned.
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbooks
Sketchbooks
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbooks
Sketchbooks
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbooks
Sketchbooks
Sketchbooks
Sketchbook
Sketchbooks
Sketchbooks
Sketchbooks
Sketchbooks
Sketchbooks
Sketchbooks
Childhood Drawings
Life Class Sketches
Murals and Frescoes
People
People
Miscellaneous Sketches and Drawings
Miscellaneous Sketches and Drawings
Miscellaneous Sketches and Drawings
Miscellaneous Sketches and Drawings
Miscellaneous Sketches and Drawings
(Includes sketches from European travels)
Miscellaneous Landscapes
Miscellaneous Landscapes
Miscellaneous Landscapes
Miscellaneous Painted Sketches
Rebel Arts Illustrations
Prints
Cartoons
Print by Peggy Bacon
Drawing of Fairfield Porter by Joe Brainard
Drawing by Dick Freeman
Drawings by Alex Haberstroh
Drawing by Leon Hartl
Music by Jimmy Lennon
Childhood Drawings of Johnny Porter
Print by Edith Schloss
Artist Unknown