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Pierre Bourdelle Papers

An inventory of his Papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: -
Date: May 16, 2000

Biographical History

Pierre Bourdelle ( 1903-1966) was a sculptor, painter, and muralist. He was born in 1903 in Paris. He was the son of Emile Antoine Bourdelle and Stephanie Van Parys Bourdelle, two French artists. Emile Bourdelle was the assistant of August Rodin, the famous French sculptor. Pierre was educated in his father's studio through an apprenticeship. Upon his father's death he immigrated to the United States where he became an artist in his own right. During what were to become the last years of his life, he taught at C.W. Post, which is part of the Long Island University, as an artist-in-residence. He died in 1966.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Pierre Bourdelle Papers consist of five parts: Artwork, Published Material, Subject Files, Writings, and Oversized Packages. Artwork includes actual paintings and sketches, as well as a comprehensive series of photgraphs of completed work. Published Material contains clippings of all sorts of subjects such as animals, science, people, and of course, art. Subject Files covers a wide range of material including correspondence with the American Battle Monuments Commission about Bourdelle's work for them on a war monument at St. Avold France. It also includes correspondence from between the years 1955-1966, and Bourdelle's fianancial records from his years in Haiti. Writings contains many of Bourdelle's notes as an art history teacher at C.W. Post. Oversized Packages include portfolios containing photographs of artwork, scrapbooks, paintings, prints, sketches, watercolors, murals, and posters.

Arrangement of the Collection

Boxes 1-5 contain Bourdelle's Artwork, which has been divided loosely into sketches, photographs and negatives. The subject matter is listed alphabetically where applicable. Published Material can be found in box 6 and consists of various clippings. It is followed by the Subject Files (boxes 6-7) which are listed in alphabetical order. These contain a myriad of items such as address books, materials pertaining to Post College, correspondence, financial accounts and ledgers, and other writings. The Pierre Bourdelle Papers also include 43 Oversized Packages , which contain photographs, scrapbooks, prints, sketches, watercolors, posters, murals, and paintings, in no particular order.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Bourdelle, Pierre.

Subjects

Art, Modern -- 20th century.
Artists -- United States.
Mural painting and decoration -- United States -- 20th century.
Sculptors -- United States.
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century.

Genres and Forms

Address books.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Notes (documents)
Photographs.
Photonegatives.
Sketches.

Occupations

Artists.
Painters.
Sculptors.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Pierre Bourdelle Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Ruth Bourdelle, 1969.

Table of Contents

Artwork

Published Material

Subject Files

Writings

Oversized Packages

Inventory