Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Joaquin Torres-García Papers, 1921-1974, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.torrjoaq
Creators:
Torres-García, Joaquín, 1874-1949
Dates:
1921-1974
Languages:
Letters and most printed items are in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and English.
Physical Description:
0.2 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of Joaquin Torres-García measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1921 to 1974. The papers document Torres-García's career as an artist and writer through twenty-eight photocopied letters from Katherine Dreier, Marcel Duchamp, Julio Gonzalez, Joan Miro, Piet Mondrian, Jean Xceron, Theo Van Doesburg, Michel Seuphor, and Maria Ewa Łunkiewicz-Rogoyska, 1921-1943; an essay "Le Planisme de Torres-Garcia" by Van Doesburg, 1929; photographs of Torres-García's work; clippings, 1929-1971; and 7 exhibition announcements and catalogs, 1921-1974.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of Joaquin Torres-García measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1921 to 1974. The papers document Torres-García's career as an artist and writer through twenty-eight photocopied letters from Katherine Dreier, Marcel Duchamp, Julio Gonzalez, Joan Miro, Piet Mondrian, Jean Xceron, Theo Van Doesburg, Michel Seuphor, and Maria Ewa Łunkiewicz-Rogoyska, 1921-1943; an essay "Le Planisme de Torres-Garcia" by Van Doesburg, 1929; photographs of Torres-García's work; clippings, 1929-1971; 7 exhibition announcements and catalogs, 1921-1974.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into one series
  • Series 1: Joaquin Torres-Garcia papers, 1921-1974 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Joaquin Torres-García (1874-1949) was a painter and writer from Uruguay. Torres-García was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1874, and he emigrated to Spain in 1891 where he began his artistic career. He primarily worked in Spain, but he also spent time in the United States, Uruguay, and other parts of Europe. Torres-García sought to integrate classicism and modernism in his works and he was a proponent of the Latin American Constructivist movement. He collaborated with Antoni Gaudi on the stained glass windows for the Palma Cathedral and La Sagrada Familia, and he also created frescoes for the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya. In addition to his artwork, Torres-García published over 150 books, essays and articles in Catalan, Spanish, French and English, and delivered more than 500 lectures. He founded several art schools in Spain and Montevideo and a number of artistic groups, including the first European abstract-art group. Torres-García founded the magazine Cercle et Carré (Circle and Square) in Paris in 1929. Torres-García died on 8 August 1949.

Administration

Author
Ricky Gomez
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Copies of letters donated by Cecilia Torres, Torres-García's daughter-in-law in 1977. Originals owned by the Getty Research Institute, History of Art and the Humanities.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of the collection are found on 35mm microfilm reels 4706-4707 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2022.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
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 Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Preferred Citation
Joaquin Torres-García papers, 1921-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Latino and Latin American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- Uruguay Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Authors Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- Spain Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Constructivism (Art) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Miró, Joan, 1893- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Summerfield, Anne, 1917- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Doesburg, Theo van, 1883-1931 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Xceron, Jean, 1890-1967 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dreier, Katherine Sophie, 1877-1952 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
González, Julio, 1876-1942 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Łunkiewicz-Rogoyska, Maria Ewa, 1895-1967 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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