Research Guides: Chère Caresse: More About the Artists

Caresse Crosby was a publisher and patron of the arts whose impact and connections spanned the Lost Generation and the Beat Generation. From the Black Sun Press in 1920s Paris to her arts quarterly Portfolio (1947-49), Crosby offered creative space to the avant-garde and to those buffeted by world war. "Chère Caresse: Art in the Crosby Papers" showcases original works she collected over her long career, including an early series by Romare Bearden and intriguing pieces from Man Ray, Dorothea Tanning, Alberto Giacometti, Charles Bukowski and the German Decadent illustrator Alastair.

"Chère Caresse: Art in the Crosby Papers" will open August 22, 2023, at the Southern Illinois University Museum, 1000 Faner Drive in Carbondale.

Follow the links or read the books below to learn more about the artists included.

Caresse Crosby Papers
1912-1970, 27 linear feet
MSS 140
The Caresse Crosby Collection represents the largest extant body of Caresse and Harry Crosby's efforts in prose and poetry, printing and publishing, as well as their personal correspondence and assorted memorabilia. Of special interest is material of 20th century authors, such as a bound volume of letters to Harry and Caresse Crosby from D. H. Lawrence, galley proofs of The Bridge by Hart Crane, an extensive body of correspondence from both Kay Boyle and Ezra Pound, and artwork by Henry Miller. This collection contains all titles published by the Black Sun Press, early Black Sun Press announcements, news clippings, free-standing volumes, photographs and Caresse Crosby's literary manuscripts, poems, short stories and plays, Caresse Crosby's art work as well as early typescripts of The Passionate Years, and its unpublished sequel, Who in the World.
more...less...
The remainder of the collection consists of packages containing scrapbooks and miscellany, oversize materials that include a great deal of original artwork, Caresse Crosby's appointment calendars, inventories of the Crosby library, address books, miscellaneous documents, and several films. Political materials date from 1948 to her death in 1970.
Rosenbery, Pete. "SIU exhibit to showcase prominent artists and writers in Caresse Crosby’s diverse collection." Southenr Illinois University Carbondale News, 14 Aug. 2023.
Illustrated overview of the exhibit with contextual information from the staff of the University Museum and Special Collections Research Center.

Alastair

Alastair, Wikipedia
Very brief introduction to the artist, who was born Hans Henning Otto Harry Baron von Voigt.

Alastair: Illustrator Of Decadence by Alastair; Victor Arwas
Call Number: Dewey Books, Basement ; 741.924 V892A
"A portrait of a fascinating and elusive personality who was a natural heir to the style and reputation of Aubrey Beardsley and whose work forms a link between the decadence of the 1890s and the frivolity of the 1920s."

Romare Bearden

Romare Bearden Foundation
Extensive website covering Bearden's life and art, as well as information on artists sponsored by the Foundation.
Romare Bearden, MoMa
Brief biography and numerous reproductions of works from the Museum of Modern Art. Also links to material at Wikipedia and other sources.

An American Odyssey by Campbell, Mary Schmidt
Call Number: LC Books: 5th floor; N6537.B4 C36 2018
ISBN: 9780195059090
"Mary Schmidt Campbell offers readers an analysis of Bearden's influences and the thematic focus of his mature work. Bearden's work provides a portrait of memory and the African American past; according to Campbell, it also offers a record of the narrative impact of visual imagery in the twentieth century, revealing how the emerging popularity of photography, film and television depicted African Americans during their struggle to be recognized as full citizens of the United States."

Charles Bukowski

Charles Bukowski, Wikipedia
Detailed biography with copious links to related scholarly and popular resources.
Bukowski.net
Massive website maintained by scholars and fans with links to Bukowski's works. Also hosts an online forum for discussion and queries.

Charles Bukowski by Miles, Barry
Call Number: LC Books: 5th floor; PS3552.U4 Z775 2005x
"A major new biography on an increasingly important American literary icon, by the most acclaimed writer on the Beat Generation, Barry Miles. Miles knew all the key players in the Beat era, including William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, and also recorded with Bukowski. Having spoken with people close to Bukowski, and with a full examination of Bukowski's extensive writings, Miles has written the definitive story of the laureate of American low-life."

Jean Cocteau

Jean Cocteau, MoMa
Brief biography and numerous reproductions of works from the Museum of Modern Art. Also links to material at Wikipedia and other sources.

Jean Cocteau and the French Scene by Peters, Arthur K. (Editor)
Call Number: Dewey Books, Basement ; 842.91 C668BJ
"... eight prominent French and American authors address Cocteau's incessant artistic activities. These trenchant essays relate the poet's kaleidoscopic talents to the larger canvas of the artistic, literary, theatrical, musical, cinematic, and intellectual worlds in which he flourished."

Eldzier Cortor

Eldzier Cortor through the Eyes of His Son
Transcript of a 2020 interview with Cortor's son conducted at the Art Institute of Chicago
Eldzier Cortor, Wikipedia
Overview of Cortor's life and work with extensive links to other sources online.

History of African-American Artists by Bearden, Romare; Harry Henderson
"Examines the lives and careers of over fifty African-American artists, and the relation of their work to prevailing artistic, social, and political trends in America and throughout the world." Cortor is covered on pp. 272-279.

Salvador Dalí

Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí
Extensive website from the foundation which "manages and disseminates the legacy of Salvador Dalí located at its headquarters of Galatea Tour and the three Dalí Museums of Figueres, Púbol and Portlligat. It preserves the most complete anthology of the artists and his personal Archives."
Salvador Dalí, MoMA
Brief biography and numerous reproductions of works from the Museum of Modern Art. Also links to material at Wikipedia and other sources.

The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí by Dalí, Salvador. Haakon Chevalier
Call Number: Dewey Books, Basement ; 759.6 D143B3
"This early autobiography, which takes him through his late thirties, is as startling and unpredictable as his art. It is superbly illustrated with over 80 photographs of Dalí and his works, and scores of Dalí drawings and sketches."

May den Engelsen

May den Engelsen, Honesterotica
Caution: Page and site contain sexually explicit illustrations. Brief biography of den Engelsen and discussion of her work, with links to reproductions of her illustrations for three books of erotica.

Max Ernst

Max Ernst, MoMA
Brief biography and numerous reproductions of works from the Museum of Modern Art. Also links to material on Ernst at Wikipedia and other sources.

Max Ernst: A Retrospective by Ernst, Max; Werner Spies; Karin Von Maur
Call Number: Dewey Books, Basement ; q 759.3 E71MA
"Max Ernst (1891-1976) is one of the few incontrovertibly great artists of the twentieth century. This book provides a unique opportunity of assessing Max Ernst's achievement. The extensive plate section includes works in all medias and genres -- painting, sculpture, works on paper, book illustration -- and from all periods of the artist's career."

Pericle Fazzini

Fondazione e Archivio Storico Pericle Fazzini
Facebook page for group dedicated to preserving and promoting Fazzini's work. Many still images and videos or Fazzini's sculptures.
Fazzini, Pericle, Grove Art Online
Brief scholarly biography and overview of Fazzini's work from major art encyclopedia. Requires SIUC authentication to view.

Alberto Giacometti

Fondation-Giacometti
Extensive website including a biography, research articles, listing of exhibitions, catalogs, images of art, and current events.
Alberto Giacometti, MoMA
Brief biography and numerous reproductions of works from the Museum of Modern Art. Also links to material at Wikipedia and other sources.

Giacometti by Lord, James
Call Number: Dewey Books, Basement ; 730.9494 G429BL
" Traces the life of artist Alberto Giacometti from his Swiss family home to prominence in the modern art world."

Gounaro

G. Gounaropoulos Museum
Extensive website for the G. Gounaropoulos—Gounaro's given name—Museum, including a biography, links to scholarly works, and images from the Museum's collections.
Gounaropoulos Giorgos (Gounaro), National Gallery of Greece
Brief biography and reproductions of a handful of the artist's works.

George Grosz

George Grosz, MoMA
Large collection of digitized images with links to biographies and other material about Grosz.

George Grosz: The Berlin Years by Sabarsky, Serge; Marty Grosz; Lothar Fisher; Uwe Schnede; Christa E. Hartmann (Translator); Hanna Hannah (Translator)
Call Number: Dewey Books, Basement ; 759.3 G879BSAEH
"Grosz's savage satire of Weimar Germany's bloated politicians, military profiteers, Nazi thugs and lower-middle class are showcased in nearly 200 color reproductions of sketches, oils and watercolors which make up the bulk of this volume. Short prefatory essays provide a kaleidoscopic portrait of Grosz."

Jean Hélion

Jean Hélion: L’oeuvre de Jean Hélion
Biography and lists of major exhibitions and museum holdings.
Jean Hélion, MoMA
Brief biography and numerous reproductions of works from the Museum of Modern Art. Also links to material at Wikipedia and other sources.

Hélion by Micha, René; Jean Hélion
Call Number: Dewey Books, Basement ; q 759.4 H477YMEV
Brief overview of Hélion's work illustrated with 60 reproductions in color and black and white.

Ian Hugo

Ian Hugo, Wikipedia
Brief biography and filmography for Hugo, the pseudonym of Hugh Parker Guiler.

Bells of Atlantis (film) by Hugo, Ian
Call Number: Online, tap the title for access
""I remember my first birth in water," reads Anaïs Nin in her husband Ian Hugo's aquatic fantasy formed of "hieroglyphs of a language in which our unconscious is trying to convey important, urgent messages." The mix of charged language and stunning abstract imagery and music moves the viewer towards -- to paraphrase Marianne Moore -- "the lost continent within our selves."" Features early electronic music by Louis and Bebe Barron. Requires SIUC authentication to access. Also available in full on YouTube.
Ten Engravings by Hugo, Ian
Call Number: Special Collections (non-circulating), Oversize, 1st Floor ; Oversize 000160
Portfolio of ten prints from plates created by Hugo in the 1940s. Only 61 sets of prints where made before the plates were "cancelled".

D.H. Lawrence

D.H. Lawrence, Wikipedia
Lengthy online biography with copious links to scholarly and popular resources about Lawrence's life and work.
Books by D.H. Lawrence, Project Gutenberg
Full online text of 40 books by Lawrence in the public domain available for free.

The Life of D. H. Lawrence: An Illustrated Biography by Sagar, Keith
Call Number: Special Collections (non-circulating) ; 021675
"... an authentic, vivid biography, drawing on the 5500 Lawrence letters now available, & the many accounts of him by his relatives, friends & contemporaries."

Pietro Lazzari

Pietro Lazzari, Wikipedia
Very brief biography and career overview.
Oral history interview with Pietro Lazzari, 1964
Full transcript and partial recording of an interview conducted with Lazzari in 1964 held and digitized by the Archives of American Art

Pietro Lazzari books in the SCRC
Catalog record for 5 books of art by Lazzari published by Black Sun Press and held by SIUC's Special Collections Research Center.

Man Ray

Man Ray International Association
Provides a brief biography, an image gallery, and an impressive list of exhibitions with links to catalogs.under the "About Man Ray" heading.
Man Ray, MoMA
Brief biography and numerous reproductions of works from the Museum of Modern Art. Also links to material at Wikipedia and other sources.

Man Ray The Artist and His Shadows by Lubow, Arthur
Call Number: eBook, tap the title to access
"In this new biography, journalist and critic Arthur Lubow uses Man Ray's Jewish background as one filter to understand his life and art. Man Ray began life as Emmanuel Radnitsky, the eldest of four children born in Philadelphia to a mother from Minsk and a father from Kiev. When he was seven the family moved to the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, where both parents worked as tailors. Defying his parents, expectations that he earn a university degree, Man Ray instead pursued his vocation as an artist, embracing the modernist creed of photographer and avant-garde gallery owner Alfred Stieglitz. When at the age of thirty Man Ray relocated to Paris, he, unlike Stieglitz, made a clean break with his past."

Henri Mattise

Henri Matisse, MoMA
Brief biography and numerous reproductions of works from the Museum of Modern Art. Also links to material at Wikipedia and other sources.

The Unknown Matisse by Spurling, Hilary
Call Number: Dewey Books, Basement ; 759.4 M433Bs 1998
"The art, youth, early maturity and life of artist Henri Matisse are thoroughly examined in this biography that also includes 24 pages of color reproductions."
Matisse the Master by Spurling, Hilary
Call Number: LC Books: 5th floor; N6853.M33 S678 2005
"Fifty years after his death, this biography shows us the painter as he saw himself. With unprecedented access to new material, Spurling documents a lifetime of desperation and self-doubt."

Henry Miller

Henry Miller, Wikipedia
Sizable biography with extensive links to Miller's works, as well as academic and popular writings about Miller.

The Happiest Man Alive by Dearborn, Mary V.
Call Number: Dewey Books, Basement ; 813.5 M648BD
"... tells the story of Miller's life and works, from his early days as a struggling writer to his later years as one of the most celebrated and controversial authors of his era."

Amedeo Modigliani

Fondazione Amedeo Modigliani
Organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Modigliani's work, as well as sponsorship of current artists and areas of inquiry. Includes biographical information on Modigliani.
Amedeo Modigliani, MoMA
Brief biography and numerous reproductions of works from the Museum of Modern Art. Also links to material at Wikipedia and other sources.

Modigliani: A Life by Secrest, Meryle
Call Number: LC Books: 5th floor; ND623.M67 S43 2011
"... gives us a fully realized portrait of one of the twentieth century's master painters and sculptors ...."

Samuel Rosenberg

Samuel Rosenberg, Wikipedia
Brief biography, overview of Rosenberg's teaching career, and summary of his art.

Samuel Rosenberg: Portrait of a Painter by Jones, Barbara L.
Call Number: Request through I-Share by tapping the title
"While other artists moved to New York or Paris, painter Samuel Rosenberg, 1896-1972 never left the city he called home. From the age of twelve, when he took his first art class at a settlement house in Pittsburgh's Hill District, through a vigorous career that spanned six decades. Rosenberg was challenged by the complex city whose artistic legacy he did much to shape."

Angelo Savelli

Savelli
Biographical material, a listing of exhibits, and images of Savelli's artwork from the Archive Savelli Argenterio, an organization devoted to promoting and preserving Savelli's work.

Contemporary Artists by Cerrito, Joann (Editor)
Call Number: Oversize Books, 4th Floor ; Oversize N6489 .C66 1996x
A "bio-bibliographical" dictionary of 20th century artists. Savelli is one of the hundreds included.

Dorothea Tanning

Dorothea Tanning: Painter, Sculptor, Writer
Extensive collection of images, writings, book reviews related to Tanning's life and work assembled by the Dorothea Tanning Foundation.
Dorothea Tanning, MoMA
Brief biography and numerous reproductions of works from the Museum of Modern Art. Also links to material at Wikipedia and other sources.

Dorothea Tanning by Tanning, Dorothea; Jean C. Bailly; Richard Howard (Translator); John Russell (Introduction by)
Call Number: Dewey Books, Basement; q 759.1 T167YBA1995
"... the first comprehensive overview of a figure unique in American art. It reproduces works in every media and from every phase of her enormously inventive and productive career. Lavishly illustrated with over two hundred color plates and containing lively critical texts, a detailed chronology, and a complete bibliography, this volume is both a standard reference source and a keen meditation on the present-day re-assessment of figuration in painting."

Kristians Tonny

Kristians Tonny, Wikipedia
Basic biography and overview of Tonny's work.

Dix Portraits by Stein, Gertrude
Call Number: Special Collections (non-circulating); 007714
"Written between 1913 and 1929, revolutionary years in art history, 'Dix Portraits' conveys the deep human engagement between an artist and her subject. The artist's book unites Stein's ten portraits in prose with sketches by five artists: Pablo Picasso, Christian Berard, Eugene Berman, Pavel Tchelitchew, and Kristians Tonny."

Attribution and Sharing

Chère Caresse: More About the Artists by Cassie Wagner is licensed under CC BY 4.0

This license grants you permission to copy this guide, in part or in its entirety, as long as you follow license terms and attribute the author. There’s no need to ask for permission.

Morris Library

Chère Caresse: More About the Artists