Robert Graham's collection of forty artist's letters includes letters to and from numerous significant American artists, primarily from the mid- to late- nineteenth century. Found are letters from John Brown, Thomas Biddle, Thomas Doughty, G. P. A. Healy, Daniel Huntington, Henry Inman, Emanuel Leutze, Samuel F. B. Morse, Rembrandt Peale, Luigi Persico, John Singer Sargent, Benjamin West, Joseph Wood, and other artists.
The letters discuss a wide variety of unrelated scattered topics, but are primarily about current work and commissions. Items of note include three letters from Thomas Doughty and one letter from William M. Hart, both Hudson River School painters, to Uriah Levison, discussing paintings Levison commissioned from them. Also found is a letter from sculptor Luigi Persico to the Library of Congress concerning a possible commission for an equestrian statue of George Washington. Letters from Rembrandt Peale concern a portrait of George Washington, and a letter from Thomas Sully to Asher B. Durand requests etchings of two paintings. Also of note are letters from artist John Trumbull, including one to Andrew Robertson in which he discusses many general issues such as the British economy's effect on arts patronage and the engraving of one of his paintings. The collection contains three letters from Benjamin West, including a letter from West to Charles Willson Peale in which he inquires about a painting of George Washington, and a letter to Trumbull congratulating him on the opening of an "Academy of Art."
The collection contains a few additional items, including an engraved bookplate signed by John Callender, receipts signed by Francis Bicknell Carpenter and William Miller, Thomas Biddle's stock certificate for a share in the Philadelphia Academy of the Fine Arts, and G. P. A. Healy's portrait price list.
Collection Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
Collection Rights:
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.
Collection Citation:
Robert C. Graham collection of artists' letters, 1783-1935. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
