R. B. Kitaj
Artist R. B. Kitaj made two gifts of his papers to the Charles E. Young Research Library Department of Special Collections, the first in 2006 and the second shortly before his death in October 2007. The papers span the years 1950 to 2007, with the bulk of the material from between 1975 and 2004. They include materials from art academies, assorted writings by Kitaj, personal and business correspondence, and publicity materials.
Of particular interest are the artist's autobiographical writings; his correspondence with individuals including Frank Auerbach, Isaiah Berlin, Peter Blake, Lee Friedlander, David Hockney, Paul McCartney, Philip Roth, and Leon Wieseltier; sketches he made on napkins; and A Day Book, a collaboration between Kitaj and Robert Creeley. The collection also contains many letters to and from galleries, museums, universities, and publishers, as well as meeting minutes and other materials from the Royal Academy of Arts.
Selections from the papers and from related collections are featured in the exhibit "Portrait of a Jewish Artist: R. B. Kitaj in Text and Image," which is on view in the department through March 21.
