Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Additional Online Media

Catalog Data

Interviewee:
Nakian, Reuben, 1897-  Search this
Interviewer:
Berman, Avis  Search this
Subject:
Brancusi, Constantin  Search this
Duchamp, Marcel  Search this
Dudensing, F. Valentine  Search this
French, Daniel Chester  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor  Search this
Hague, Raoul  Search this
Lachaise, Gaston  Search this
Manship, Paul  Search this
Neumann, J. B. (Jsrael Ber)  Search this
Zorach, William  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Place of publication, production, or execution:
Connecticut
Physical Description:
105 Pages, Transcript
General Note:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 15 min.
Access Note / Rights:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Summary:
An interview of Reuben Nakian conducted 1981 June 9-17, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art.
Nakian speaks of his childhood, growing up in New York City; his early interest in art; early ventures in sculpture; working for Paul Manship; meeting Daniel Chester French; teaching; early influences; his European travels; techniques and materials; the relationship of artists and suffering; his portrait busts of other artists; dealers he has been affiliated with, including Edith Halpert and Valentine Dudensing; animal sculptures; his Babe Ruth sculpture; critical and public reaction to his work. He recalls Constantin Brancusi, Marcel Duchamp, Raoul Hague, William Zorach, Gaston Lachaise, and J. B. Neumann. The third voice heard on the tape is that of Nakian's assistant, Don Ross, who helps prompt Nakian to recall certain incidents.
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Reuben Nakian, 1981 June 9-17. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
Transcript available online.
Funding:
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service. Funding for this interview was provided by the Wyeth Endowment for American Art.
Biography Note:
Reuben Nakian (1897-1986) was a sculptor from Stamford, Conn.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Sculpture -- Technique  Search this
Sculptors -- Connecticut -- Stamford -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11707
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212940
AAA_collcode_nakian81
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212940