Dorothy Varian papers
name: label: Creator
content: Varian, Dorothy, 1895-1985
label: Names
content: Bacon, Peggy, 1895-1987
label: Names
content: Brook, Alexander, 1898-1980
label: Names
content: Karfiol, Bernard, 1886-1952
label: Names
content: Klienert, Herminie
label: Names
content: Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953
label: Names
content: Marshall, Lenore, 1897-1971
label: Names
content: Peirce, Waldo, 1884-1970
label: Names
content: Schmidt, Katherine, 1898-1978
label: Names
content: Schulte, Antoinette E., 1897-1981
topic: label: Topic
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women painters
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated to the Archives of American Art in installments by Dorothy Varian in 1972, 1978, and 1981. An additonal installment was donated in 1986 by the Dorothy Varian estate, via Robert Plate.
creator: label: Creator
content: Varian, Dorothy, 1895-1985
setName: label: See more items in
content: Dorothy Varian papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of painter Dorothy Varian date from circa 1902 to 1984 and measure 2.3 linear feet.  This collection documents Varian's life primarily through scattered biographical material; correspondence with family, friends, artists and art galleries; personal business records; a few writings; exhibition catalogs, news clippings, and other printed material; photographs of Varian, her friends, and artwork; and original sketches by Varian and fellow artist Peggy Bacon.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Dorothy Varian (1895-1985) was a painter in New York City, and Woodstock, NY.  Varian was born in New York City on April 26, 1895; daughter of Eugene W. and Helen Estelle Varian. She dropped out of high school at 15 and entered Cooper Union where she graduated with honors. After Cooper Union she attended the Art Students League. While a student she inadvertently won first and second prize in a local art contest sponsored by movie producer, William Fox.  She used the prize money to rent her first studio in Woodstock.

In 1920, her cousins Jessie and C. Vanderbilt Barton provided her the means to study in Paris.  
Varian's first one-man show was held in 1922 at the Durand-Ruel Galleries in Paris.  A close friend of Varian's during this time was Jean Renior, son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  Within the first year after she returned permanently to the United States, Varian had exhibitions at the Whitney Club, Whitney Galleries, and the Downtown Galleries.  Edith Halpert, director of the Downtown Galleries became Varian's art dealer.  Varian used the money from her work to buy a home in Woodstock which became her primary painting studio.  The majority of her circle was formed during her time at the Art Students League and during her years in Paris.  Varian also met many artists who were living and working alongside her in Woodstock.  Throughout her life, she stayed in contact with many of these friends including Peggy Bacon, Alex Brook, Georgina Klitgaard, Frederick Dana Marsh, Lenore G. Marshall, and Waldo Pierce.

Varian worked primarily with watercolor and oil painting.  Varian's work has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Corcoran Galleries, Carnegie International, Whitney Museum of American Art, Association of American Artists Gallery, Brooklyn Museum, and several universities across the country.  Over the course of her career, Varian held fifteen solo exhibitions and received many awards including the Kuniyoshi Award in 1975.  Varian died in 1985 at the age of 90.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2.3 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1902-1984
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.varidoro
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Sketches
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 7 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1920-1980 (5 folders; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1917-1981 (0.8 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, 1940s-1960s (3 folders; Box 1)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1931-1984 (9 folders; Box 1)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1916-1981 (0.5 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1902-1961 (13 folders; Boxes 2-3)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1912-1924 (11 folders; Boxes 2-3)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Dominique Luster in 2014.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Portions of the collection are available on 35 mm microfilm reels 797 and 833 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketches
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of painter Dorothy Varian date from circa 1902 to 1984 and measure 2.3 linear feet.  This collection documents Varian's life primarily through scattered biographical material; correspondence with family, friends, artists and art galleries; personal business records; a few writings; exhibition catalogs, news clippings, and other printed material; photographs of Varian, her friends, including Peggy Bacon, Alex Brook, Bernard Karfiol, and Yasuo Kuniyoshi, and artwork; and original sketches by Varian and fellow artist Peggy Bacon.  

Varian's earliest correspondence is with her mother and her cousin Jessie, detailing her life as an artist in Paris. Also found is extensive correspondence with with Peggy Bacon, Hermine Kleinert, Lenore G. Marshall, Waldo Pierce, Katherine Schmidt, Antoinette Schulte, and the Renoir family.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Also found in this repository is an interview of Dorothy Varian conducted 1980 Dec. 6-7, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art.