Biographical Note

Avigdor Arikha, 1929-2010, was a French-Israeli painter and art historian, famous for both his art and his various connections in the art and theatre world, including his relationship with Samuel Beckett, 1906-1989. Born to a Jewish Romanian family, Arikha and his family faced deportation to a Romanian concentration camp in 1941, and some of his works reflect his experiences surviving the Holocaust. After emigrating to France in the early 1950s, Arikha started as an abstractionist and later painting and drawing only from life, rather than photographs or memory. As an art historian, he frequented the European art and theatre scenes from the 1950s till his death. Arikha illustrated some of Samuel Beckett's works, and he and his wife, poet Anne Atik, 1932-, became Beckett's close confidantes. They exchanged many letters and postcards during the latter half of the twentieth century.

Scope and Contents

The Arikha mss., 1933-2011, consists of correspondence from writer Samuel Beckett, 1906-1989, to Avigdor Arikha, 1929-2010, and Arikha's wife, poet Anne Atik, 1932-. Arikha's various collected periodicals, catalogues, theatre ephemera, criticisms of Beckett, and other related items.

Correspondence includes letters and postcards from Samuel Beckett to Avigdor and Anne, as well as some miscellaneous items. Criticism includes critical essays about Samuel Beckett. Periodicals includes newpapers, magazines, and journals with stories, review, or entries about Beckett. Art Catalogues includes catalogues to various art gallery and museum exhibits. Theatre Ephemera contains pamphlets, programs, clippings, and other materials related to the theatre scene of Arikha's time, some items with many items relating to productions of Beckett. Miscellaneous includes various items that could not be organized into other series.

Arrangement

This collection is organized into the following series: I. Correspondence, II. Criticism, III. Periodicals, IV. Art Catalogues, V. Theatre Ephemera, and VI. Miscellaneous.

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access: This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use: Prior arrangements are not necessary before coming to the Library. However, patrons from out of town are encouraged to communicate with the Library in advance of their visits to ascertain availability of materials.Photocopying permitted only with permission of the curator.

Related Material

See Mitchell/Beckett mss., also located at the Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Subject Headings

Persons

Arikha, Avigdor, 1929-2010

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Item], Arikha mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchase: 2011

Table of Contents

I. CORRESPONDENCE

II. CRITICISM

III. PERIODICALS

IV. ART CATALOGUES

V. THEATRE EPHEMERA

VI. MISCELLANEOUS