Putnam Collection of Sculpture, Princeton University

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The John B. Putnam, Jr. Memorial Collection of Sculpture is a group of outdoor sculptures distributed through the Princeton University campus in Princeton, New Jersey. The collection is made up of works from 20th and 21st century sculptors. [1] In March 1968, President Robert Goheen announced that an anonymous donor gave a $1 million fund for the collection in honor of Princeton alumni John B. Putnam, Jr., Lieutenant U.S.A, who was killed in action during World War II. [2] [3] The works were selected based on a committee of alumni who current or former directors of art museums, [3] and the first 20 were purchased in 1969 and 1970. [4]

Contents

The collection was first designed to have only 20 sculptures, [4] but after receiving George Segal's Abraham and Issac, in 1979, the total catalogue increased to 21. [5] The Princeton University Art Museum describes the collection as "not a static phenomenon" and that "work is underway to identify and purchase or commission works by artists." [1]

List of sculptures

Original twenty

The following is the twenty original sculptures before later ones were added. [4]

Name of PieceArtistExecutedInstalledMaterialLocationImageReferences
Atmosphere and Environment X Louise Nevelson 1969–19701971Cor-Ten steelBetween Nassau Street and Firestone Library
"Atmosphere and Environment X" by Louise Nevelson.jpg
[6] [7]
Construction in the Third and Fourth Dimension Antoine Pevsner 1961–19621972Cast bronzeCourtyard of Jadwin Hall Construction in the Third and Fourth Dimension.jpg [8] [9]
Cubi XIII David Smith 19631969Stainless steelBetween McCormick Hall and Whig Hall
Cubi XIII by David Smith.jpg
[10] [11]
Five Disks: One Empty Alexander Calder 1969–19701971Painted mild steelFine Hall Plaza Five DIsks One Empty.jpg [12] [13]
Floating Figure Gaston Lachaise 19271969Cast bronzeCompton Court, Graduate College
"Floating Figure" by Gaston Lachaise.jpg
[14] [15]
Head of a WomanDesigned by Pablo Picasso; executed by Carl Nesjar 1971 [a] 1971Cast concrete, granite, and quartziteLocated on the lawn between Spelman Halls and New South Building
Princeton University Museum.jpg
[16] [17]
Marok-Marok-Miosa Eduardo Paolozzi 19651969Welded aluminumStairwell of the Architecture Building Marok-Marok-Miosa.jpg [18] [19]
Mastodon VIMichael Hall19681969Bronze and aluminumCourtyard of MacMillan Building [20] [21]
Moses Tony Smith 1967–19681969 [b] Painted mild steelLawn in front of Prospect House
Princeton University Prospect sculp.jpg
[22] [23]
Northwood II Kenneth Snelson 19701973Stainless steelEast Dormitory Courtyard of the Graduate College Northwood II.jpg [24] [25]
Oval with Points Henry Moore 1969–701971BronzeBetween Stanhope Hall and Morrison Hall Oval with Points 2021.jpg [26] [27]
Professor Albert Einstein Sir Jacob Epstein 19331970Cast bronzeFine Hall Library [28] [29]
Song of the Vowels Jacques Lipchitz 1969 [c] 1969Cast bronzeBetween Firestone Library and the University Chapel Song of the Vowels.jpg [30] [31]
Sphere VI Arnaldo Pomodoro 19661969Polished bronzeEntrance of Fine Hall Library [d] Sphere VI by Arnaldo Pomodoro.jpg [32] [33]
Spheric Theme Naum Gabo 1973–19741974Stainless steelCourtyard of the Engineering Quadrangle Spheric Theme.jpg [34] [35]
Stone Riddle Masayuki Nagare 19671972Black graniteCourtyard of Engineering Quadrangle Stone Riddle.jpg [36] [37]
The Bride Reg Butler 1956–19611970Cast bronzeCourtyard of Rockefeller College The Bride Sculpture.jpg [38] [39]
Two Planes Vertical Horizontal II George Rickey 19701972Stainless steelBetween East Pyne Hall and the University Chapel Two Planes Vertical Horizontal II.jpg [40] [41]
Upstart II Clement Meadmore 19701973Cor-Ten steelEntrance to the Engineering Quadrangle Upstart II, Princeton Sculpture.jpg [42] [43]
White Sun Isamu Noguchi 19661970Saravezza marbleLobby of Firestone Library White Sun Sculpture.jpg [44] [45]

Official additions

Once the initial collection was finished, the university received George Segal's Abraham and Issac as a gift in 1979. [5] The piece was commissioned for Kent State University in memorial of the 1970 Kent State shootings, but it was deemed too provocative. [46] [47] Segal subsequently donated it to Princeton as it was where he taught sculpture, [47] and it was installed in 1979. [48] The university would continue to receive additional sculptures through purchasing, continued support by the Putnam family through the Mildred Andrews Fund, or as gifts from artists; however, only Segal's work was included in the collection. [5]

Name of PieceArtistExecutedInstalledMaterialLocationImageReferences
Abraham and Isaac: In Memory of May 4, 1970, Kent State University George Segal 1978–19791979Cast bronzeBetween Firestone Library and the University Chapel Abraham and Isaac Princeton Statue.jpg [48] [49] [3]

Unofficial additions

The Princeton University Art Museum classifies several other pieces of artwork as falling under either the collection, although no reference to them as official additions can be found. [e] Additionally, while the art museum's map on the Putnam Collection labels Scott Burton's Public Table as part of the collection, [50] [f] no official publication nor the listing on the art museum's website considers it an official component. [51] [52]

Name of PieceArtistExecutedInstalledMaterialLocationImageReferences
Einstein's Table Maya Lin 20192019Jet Mist GraniteLewis Arts Complex [53] [54]
The Princeton Line Maya Lin 20182018Earth drawingLewis Arts Complex The Princeton Line.jpg [55] [54]
URODA Ursula von Rydingsvard 20152015Copper, steel, bronzeEntrance to the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment [56]

Putnam funding

Several works on campus, while not part of the collection, have received funding from either the Mildred Andrews Fund, like Scott Burton's Public Table, [52] or the John B. Putnam Jr. Memorial Fund, like Doug and Mike Starn's (Any) Body Oddly Propped. [57]

Notes

  1. ↑ Designed in 1962
  2. ↑ The piece was fabricated and installed during the same year.
  3. ↑ Designed in 1931–1932
  4. ↑ Previously located at the courtyard formed by Lourie-Love Hall and 1922, 1940, 1941, and 1942 dormitories
  5. ↑ More specifically, with the most recent literature on the collection being published before the latest additions, it is unclear if the pieces are a part of the official catalogue.
  6. ↑ The map also includes Maya Lin's Einstein's Table and The Princeton Line, while forgetting Sir Jacob Epstein's Professor Albert Einstein, David Smith's Cubi XIII, and Michael Hall's Mastodon VI.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Campus Collections". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  2. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 12.
  3. 1 2 3 Kiefer-Roulet, Evelyn (September 1, 2008). "The John and Mildred Putnam Sculpture Collection Patronage and the Role of a Campus Sculpture Collection". Collections. 4 (3): 266. doi: 10.1177/155019060800400307 . ISSN   1550-1906.
  4. 1 2 3 Leitch 1978, p. 397–398.
  5. 1 2 3 Kelleher 1982, p. 8.
  6. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 76.
  7. ↑ "Atmosphere and Environment X (y1969-18)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Construction in the Third and Fourth Dimension (y1969-130)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  9. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 88.
  10. ↑ "Cubi XIII (y1969-19)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  11. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 108.
  12. ↑ "Five Disks: One Empty (y1969-126)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  13. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 40.
  14. ↑ "Floating Figure (y1969-72)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  15. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 56.
  16. ↑ "Head of a Woman (y1969-131)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  17. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 92–93.
  18. ↑ "Marok-Marok-Miosa (y1969-21)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  19. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 84.
  20. ↑ "Mastodon VI (y1969-81)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  21. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 52.
  22. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 112.
  23. ↑ "Moses (y1969-104)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  24. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 116.
  25. ↑ "Northwood II (y1969-16)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  26. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 68.
  27. ↑ "Oval with Points (y1969-128)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Professor Albert Einstein (y1970-115)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  29. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 44.
  30. ↑ "Song of the Vowels (y1969-22)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  31. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 60.
  32. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 96.
  33. ↑ "Sphere VI (y1969-20)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Spheric Theme (y1974-85)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  35. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 48.
  36. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 72.
  37. ↑ "Stone Riddle (y1972-41)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  38. ↑ "The Bride (y1969-127)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  39. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 36.
  40. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 100.
  41. ↑ "Two Planes Vertical Horizontal II (y1972-42)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  42. ↑ "Upstart II (y1971-13)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  43. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 64.
  44. ↑ "White Sun (y1969-129)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  45. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 80.
  46. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 104–105.
  47. 1 2 Burgess, Daniel (November 20, 2019). "Art in the bubble: 'Abraham and Isaac'". The Daily Princetonian . Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  48. 1 2 Kelleher 1982, p. 104.
  49. ↑ "Abraham and Isaac: In Memory of May 4, 1970, Kent State University (y1978-49)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  50. ↑ "Putnam Collection". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  51. ↑ Kelleher 1982, p. 35.
  52. 1 2 "Public Table". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  53. ↑ "Einstein's Table (2019-238)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  54. 1 2 Spike, Carlett (December 4, 2019). "On the Campus: Maya Lin's 'The Princeton Line' and 'Einstein's Table'". Princeton Alumni Weekly . Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  55. ↑ "The Princeton Line (2018-88)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  56. ↑ "URODA (2015-6739)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  57. ↑ "(Any) Body Oddly Propped (2015-6737)". Princeton University Art Museum. Princeton University. Retrieved July 27, 2021.

Bibliography

Works cited

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