About the Kay Sage papers
All information on this page comes from A Finding Aid to the Kay Sage Papers, ![[Download PDF Version]](/images/website/pdficon_small.gif)
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Biographical Information | Description of the Collection | How to Use the Collection
Biographical Information [+]
Kay Sage was born Katherine Linn Sage in Albany, New York in 1898 to Ann and Henry Manning Sage, a state senator. After her parents divorced she lived in Europe with her mother from 1900 to 1914, spending most of that time in Italy. She returned to the United States for schooling from 1914 to 1919 and then returned to Italy where she worked for a short time at the Scuola Libera delle Belle Arti in Rome. In 1925 she married Prince Ranieri di San Faustino, but they divorced in 1935. Around this time Sage began to paint in an abstract style, and quickly developed an interest in surrealism. She had her first solo exhibition in Italy in 1936 and the next year moved to Paris where she met surrealist painter Yves Tanguy. Tanguy introduced her to other surrealist painters in Paris and she soon began exhibiting with them. During World War II, Sage returned to the United States. In 1940 she and Tanguy were married, and that same year she had her first American exhibition at the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York City. In 1941 she and Tanguy settled in Woodbury, Connecticut and named their home "Town Farm". Sage and Tanguy continued to exhibit their work with great success, ultimately leading to a joint exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum in 1954. READ MORE
Description of the Collection
Overview - Scope and Contents [+]
The scattered papers of surrealist painter Kay Sage measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1925 to circa 1985, with the bulk of the material dating from 1950 to 1965. Information about Sage's life as an abstract and surrealist artist and her relationship with her husband, artist Yves Tanguy are found in this small collection of biographical materials, correspondence, printed material, and photographs. READ MORE
Arrangement and Series Description
The collection is arranged into four series:
- Series 1: Biographical Material and Business Records, 1925-1963, circa 1985 (Box 1; 9 folders)
- Series 2: Correspondence, 1945-1963 (Box 1; 5 folders)
- Series 3: Printed Material, circa 1930-1974 (Box 1; 4 folders)
- Series 4: Photographs, circa 1950-1965 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Subjects
This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Archives of American Art under the following index terms. People, families and organizations are listed under "Subjects" when they are the topic of collection contents and under "Names" when they are creators or contributors.
- Subjects:
- Tanguy, Yves, 1900-1955
- Subjects-Topical:
- Women painters -- Connecticut -- Woodbury
- Surrealism -- United States
- Painters -- Connecticut -- Woodbury
- Types of Materials:
- Photographs
- Names:
- Monagan, John S.
- Catherine Viviano Gallery
Provenance
John S. Monagan, attorney for Kay Sage's estate loaned a portion of this collection for microfilming in 1980 and subsequently donated the same material in 1989, as well as additional materials in 1994.
How the Collection was Processed
Material loaned in 1980 for microfilming on reel 2013 and subsequently donated in 1989 was merged with the later 1994 accretion during archival processing in 2006 as part of the Terra Foundation for American Art Digitization Grant. The collection was digitized in 2007.
How to Use the Collection
Restrictions on Use
The Kay Sage papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
This collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
Available Formats
This collection has been digitized. View the Kay Sage papers online
The collection was digitized in 2007 and is available via the Archives of American Art's website.
Related Collections
Also available at the Archives of American Art are the Flora Whitney Miller papers regarding Kay Sage, as well as China Eggs, Kay Sage's unpublished memoirs covering the period circa 1910 to 1935, available on microfilm reel 685.
Separated Materials
A game, "Fiddlesticks" given to Sage from Joseph Cornell and donated to the Archives of American Art as part of this collection was removed and transferred to the Joseph Cornell Study Center at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
How to Cite this Collection
Kay Sage papers, 1925-circa 1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.