Artine Artinian
Encyclopedia
Artine Artinian was a French
literature scholar of Armenian
descent, notable for his manuscript collection, who was immortalized as a fictional character by Gore Vidal
.
, Bulgaria
to Armenian
parents. In 1920, his family came to the United States
, settling in Attleboro, Massachusetts
. There, Artine worked as a shoeshine boy, learning English
from listening to conversations as he worked.
He later acquired such a valuable collection of French literary manuscripts that he was able to leave teaching in his 50s. He spent his retirement collecting manuscripts as well as portraits. He donated a large amount of his collection of manuscripts and art to Bowdoin College
and gave artwork to several universities and museums.
at age 97. Before his death, Professor Artinian was retired professor of French at Bard College
, in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
, where he taught for nearly 30 years. An authority on Guy de Maupassant
, he had translated and edited what is known to be the definitive English-language edition of Maupassant's short stories.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
literature scholar of Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
descent, notable for his manuscript collection, who was immortalized as a fictional character by Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
.
Background
Artine Artinian was born in PazardzhikPazardzhik
Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
to Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
parents. In 1920, his family came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, settling in Attleboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States and is immediately north of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers, Attleboro had a population of 42,068 at the 2000 census, and a population of 43,645 as of...
. There, Artine worked as a shoeshine boy, learning English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
from listening to conversations as he worked.
He later acquired such a valuable collection of French literary manuscripts that he was able to leave teaching in his 50s. He spent his retirement collecting manuscripts as well as portraits. He donated a large amount of his collection of manuscripts and art to Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
and gave artwork to several universities and museums.
Death
Artinian died at his home in Lantana, FloridaLantana, Florida
Lantana is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 9,437 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,389.-History:...
at age 97. Before his death, Professor Artinian was retired professor of French at Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
, in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
Annandale-on-Hudson is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, USA, in the Hudson Valley in the town of Red Hook, across the Hudson River from Kingston....
, where he taught for nearly 30 years. An authority on Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
, he had translated and edited what is known to be the definitive English-language edition of Maupassant's short stories.
Literature
- "Maupassant as seen by American and English writers of today", 1943
- "Guy de Maupassant and Louis Le Poittevin", 1948
- "New light on the Maupassant family", 1948
- "First publication of Maupassant's Papa de Simon", 1948
- "Guy de Maupassant and his brother Herve", 1948
- "Maupassant's Paris addresses", Johns Hopkins Press 1949
- "Maupassant and 'La terre de Virgile'", American Association of Teachers of French 1949
- "Maupassant and Gisele d'Estoc: a warning", 1952
- "Maupassant criticism in France, 1880-1940", Russell & Russell 1969
External links
- Artine Artinian Collection at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
- "Artine Artinian Collection of North Carolina Self-Portraits" at the Appalachian Cultural Museum, Boone, NC