Clarence Joseph Bulliet
Encyclopedia
Clarence Joseph Bulliet, or "C.J." Bulliet, (March 16, 1883 - October 20, 1952) was an American
art critic
and author.
Bulliet grew up in Corydon, Indiana
and graduated in 1904 from Indiana University
. For nine years he pursued a journalism
career in Indianapolis
. His theater reviews resulted in an offer from Robert Mantell, the head of a touring Shakespeare company, to become his press agent. Bulliet traveled in advance of the company throughout the United States and Canada
for nine years, except for one year when he was a regional advance man for D. W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation." After a brief return to newspaper journalism in Louisville, Kentucky
, he moved to Chicago
to edit the weekly art magazine of the Chicago Evening Post. Art criticism then remained his primary occupation even after the Post was absorbed by the Chicago Daily News
.
He played a central role in popularizing of modern art in the Middle West and in organizing Chicago's independent artists, who felt snubbed by the conservative tastes that dominated the Chicago Art Institute. "Robert Mantell's Romance," Bulliet's first book, appeared in 1918. His "Apples and Madonnas" (1927) gained great popularity as an introduction to modern art
. "Venus Castina
" (1928) was a pioneering work on males impersonating females. "The Courtesan Olympia" explored relations between artists' models and mistresses
. His most popular work was a collection of newspaper articles entitled "Art Masterpieces of the [Chicago] World's Fair" (1933-4). His final book was "The Significant Moderns and their Pictures" (1936).
He was married to southern Indiana
artist Katherine Adams Bulliet and they had one son, Leander Jackson. After the death of his first wife in 1947 he married Catherine Girdler Bulliet. He was the grandfather of Richard Bulliet
, a present day historian.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
art critic
Art critic
An art critic is a person who specializes in evaluating art. Their written critiques, or reviews, are published in newspapers, magazines, books and on web sites...
and author.
Bulliet grew up in Corydon, Indiana
Corydon, Indiana
Corydon is a town in Harrison Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States, founded in 1808, and is known as Indiana's First State Capital. After Vincennes, Corydon was the second capital of the Indiana Territory from May 1, 1813, until December 11, 1816. After statehood, the town was the...
and graduated in 1904 from Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
. For nine years he pursued a journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
career in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. His theater reviews resulted in an offer from Robert Mantell, the head of a touring Shakespeare company, to become his press agent. Bulliet traveled in advance of the company throughout the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for nine years, except for one year when he was a regional advance man for D. W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation." After a brief return to newspaper journalism in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, he moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to edit the weekly art magazine of the Chicago Evening Post. Art criticism then remained his primary occupation even after the Post was absorbed by the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
.
He played a central role in popularizing of modern art in the Middle West and in organizing Chicago's independent artists, who felt snubbed by the conservative tastes that dominated the Chicago Art Institute. "Robert Mantell's Romance," Bulliet's first book, appeared in 1918. His "Apples and Madonnas" (1927) gained great popularity as an introduction to modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
. "Venus Castina
Venus Castina
Venus Castina was a minor epithet of the Roman goddess Venus; in this form, she was associated with "the yearnings of feminine souls locked up in male bodies." Depictions of worshipers of Venus Castina display both men and women as devotees; some portraits include male worshipers dressed in female...
" (1928) was a pioneering work on males impersonating females. "The Courtesan Olympia" explored relations between artists' models and mistresses
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
. His most popular work was a collection of newspaper articles entitled "Art Masterpieces of the [Chicago] World's Fair" (1933-4). His final book was "The Significant Moderns and their Pictures" (1936).
He was married to southern Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
artist Katherine Adams Bulliet and they had one son, Leander Jackson. After the death of his first wife in 1947 he married Catherine Girdler Bulliet. He was the grandfather of Richard Bulliet
Richard Bulliet
Richard W. Bulliet is a professor of history at Columbia University who specializes in the history of Islamic society and institutions, the history of technology, and the history of the role of animals in human society.-Early life and education:...
, a present day historian.