The Clement Greenberg Papers document the professional and personal life of the art critic known for championing American Abstract Expressionist painters.

Clement Greenberg, born in 1909 to Lithuanian Jewish immigrants, was raised in New York City, Norfolk, Virginia, and Brooklyn. As a child, Greenberg drew from nature with unusual accuracy, and as a teenager he joined the Art Students League, but by the time he attended Syracuse University his interests had shifted to languages and literature, and upon graduation he set out to become a writer. For nearly a decade Greenberg wrote poetry, short stories, and a novel (never finished) while also reading extensively in English, German and French. To earn a living, he worked in his father's businesses, which gave him opportunity to travel and live in various parts of the U.S. During this period he published two stories, one poem, and two book-length translations. He was also briefly married, fathered a son, and divorced.

25.0 linear feet (50 boxes)

Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.

Open for use by qualified researchers, with the following exceptions: - 14 Journals (1943-1993, Boxes 16-17) are sealed for 20 years (until Sept 13, 2015); - 2 diaries written with Helen Frankenthaler (1952-1954, Box 20) are sealed until 27 December 2021; - Letters from Helen Frankenthaler (Box 5, f.1) are sealed until 27 December 2021; - Letters from John and Vera Russell (Box 5, f. 2) are sealed until Sept 13, 2015 or the deaths of the correspondents, whichever is later; - 18 Journals (1928-1991, Boxes 14-15) were opened after 10 years (Sept 13, 2005); - 32 Diaries (1952-1993, Boxes 21-22) were opened after 15 years (Sept 13, 2010).