Background
Artinian, Artine was born on December 8, 1907 in Pazardjick, Bulgaria. Son of Peter and Akaby (Berberian) Artinian. came to the United States, 1920, naturalized, 1930.
French literature scholar collector
Artinian, Artine was born on December 8, 1907 in Pazardjick, Bulgaria. Son of Peter and Akaby (Berberian) Artinian. came to the United States, 1920, naturalized, 1930.
AB, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, 1931. Diploma, University Paris, 1932. A.M., Harvard University, 1933.
Doctor of Philosophy, Columbia University, 1941. Doctor of Letters (honorary), Bowdoin College, 1966. Postgraduate, University Grenoble, France, 1931.
Postgraduate, University Poitiers, France, 1932. Doctor of Humane Letters, Appalachian State University, 2001.
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 was able to attend Bowdoin College (1931) with support from his customers, and in later years, he returned the favor by establishing a scholarship fund for needy students there.
His dissertation, Maupassant Criticism in France, 1880-1940, with an Inquiry into His Present Fame and a Bibliography, was published the same year.
By this time, Professor Artinian, who joined the Bard faculty in 1935, had already embarked on his multifaceted career. In 1949, he had the misfortune to brush up against one of academia"s least savory characters, the eminent Belgian deconstructionist Paul de Manitoba
In 1955, he edited and published "The Complete Short Stories of Guy de Maupassant" (Hanover House), which expurgated sixty-five inauthentic works from the Maupassant canon, and remains authoritative, even after half a century. In 1964, Artinian retired from his post as Chairman of the Division of Languages and at Bard.
His collecting did not stop with retirement, however, as he continued to amass manuscripts and artwork, especially portraits, including artist self-portraits.
He donated a large amount of his collection of manuscripts and art to Bowdoin College and gave artwork to several universities and museums. His portrait collection, including works by André Gill, Henri Demare, Manuel Luque, Émile Cohl, Camille Pissarro, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Paul Signac, is currently housed at the Harry Ransom Center of the University of Texas at Austin. Artinian died at his home in Lantana, Florida 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. Maupassant as Seen by American and English Writers of Today, 1943.
Member chancellor's council University Texas. Philantrophist established scholarship funds, Attleboro, Massachusetts, Sweet Briar College, Virginia, Appalachin State University, Boone, North Carolina, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Me. Member Société des Amis de Guy de Maupassant (vice president 1950-1965), Modern Language Association (secretary 19th Century French section 1947, chairman 1948), American Association Teachers French, American Association of University Professors (president Bard College chapter 1951-1952), Société Littéraire des Amis d'Emile Zola (United States representative board directors 1954-1965), Expressions Paris (honorary president since 1984), Theta Delta Chi, Pi Delta Epsilon.
Married Margaret Willard Woodbridge, June 27, 1936. Children— Margaret, Robert Willard, Ellen.