Premium MILLON
380
-
Archive of the correspondence of Ossip Zadkine (Vitebsk, 188…
See original version (French)
380
-
Archive of the correspondence of Ossip Zadkine (Vitebsk, 188…
See original version (French)
Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Voluntary lot
Description
Archive of the correspondence of Ossip Zadkine (Vitebsk, 1888 - Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1967).
French painter and sculptor of Belarusian origin, active in France from 1910 until his death.
Set of 30 letters dated from 6 October 1965 to 5 December 1966, comprising 19 autograph handwritten letters signed by Zadkine, as well as 8 envelopes also signed by him. These letters are addressed to Ariadna Shirinkina, née Tchemessova (Kharkiv, 1917 - Frankfurt am Main, 1990). Ariadna Shirinkina was a journalist who worked for the white émigré magazines "Grani" and "Posev", and corresponded with a number of leading figures from the Russian émigré community. The lot also includes 11 typed letters from Tchemessova to Zadkine.
They include
- Letter no. 1 (6 October 1965), probably the artist's first to Tchemessova, in which he tells her about his sculptures: 'In the university library in Frankfurt is my large bronze sculpture Prometheus. Look at it". He also confided that he was "rather tired and would like to be alone and live in solitude for a few days", a sentiment he frequently expressed in his letters.
- Letter no. 4 (6 November 1965), in which Zadkine wrote to Tchemessova: "I want so much to talk with you about everything and everyone. When do you plan to return to Paris? It is absolutely necessary that we get to know each other and that we talk in all sincerity, as if we were old friends". He also mentions that he is reading Feodor Dostoevsky's novel The Demons for the "hundredth time" and that he never "ceases to marvel at Dostoevsky's genius".
- Letter no. 11 (undated), in which Zadkine writes: "We should meet again sometime, talk, and discover each other more closely on a spiritual level, because women like you don't come along at every turn in life". He also mentions his forthcoming exhibitions in Cologne (Germany) and St. Gallen (Switzerland).
- Letter no. 23, written from his country house in Lot: "One thing always comforts me: the trees, the bushes; there are few inhabitants and no one to share thoughts with. It calms me down, and in a week's time, I'll have forgotten the grudge".
- Letter no. 30 in which Zadkine writes to Tchemessova about their meeting: "We, my dear, are birds of different wings, and that is why it is very difficult to make us turn firmly towards each other. May fate itself organise this meeting, and may we see each other with a smile on our exhausted faces".
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like