Documents associated with: Exposition Générale des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 1890
Record 2 of 14
System Number: 04121
Date: 24 January 1890
Author: Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac[1]
Place: [Paris]
Recipient: JW
Place: [London]
Repository: Glasgow University Library
Call Number: MS Whistler M391
Document Type: ALS[2]
[Japanese mountain scene in top left corner]
Merci!
Hélas!
Alors! je m'en vais - pour l'odieuse Algérie, d'où vous viendra une lettre psychique - et chic!
En tous cas, au renouveau pour la nouvelle et belle exhibition[3] Amstelodamienne: je retournerai pour.
[p. 2] Pour aussi ne pas faire damner Dame Beatrix[4], j'ai retouché l'original même - et remplacé la nouvelle copie par la dédicace délicate des Veneziâneries[5] promises.
A une autre fois,
Telle autre proie
vous maltraitant bien - mes pointes sèches, vers vous, ne sont jamais que des tailles douces:
R
[p. 3] Et mon menu pensionnaire[6] . . se réintégrège en sa famille?
[p. 4] 24 Janvier
90
This document is protected by copyright.
Translation:
Thank you!
Alas!
Well! I am off to odious Algeria, whence will come to you a letter both psychic and chic!
In any case, for the revival of the new and beautiful Amsterdamian exhibition: I shall return.
In order not to have Lady Beatrix driven mad, I revised the original itself - and replaced the new copy by the delicate dedication of the promised Venetianeries.
Until another time,
Another such prey
Treating you badly. My dry points, for you, are only ever engravings:
R
And my little boarder … is reunited with his family?
Notes:
1. Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac
Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac (1855-1921), Symbolist writer and poet, and collector [more].
2. ALS
Published by Newton, Joy, La Chauve-Souris et le Papillon. Correspondance Montesquiou-Whistler, Glasgow, 1990, no. 29, p. 66-67.
3. exhibition
JW was awarded a gold medal at Tentoonstelling van Kunstwerken van Levende Meesters, Amsterdam, 1889. Montesquiou is referring perhaps to Exposition Générale des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 1890, which took place between September 1890 and January 1891.
4. Dame Beatrix
Beatrix Whistler (1857-1896), née Beatrice Philip, artist [more].
5. Veneziâneries
Written in September 1888, the 'Veneziâneries' were the first section of Parcours du Rêve au Souvenir, published by Charpentier in 1895 (see #04122).
6. mon menu pensionnaire
The bonsai tree that Montesquiou had given to JW. This sentence was written at right angles to the rest of the letter.