VISCONTI LOUIS: (1791-1853)
VISCONTI LOUIS: (1791-1853) Italian-born French architect and designer, most famous for having designed the tomb of Napoleon at Les Invalides (1842). A.L.S.,
L Visconti, four pages, 8vo, n.p., 23rd July 1850, to a friend, in French. Visconti writes a largely social letter, explaining that he could not wait any longer to send his friend news, and informing him
´ Je ne sors pas des bains des douches & je ne dirai pas que je suis heureux comme un poisson dans l´eau car les jours de douches me semblent ces punitions du Dante, j´eu recoir cent, et le resultat est que les douleurs s´en vont avec la vie, car je ne puis presque me tenir sur mes jambes, les medecins disent tant mieux.......peut etre ont ils raison l´avenir le decidera ou en sont les marbres; car je vous dirai mon cher......que le corps est ici et la tete vous savez ou´ (Translation:
´ I don't get out of the baths and showers & I wouldn't say that I'm as happy as a fish in water because shower days seem to me like Dante's punishments, I've had a hundred of them, and the result is that the pain goes with life, because I can hardly stand on my legs, the doctors say so much the better....... Perhaps they are right, the future will decide where the marbles are; for I will tell you my dear ...... that the body is here and the head you know where´), also referring to the Greek Gods and various mutual acquaintances before also remarking
´Je voudrais aller vous critiquer, mais j´aurais de la pline a trouver le defaut de la cuirasse car sans vous faire des compliment vous avez un instinct naturel qui est desesperant pour les perdants´ (Translation:
´I'd like to go and criticise you, but I'd be hard pressed to find the flaw in your armour because, without paying you any compliments, you have a natural instinct that is desperate for losers´) and also encouraging his friend to visit Visconti´s daughter as they are close and it would make her very happy. Some very light, minor age wear and a couple of small tears to the final page, only affecting a couple of words of text and not the signature. About VG
