102 - Edward Gordon CRAIG (1872-1966)

Edward Gordon CRAIG (1872-1966) Lot de 3 L.A.S. et 8 C.A.S. en anglais et allemand, écrites entre 1909 et 1910 à l'attention de Jurgis Kasimirovitch Baltruchaïtis (1873-1944), une C.A.S. est adressée à Maria Ivanovna Olovyanichnikova (c.1879-1948) : -Lettre du 12 XII 1910 "My dear friend. Thank you for the "ausschnitt" über das 5,000 Theater". How much irony you have. It is unfair to laugh at me so seriously & to tell me to "machen" my theatre "schnell". However thank heaven I understand irony when administered. I shall grow my theatre slowly & I am sure you will applaud. I shall try to send it to your son to play with, or my boy will bring it.. in his hands. Meanwhile I shall probably continue for a few more years to linger about the doorways & passages of th old theatre in which I was born & which I love terribly. I love so much the foolery I love so much the false "art" I love so much the actors & their paint & intrigue their conceit & pride & I can't get away - just yet Soon I shall & then I shall be dead. Yours, Gordon Craig Greetings to all, & to the mountains" -Lettre du 15 XII 1910 "Nein. Ich bin gar nicht "offended". Gar nicht… und sie muss mir immer lesen half forwards half backwards. Was habe ich geschrieben ? Ich hatte gedacht das was sie geschrieben hatte war etwas sehr gut ironisch. Ich liebe ironie , fur es ist nicht weisch - not soft. Und wie ist es possible von Reinhardt zu sprechen und von alle leute zusammen ohne ironisch sein. Besides, perhaps, I don't know what irony really is. But I always think I detect in your words a delicate & keen irony which griss to them a double value. I have not myself such a delicate use of irony. I laugh at myself too openly to please myself." -Lettre du 28 XII 1910 "Caro Amico. I have today written to Yeats & I think he will be sure to write to you. I think he should be very happy to have his play put into Russian *. I am very sorry to hear that Stanislavsky is not coming to see Italy. One cannot understand Egypt without passing just through Italy. I may see him, for I too go to Paris perhaps in early January & shall let you know. How happy I should be if I could stop for some hours in Vevey. I shall look for trains to make it possible. I am sending you all the "masks" which you have not yet had. Bear in mind that when I write, I write so that English people may be made to listen, either by being hurt or strong, or by feeling the indifference of the writer. I want very much to help my own country to wake up about their own theatre. My theatre ist not for anybody, except these who accept it without knowing it, that is by accepting me. This personal part of it all is in spite of all we say & think under & behind it it all & must never be forgotten. * when we sail for Egypt & all its impersonality in art." MC Provenance -Jurgis Kasimirovitch Baltruchaïtis (1873-1944), diplomate et poète lituanien. -Leur fils, Jurgis Jurgissovitch Baltruchaïtis (1903-1988), historien. -Son épouse, Hélène Baltruchaïtis (1908-2004), née Castel-Focillon, fille d'Henri Focillon (1881-1943). -Puis par descendance.