104 - Edward Gordon CRAIG (1872-1966)

Edward Gordon CRAIG (1872-1966) Important lot d'une trentaine L.A.S. et de 2 C.A.S. en anglais, de l'année 1912, la plupart sont expédiées de Paris et adressées à Jurgis Kasimirovitch Baltruchaïtis (1873-1944) d'abord à son adresse à Moscou, puis en Suisse en été. Au début de cette année-là, Craig est noyé sous les commandes à Londres, aux Etats-Unis, en France, en Allemagne, et est jointe une copie de lettre datée de juillet de trois pages dans laquelle un certain Mr Singer lui demande de construire tout un théâtre, a priori à Nice. Il est par ailleurs préoccupé par trouver des investisseurs pour son école. Il fréquente régulièrement sur cette période la Comtesse Greffulhe, qu'il nomme "la reine de Paris". -"And I am thinking of the islands in the Pacific, & shall enquire of wise men to inform me which island or part of a continent is the sunniest - freshest air - coolest - & gayest. We should decide on those points & leave other deceptions to merchants. For sunny deception is the best. In London lately a very doubtful "artist"a Mr. Granville Barker has been tickling the public with white cubes on the stage and munich designs & a bad delivery of 2 Shakespear plays. It is sad such vanity. Mr Barker writes plays (?) and likes sufragettes ( dessin d'une sufragette) And Reinhardt has paid him some compliments. And London has found Reinhardts latest mini-drama "improper". The Great Daily mail which really made "The miracle" a success now attacks the poor old Reinhorse. (...) If Mrs Stanislavsky is curious about Paris (& she has a rather "curious" nature) tell her how you saw fingers letter-agreement offering me 50, 000 francs for a design for a new stage - not a production - & then tell her that I refused the offer. Please do this George Maciavelli. -6 mai 1912 "My career carries me no more to England, I never knew a sailman who lordhooks nor of a world without 50, 000 streams & lakes. England thinks there's only one stream, Thames. -7 décembre 1912 "and Stanislavsky, has he forgotten & forgiven me myself ? Is he happy with his large old body torn between the two women the Ideal & the Practical ? (...) If you see him please tell him somehow that my school is a Public event, not a charity. I want to go to Moscow just to say that sentence !!!!!!! It is a duty to support the school, not a matter of sentimentality (...) when I last saw him, he told me any man should be proud to be asked to assist such a scheme." Où est mentionnée la Comtesse Greffulhe : -"The Contessa Greffulhe has become my sincere & true friend, she desires for my work a noble & unsullied & monumental achievement & she is moving. we may see." -26 mai 1912 "As I told you in my last letter I went yesterday to view the Trocadero with Madame la Countess G.. She can give it to me for a great performance. Also a chorus of 200. also 400 actors, also half of Paris. if only the Gods decree it & Gods are strong & strange in their manipulation of strings. My school promises well. I may also tell you that Reinhardt has come here with "humurun" & has succeeded, that is to say he has taken his place. He will, according to the opinion of my Countess G—-lhe, succeed so far & so further, & will not return unless to repeat an old success of the 3rd class. -3 juin 1912 "I have with me the Queen of Paris, that is all. Every day she calls for us both, & we 3 are great friends. She perfectly beautiful & I believe as noble as beautiful." -17 juin 1912 "I am again in Paris. All goes well. Meine Prinzessin ist bella und lovely und noble as ever." deux dessins de larges paysages avec rehauts de blanc, au recto et au verso. -27 juin 1912 "My princess is a divine Bring. Earth & air & Fire mix in her in splendid proportions. She moves easily, like nature." -5 juillet 1912 "My princess tells me that I must stay here now so that she can point me out to some particular people. She is very clever & witty. She never tells my name to these people, all she says is "That man is the one & only genius in England" & there she adds "he will onturn our dead theatres & bring them to a new birth" then she laughs, a beautiful and inspiring laugh. Do you know what the feeling of gratitude is, how it can almost be the feeling of love, if someone saves some friend from death or lifts up a poor forsaken animal, I think it is one of the arms of love. How wonderfully wise these Eastern men are who gave a God 40 arms or more." 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.