Description:

Proust Marcel

Marcel Proust ALS and Commemorative Medal, Superb Presentation!

A postcard in French signed by French novelist Marcel Proust (1871-1922) as "Marcel Proust" in the lower right corner, and also densely inscribed overall in his hand. Written at Evian-les-Bains, France, ca. 1905. Displayed to the right of a 1971 bronze medal commemorating the 100th anniversary of Proust's birth. The two pieces are behind glass, within a burl walnut veneer and gilt frame fitted with custom burnt orange and purple velvet matting. With an unknown Certification of Authenticity, NYC art gallery label, and embossed red seal found verso. Not examined out of frame. Light expected wear, else near fine. Overall, the framed piece measures 16.5" x 10.375" x 1". Provenance: From the estate of J.D. McClatchy (see biography below.)

Translation from French, with unchanged spelling and punctuation:

"Madame before leaving Evian I wanted to thank you for the diptych whose witty caption was so dear to me, but I could only find “Views of the Cachat Spring” “The Pump Room” etc in exchange for noble images of a quiet, ornamented life, that proximity to sickness and Moissac, symbolizing so well the combination of artistic taste and native simplicity which are but two elements of your considerable charm. All those things being difficult to write on a postcard where I still would want to say much more, but to sum it up into something that could be wrapped up for the convenience of the postal journey in a more poetical phrase, my very respectful affection Marcel Proust."

Transcription from French, with unchanged spelling and punctuation:

"Madame avant de quitter Evian je voulais vous remercier du dyptique dont la spirituelle légende m'était surtout chère. Mais je ne puis pas trouver que des 'Vues de la Source Cachet' 'La Buvette' etc à échanger contre les nobles images d'une vie calme et ornée, cette proximité de malaise et de Moissac, symbolisant si bien le mélange de goût artistique et de simplicité familière sont deux d'éléments de votre grand charme. Toutes choses difficiles à écrire sur une carte postale où je voudrais cependant vous en dire beaucoup d'autres pourant du cote se resumee, s'empaquetee pour la commidité du voyage postal dans la formule plus poete dire de mon très respectueuse affection Marcel Proust."

The postcard measuring 5.5" x 3.625" depicts a view of "Abbaye de Maraîche sur Evian et la Dent d'Oche." Both the Abbey and the mountain peak were landmarks near the spa town of Evian-les-Bains, France where Proust was recuperating. The Abbey de Maraîche is a seventeenth-century mountain chapel constructed on the ruins of a twelfth-century Augustin monastery, and was a favorite walking destination for spa-goers like Proust. The Dent d'Oche is a 7,000+ ft mountain peak in the Chablais massif offering views of the Alps. Evian-les-Bains, a village near the Franco-Swiss border, overlooks Lake Geneva. From the early nineteenth century, it attracted wealthy invalids seeking the curative properties of its several natural springs. Marcel Proust, along with fellow writers Frédéric Mistral and Anna de Noailles, were often guests there.

The bronze medal after French sculptor Albert de Jaeger (1908-1992) depicts a bas relief bust of Marcel Proust. The banner encircling the medal reads: "1871 - Celebration - Du - Centenaire - De - Marcel - Proust - 1971." It is signed in stone in the lower right corner. The medallion measures 2.625" diameter.

In this letter to an unknown correspondent, Proust mentions two other landmarks which Evian-les-Bains spa-goers would instantly recognize: Cachat, which was the name of one of the town's primary springs; and "la Buvette", the name of an assembly hall/pump room completed in 1905. The latter, conceived by its architect Jean-Albert Hébrard as a "temple of water", exemplified the Art Nouveau style then in vogue. The soaring stained glass windows of la Buvette were decorated with floral and foliate motifs.

Proust frequently summered in Evian-les-Baux. The landscape had a great effect on his imagination. Proust's experiences at Evian-les-Bains, as well as at the other spa-town of Cabourg in Normandie, informed Proust's depiction of his "Balbec baths" in In Search of Lost Time (1913-1927). Proust's letter underscores one of the most significant aspects of his personal life: his chronic invalidism. Proust suffered from asthma his entire life and would die prematurely from pneumonia and pulmonary abscesses at age 51.

Provenance

From the estate of J.D. McClatchy (1945-2018), the American poet, librettist, literary critic, and former president of The American Academy of Arts and Letters, Stonington, CT.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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