- 52
Conrad, Joseph
Estimate
2,000 - 3,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Conrad, Joseph
- Autograph letter signed, to H.-D. Davray
- ink on paper
in French, apologising for his delay in thanking Davray for notices in Semaine Littéraire and Mercure, which he blames on his melancholy, isolation, and the difficulty he is having in writing Nostromo, also praising Elsie Martindale's [Hueffer's] translation of Maupassant which is about to be published, and asserting the profound influence of Maupassant on his own work ("...Moi qui suis ... saturé de Maupassant..."), 8 pages, with the final five lines written cross-wise in the margin, 8vo, headed stationery of Pent Farm, near Hythe, Kent, 22 August 1903, fold tears
Literature
Collected Letters, III, pp.51-54
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
"...J'aurai dû vous écrire aussitot mais - il y a de ces mais qui ne sont pas tout-à-fait ni paresse, - ni ingratitude, - ni insensibilité: mais plutot une stupeur de l'espirit, un invincible dégoût de la plume, une terreur de l'encrier, mon cher, come si c'était un trou noir et sans found où on pourrait se noyer..."
[...I should have written to you at once but - there are some buts which are not entirely laziness - or ingratitude - or lack of feeling, but rather a stupour of the spirit, an insurmountable disgust with the pen, a terror of the inkwell, my dear fellow, as though it were a black and bottomless hole where one could drown oneself...]
[...I should have written to you at once but - there are some buts which are not entirely laziness - or ingratitude - or lack of feeling, but rather a stupour of the spirit, an insurmountable disgust with the pen, a terror of the inkwell, my dear fellow, as though it were a black and bottomless hole where one could drown oneself...]
Henry-Durand Davray (1873-1944) was a long-term contributor to Mercure de France and a champion of many English writers including Conrad, Kipling and Wells. See also lot 30.