Letters to a Very Young Painter: Rainer Maria Rilke (Ekphrasis) - Softcover

Rilke, Rainer Maria

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1941701647 ISBN 13: 9781941701645

Publisher: David Zwirner Books, 2017

Synopsis

Never before translated into English, Rainer Maria Rilke’s fascinating Letters to a Very Young Painter , written toward the end of his life between 1920 and 1926, is a surprising companion to his infamous Letters to a Young Poet , earlier correspondence from 1902 to 1908. While the latter has become a global phenomenon, with millions of copies sold in many different languages, the present volume has been largely overlooked. In these eight intimate letters written to a teenage Balthus―who would go on to become one of the leading artists of his generation―Rilke describes the challenges he faced, while opening the door for the young painter to take himself and his work seriously. Rilke’s constant warmth, his ability to sense in advance his correspondent’s difficulties and propose solutions to them, and his sensitivity as a person and an artist come across in these charming and honest letters. Writing during his aged years, this volume paints a picture of the venerable poet as he faced his mortality, through the perspective of hindsight, and continued to embrace his openness towards other creative individuals. With a new introduction by Rachel Corbett, author of You Must Change Your Life: The Story of Rainer Maria Rilke and Auguste Rodin , this book is a must-have for Rilke’s admirers, young and old, and all aspiring artists.

About this title

Review:

...these letters paint a picture of the venerable poet as he faced his mortality, looked back on his life, and continued to embrace his openness toward other creative individuals.--The Paris Review

About the Author:

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) was a poet and novelist, best known for his highly lyrical poetry. He was born in Prague, but spent significant portions of his life in Paris, where he initially served as the sculptor Auguste Rodin's secretary before going on to produce much of his important early work. Throughout his life, Rilke was continuously inspired by works of visual art. His biography of Rodin and his Letters on Cézanne, published posthumously, provide insight into the way visual artists, and their art, figured into his creative approach, and establish him as one of the key twentieth-century poets to engage with visual culture.

About this edition

• Publisher: David Zwirner Books
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1941701647
• ISBN 13: 9781941701645
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 72