DLA018-0063 Transcription (translated where indicated)

234. St James’s Court

Buckingham Gate

London S.W.1.

Wednesday^[1]

My dear Mrs de Laszlo

It is very kind of you to ask my girl and her friend the Countess Therese Eltz to tea tomorrow^[2] – and I shall send them gladly!–

But I beg you to remember that my girl is not yet 16 years of age – and is not yet going in society – and cannot accept invitations from anybody who is not my special friend.

Anne Marie is looking forward to see you and your husband again – –

these lines mean only: [remainder of the sentence in German in the original] that I prefer to see my daughter being treated more or less as a child and not as a lady!.

I am looking forward to see [sic] and my friend Phipps^[3] on friday after 5.

[Page 2]

Meanwhile my best love to you both.

Yours very sincerely

R. Slatin

Editorial Notes:

Sir Rudolf Carl von Slatin, also known as ‘Slatin Pasha’ (1857-1932); for biographical notes, see [7178].

De László had planned to paint a picture for his own pleasure on a subject in connection with the First World War. He wished to depict: “not men fighting, but the still nobler part of suffering women at home; women of all classes in a chapel surrounding the burning candles for the fallen souls” (Rutter, pp. 372-373). The painting was never started, although many studies and sketches remained in the artist’s studio on his death. De László made four studies of Sir Rudolph Carl von Slatin’s daughter, Baroness Anne Marie von Slatin, for the picture: a full-length study of the Baroness kneeling in a church interior [4298], and three others that included both her and her companion, Countess Thérèse Eltz, who was also persuaded to pose [2974] [7006] & [7944]. De László also made a study portrait of Baroness Anne Marie [7176], which he gave to the sitter as a thank-you for agreeing to pose for the War Picture.

SMDL (transcription)

19/05/2018

LV (translation)

23/11/2021

[1] Letter likely dates to sometime between the first week of June 1932, which was when Sir Rudolf had intended to take Anne Marie, accompanied by Countess Thérèse, to London (see DLA018-0066, letter from Sir Rudolf von Slatin to de László, 8 May 1932) and mid-August, which was when Sir Rudolf’s friend Colonel P. R. Phipps, who is mentioned in this letter DLA18-0063 (see fn 3), unexpectedly died (see DLA018-0061, letter from de László to Sir Rudolf von Slatin, 17 August 1932).

[2] Mrs Arthur Ponsonby, née Baroness Anne Marie von Slatin; other married name Princess George Galitzine (1916-2007) [7176]; Countess Thérèse Eltz (1902-1993) [7973]

[3] Colonel P. R. Phipps (d. 1932)