DLA072-0011 Translation and Transcription
[Translation]
[in another hand] 19 [Dec?] –
[in another hand] George [Hammond? or Hormond?]
HENRI KAUTSCH
5, RUE D’ARMAILLÉ, PARIS 17E
Paris 1/1.[19]12
Dear friend!
It is a mission that leads me to you. At the last artists’ congress in Rome, in which all the states took part, a Permanency Commission for all art related concerns with headquarters in Paris was founded.[1]
Every nation has 1 painter, 1 sculptor, 1 architect, 1 medallist & etching artist. In Rome you were suggested as a painter for Hungary.
On the 19th of January the first Permanency meeting will take place and I will be there to represent Austria.[2] If there should be no one from Hungary I will also represent Hungary’s wishes and interests, as in the list of nations
[Page 2]
Austria-Hungary is treated as one state with two sections.
In the meantime you will only have to tell me quite urgently, if you accept to be [comfortable?] and to [illegible] Hungary’s wishes or to [illegible].
In Vienna Ob: B: Rath [Oberbaurat] Otto Wagner[3] makes the section, in Pest a local architect.
So please let me know soon if you accept this position, which will not be very onerous.
Not long ago I arrived from Vienna, where my brother-in-law was again minister of commerce[4] and where we enjoyed a lot of beautiful things.
[Page 3]
Recently the German emperor sent me the Order of the Red Eagle III. Cl.[5] and the Jury for International Art in Rome[6]awarded me with the first prize and a thousand Livres (state prizes) for my medal [exh.]. For painting the first prizes[7]went to Klimt,[8] Zuloaga,[9] Zorn,[10] Anglada,[11] Szinyei,[12] Mancini,[13] Mestrovich,[14] Rousseau.[15] To the latter as a sculptor. All of them 10.000 Livres [note on right margin of the page].
With me the Swede Lindberg[16] Klemm[17] & Schmutzer.[18]
At the moment I just finished a monument in Vienna at the cemetery and had much success with it.
I don’t hear or see anything from you, as if you were in Australia.
I need to have your reply soon, because
[Page 4]
the appointed date for the plenary session would be too soon to look for someone in Hungary to replace you.
Happy New Year from house to house and heartfelt wishes from your
H. Kautsch
[Transcription]
[in another hand] 19 [Dec?] –
[in another hand] George [Harmond?]
HENRI KAUTSCH
5, RUE D’ARMAILLÉ, PARIS 17E
Paris 1/1.[19]12
Lieber Freund!
Es ist eine Mission, die mich zu Dir führt. Am letzten Künstlerkongress an dem alle Staaten theilnahmen in Rom, ist eine [Permanency?] Comission für alle Kunst Fragen mit dem Sitz in Paris gegründet worden.
Jeder Staat hat 1 Maler, 1 Bildhauer 1 Architekten 1 Medailleur & Radierer. Für Ungarn bist du in Rom als Maler vorgeschlagen worden.
Am 19. Jänner ist die erste Permanency Sitzung, zu der ich gehe, Österreich zu vertreten, und wenn es Niemanden aus Ungarn geben sollte, vertrete ich auch Ungarns Wünsche und Interessen, da in der Staaten Liste
[Page 2]
Österreich-Ungarn als ein Staat behandelt wird, mit 2 Sectionen.
Du hast also einstweilen bloß mir ehestens zu sagen, ob Du acceptierst Mitglied dieser Kunst [bequem?] zu sein und Ungarns Wünsche oder [Wirken] zu [nennen].
In Wien macht Ob: B: Rath [Oberbaurat] Otto Wagner die Section, in Pest ein Architekt von dort.
Also sende bald ob Du diese Dich wenig drückende Stelle acceptierst.
Ich kam kürzlich aus Wien, wo mein Schwager abermals Handels-Minister war und wo wir viel Schönes genossen haben.
[Page 3]
Kürzlich sandte mir der deutsche Kaiser den rothen Adler Orden III. Cl. und die Internationale Kunst Jury in Rom hat mir den ersten Preis u. tausend Livre (Staatspreise) zuerkannt für meine Medaillen [Austl.]. In der Malerei erhielten erste Preise Klimt, Zuloaga, Zorn, Anglada, Szinyei, Mancini, Mestrovich, Rousseau. Letzterer als Bildhauer. Alle 10.000 Livre [note on right margin of the page]
Mit mir noch der Schwede Lindberg Klemm & Schmutzer.
Ich habe ein Monument in Wien am Friedhofe vollendet & erntete viel Beifall.
Von Dir hört und sieht man Nichts als wärst Du in Australien.
Ich muß also bald Deine Antwort haben, da sonst
[Page 4]
Der Termin zur Plenar Sitzung zu kurz wäre in Ungarn Ersatz für Dich zu suchen.
Prosit Neujahr von Haus zu Haus grüßt Dich herzlichst Dein
H. Kautsch
Editorial Note:
Heinrich ‘Henri’ Kautsch (1859–1943), Austrian sculptor and medallist; for biographical notes, see [113452].
ATG (translation, transcription & summary)
05/12/2023
[1] Probably the Troisième Congrès artistique international, which convened in Rome in 1911 and founded a “comité permanent” in 1912 with headquarters in Paris.
[2] See related archive item DLA072-0019, letter from Heinrich ‘Henri’ Kautsch to de László, 22 January 1912
[3] Otto Wagner (1841–1918), Austrian architect and urban planner
[4] Viktor Mataja (1857–1934), economist, politician and one of the founders of the modern market economy in Austria; Mataja was in charge of the ministry of commerce from 1908 to 1911 and again in 1917.
[5] Roter Adlerorden of the Kingdom of Prussia
[6] Esposizione internazionale d’arte, Rome 1911
[7] See Kunstchronik: Wochenschrift für Kunst und Kunstgewerbe, 23, 1921, p. 110. https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/kunstchronik1912/0004/image,info.
[8] Gustav Klimt (1862–1918), Austrian painter
[9] Ignacio Zuloaga (1870–1945), Spanish painter
[10] Anders Zorn (1860–1920), Swedish painter, etcher and sculptor
[11] Hermenegildo Anglada Camarasa (1871–1959), Catalan-Spanish painter
[12] Pál Szinyei Merse (1845–1920), Hungarian painter
[13] Antonio Mancini (1852–1930), Italian painter
[14] Ivan Meštrovic (1883–1962), Croatian painter
[15] Victor Rousseau (1865–1954), Belgian sculptor and medallist
[16] Erik Lindberg (1873–1866), Swedish sculptor, medallist and engraver
[17] Walther Klemm (1883–1957), German painter, printmaker and illustrator
[18] Ferdinand Schmutzer (1870–1928), Austrian etcher, painter and photographer