DLA135-0070  Translation and Transcription; partial letters

[Translation]

[Envelope: postmarked 17 May 1938, after the artist’s death]

Mr Marczell László

V. Árpád utca 12

Budapest

Hungary

[Letter fragment 1]

An extremely pleasant – cultivated woman[1] – and takes an interest in the arts – and literature – my time here will be interesting – and important – and I am staying in the royal Palace of Cotroceni – the Hungarian newspapers are bound to find out sooner or later from the Romanian newspapers – I will make sure to paint some excellent pictures – which will be exhibited here – and in Paris [4220][3211].[2] We are all fine. Henry’s son is growing nicely.[3] We hear a lot of good news from Johnny, too.[4] I will have a lot more to say when we meet, the two of us – God grant that we keep our brotherly love alive for many years to come. It is appalling what you write about the young people not putting a wreath on the grave – nor Gyula either – after sending my telegram I wrote a long letter to Gyula – now I deeply regret having done so[5] – Write at once – embraces,

Fülöp

[In the right margin of  letter fragment 1]  it will be interesting to see – what Gyula writes

[Letter fragment 2]

tantinople – our destination, where we will stay for a week and and after that to Jerusalem – and we might come back via Greece – at the end of March – My plan is not to send money to Gyula, but please could you order a gravestone – and I will pay for it – I would like you also to tidy up the grave of our little daughter[6] – At the moment I am painting the portrait of the Prime Minister’s [“Baldwin” in Marczi’s hand in red] wife [2324] – and on Tuesday the Prime Minister will come to see us[7] – I will paint him when I return – I am working on other important things as well – and there is a lot to sort out before our departure – Lucy and Patrick will stay here[8] – and come come out to join me at the end of February – the Queen of Romania was with us several times

[Bottom margin of letter fragment 2, inverted] Please – burn this letter

[Transcription]

[Envelope: does not belong to the partial letters contained within DLA135-0070; envelope postmarked 17 May 1938, after the artist’s death]

Mr Marczell László

V. Árpád utca 12

Budapest

Hungary

[Letter fragment 1]

egy rendkívüli kedves – művelt asszony – s irodalom – s művészettel foglalkozik – itt fontos, érdekes napjaim lesznek.

S a Cotroceni királyi Palotában lakom. A Román lapokból úgyis később meg fogják tudni a magyar lapok – azon leszek – kiváló képeket fokok festeni s ezek itt – s Párisban lesznek kiállítva – mi mintanyian jól vagyunk – Henri fia jól fejlődik. Johnny-tól is sok jót hallunk. Sok egyébb [sic] mondandom lesz ha találkozunk – ketten vagyunk – adja a jó Isten, hogy még sok éven át tarthassuk fenn ez életben a régi testvéri szeretetett [sic]. Rettenetes a mit írtál hogy a fiatalok nem tettek koszorut a sirra – sem Gyula – a sürgönyöm után írtam egy hosszú levelet Gyulának – most végtelenül sajnálom hogy megtettem – Irjál azonnal – ölel Fülöp

[In the right margin of letter fragment 1] érdekes lesz – Gyula mit fog írni

[Letter fragment 2]

tantinápolyba indulunk – ott egy hétig maradunk s ezután Jerusalembe – s talán visszafelé Görögországon át jövünk – márczius végével - Tervem Gyulának nem küldeni pénzt – hanem Te légy szíves egy sírkövet rendelni – s én megfizetem – azt is szeretném ha a leánykánk sírját hoznád rendbe – jelenleg a ministerelnök [Baldwin in Marczi’s hand in red] nejének arczképét festem – s kedden a ministerelnök látogat meg – visszatértemkor – őt is festem – egyébb [sic] fontos munkáim is vannak – s rengeteget mielőtt indulunk elrendezni – Lucym – Patrick itt marad – s február vegével jön hozzám – a Román Királynő többször volt nálunk

[Bottom margin of letter fragment 2, inverted] kérlek ezen levelet – elégetni

Editorial Note:

Marczell ‘Marczi’ Laszlo (1871–1940), de László’s younger brother; for biographical notes, see [6521].

AH (reviewed)

07/06/2024


[1] Queen Marie of Romania, née Princess Marie of Edinburgh (1875–1938) [2961]

[2] In 1936 the artist accepted a commission to paint three portraits for the National Bank of Romania: King Carol II [4220], Queen Marie [3211] and a posthumous portrait of King Ferdinand [4217]. The portraits of King Carol [4220] and Queen Marie [3211] were exhibited at the Paris Salon in May, 1936

[3] Michael de Laszlo [13184], son of Henry Guinness de Laszlo (19011967) [11664], eldest of the five sons of Philip and Lucy de László, and his wife née Violet Staub (19001989) [13180], was born on 2 November 1935.

[4] John Adolphus de Laszlo (19121990) [11622], fifth and youngest son of Philip and Lucy de László

[5] Likely a reference to the recent death of de László’s sister, Szeréna (1866-c. 1935) [8604]; “Gyula” is likely Gyula Krämer (d. 1945), Szeréna’s second husband.

[6] Eva Johanna de Laszlo (MayAugust 1903), second child and only daughter of Lucy and Philip de László, died on 6 August 1903 having been made ill by substitute milk (see Katherine Field ed., Transcribed by Susan de Laszlo, The Diaries of Lucy de László Volume I: (1890-1913), de Laszlo Archive Trust, 2019, p. 74, fn. 214)

[7] Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (18671947), British statesman who served as Prime Minister from May 1923 to January 1924, November 1924 to June 1929, and June 1935 to May 1937.

[8] Mrs Philip de László, née Lucy Madeleine Guinness (1870–1950) [11474], the artist’s wife; Patrick David de Laszlo (1909–1980) [9205], fourth son of Philip and Lucy de László