![GOGOL, Nikolai Vasilievich (1809-1852). Autograph letter signed ('?') [likely to the Russian poet, Nikolai Mikhailovitch Iazykov], n.p. [?Bad Gastein, Austria], 24 June [?1845], in Russian.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2016/CKS/2016_CKS_12139_0139_001(gogol_nikolai_vasilievich_autograph_letter_signed_likely_to_the_russia_d6014024061103).jpg?w=1)
![GOGOL, Nikolai Vasilievich (1809-1852). Autograph letter signed ('?') [likely to the Russian poet, Nikolai Mikhailovitch Iazykov], n.p. [?Bad Gastein, Austria], 24 June [?1845], in Russian.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2016/CKS/2016_CKS_12139_0139_000(gogol_nikolai_vasilievich_autograph_letter_signed_likely_to_the_russia_d6014024060914).jpg?w=1)
Details
GOGOL, Nikolai Vasilievich (1809-1852). Autograph letter signed ('?') [likely to the Russian poet, Nikolai Mikhailovitch Iazykov], n.p. [?Bad Gastein, Austria], 24 June [?1845], in Russian.
2 pages, 8vo (225 x 143mm), autograph emendations and annotations (some darkening, more pronounced on verso, and creasing, two small losses at the top left corner). Provenance: Sidney F. Sabin (1907-2001), Old Master dealer and founder of Sabin Galleries (two letters from Sabin included here, relating to the 1943 gift to) – Professor Dame Elizabeth Hill (1900-1996), Slavonic scholar – by direct acquisition to the present owner.
GOGOL REFLECTS ON THE STATE OF CONTEMPORARY SLAVONIC LITERATURE. Opening on the malaise in which he currently finds himself, hinting darkly at his precarious mental state – ‘??????????????? ????? ? ?????, ???????? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ????????? ? ?????????? ???? ? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ? ????????????? ??? ???????? ??? ???????? ?????, ??? ?????? ????????? ???????? ? ????????, ? ??? ??? ??????’ – Gogol nevertheless offers his friend some light-hearted words of advice on countering such feelings, including drinking tea and being outside, this even to include time spent fishing. He laments the threat of publication ceasing of the Moskvityanin [the Muscovite, a literary review], although a certain laziness and lack of direction he diagnoses [in his fellow Slavophile writers] means he foresaw this: ‘????? ? ?????? ? ???? ?? ????; ?? ??? ? ?? ?? ?????? ???????? ???? ? ??????????? ???? ?????? ????????????? ? ????????? ????? ? ???? ??????? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ?????????. ? ?????????? ? ??????? ????? ????? ?? ??????, ?? ?????? ??? ?? ?????? ????????????.’ Nevertheless, their literary field, he thanks God, is not poor: ‘????? ????? ??????????????’. He has read [Vladimir] Sollogub's Tarantas, ‘??????? ??????? ????? ??? ??????’, in which he recognises much accomplishment and acuity, but is yet more impressed by the great talent he perceives in [Panteleimon] Kulish, predicting for him an important role in Slavonic literature: ‘? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? ? ???? ?????? ??? ??????, ???? ????e, ??? ? ???? ????? ?? ????????. ???? ???? ????????? ???, ?? ??? ?????????? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ??????????.’ Gogol also prizes the stories of [Vladimir] Dal – ‘???????? ?? ??? ?????????? ?????????(???) ? ?????? ????????????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????????’ – noting that their [ethnographic] usefulness may also cover for a lack of creativity in the author. Reproaching his friend for not sending the ‘Gamma’ poems of [Yakov] Polonsky, Gogol begins to tire and ends his letter asking for the prayers of his correspondent – indeed, anyone whose prayers might be effective – for his are no longer enough.
In the summer of 1845, Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol – dramatist, novelist, satirist and writer of short stories; a founder of the great 19th-century tradition of Russian realism – was amongst one of the ‘fitful stagecoach periods’ described by his biographer, Nabokov. Living abroad from 1836-48, he often spent the summers moving from one spa town to another in search of an elusive cure for the ailments, both physical and mental, which plagued him, as well as fresh material for his writing. Although, as Nabokov notes, 'the paradox was that while needing constant movement to prompt inspiration, this movement physically prevented him from writing', it did not affect his appetite for the latest literature from his homeland. The present letter reflects Gogol's active engagement with Slavonic writing during his years spent out of Russia, continuing despite the stark decline in his own output following the much-acclaimed publication of Dead Souls in 1842. [With:] a copy of ‘Une lettre de Nicolas Gogol’ by Elizabeth Hill, Revue des Etudes Slaves, no 38, 1961; and two autograph letters signed by Sidney Sabin.
2 pages, 8vo (225 x 143mm), autograph emendations and annotations (some darkening, more pronounced on verso, and creasing, two small losses at the top left corner). Provenance: Sidney F. Sabin (1907-2001), Old Master dealer and founder of Sabin Galleries (two letters from Sabin included here, relating to the 1943 gift to) – Professor Dame Elizabeth Hill (1900-1996), Slavonic scholar – by direct acquisition to the present owner.
GOGOL REFLECTS ON THE STATE OF CONTEMPORARY SLAVONIC LITERATURE. Opening on the malaise in which he currently finds himself, hinting darkly at his precarious mental state – ‘??????????????? ????? ? ?????, ???????? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ????????? ? ?????????? ???? ? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ? ????????????? ??? ???????? ??? ???????? ?????, ??? ?????? ????????? ???????? ? ????????, ? ??? ??? ??????’ – Gogol nevertheless offers his friend some light-hearted words of advice on countering such feelings, including drinking tea and being outside, this even to include time spent fishing. He laments the threat of publication ceasing of the Moskvityanin [the Muscovite, a literary review], although a certain laziness and lack of direction he diagnoses [in his fellow Slavophile writers] means he foresaw this: ‘????? ? ?????? ? ???? ?? ????; ?? ??? ? ?? ?? ?????? ???????? ???? ? ??????????? ???? ?????? ????????????? ? ????????? ????? ? ???? ??????? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ?????????. ? ?????????? ? ??????? ????? ????? ?? ??????, ?? ?????? ??? ?? ?????? ????????????.’ Nevertheless, their literary field, he thanks God, is not poor: ‘????? ????? ??????????????’. He has read [Vladimir] Sollogub's Tarantas, ‘??????? ??????? ????? ??? ??????’, in which he recognises much accomplishment and acuity, but is yet more impressed by the great talent he perceives in [Panteleimon] Kulish, predicting for him an important role in Slavonic literature: ‘? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? ? ???? ?????? ??? ??????, ???? ????e, ??? ? ???? ????? ?? ????????. ???? ???? ????????? ???, ?? ??? ?????????? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ??????????.’ Gogol also prizes the stories of [Vladimir] Dal – ‘???????? ?? ??? ?????????? ?????????(???) ? ?????? ????????????? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????????’ – noting that their [ethnographic] usefulness may also cover for a lack of creativity in the author. Reproaching his friend for not sending the ‘Gamma’ poems of [Yakov] Polonsky, Gogol begins to tire and ends his letter asking for the prayers of his correspondent – indeed, anyone whose prayers might be effective – for his are no longer enough.
In the summer of 1845, Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol – dramatist, novelist, satirist and writer of short stories; a founder of the great 19th-century tradition of Russian realism – was amongst one of the ‘fitful stagecoach periods’ described by his biographer, Nabokov. Living abroad from 1836-48, he often spent the summers moving from one spa town to another in search of an elusive cure for the ailments, both physical and mental, which plagued him, as well as fresh material for his writing. Although, as Nabokov notes, 'the paradox was that while needing constant movement to prompt inspiration, this movement physically prevented him from writing', it did not affect his appetite for the latest literature from his homeland. The present letter reflects Gogol's active engagement with Slavonic writing during his years spent out of Russia, continuing despite the stark decline in his own output following the much-acclaimed publication of Dead Souls in 1842. [With:] a copy of ‘Une lettre de Nicolas Gogol’ by Elizabeth Hill, Revue des Etudes Slaves, no 38, 1961; and two autograph letters signed by Sidney Sabin.
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