Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Lot #471
Marcel Proust Autograph Letter Signed

Proust writes from his famous Paris address: "Please allow a sick man not writing more for much longer"

This lot has closed

Estimate: $3000+
Sell a Similar Item?
Refer Collections and Get Paid
Share:  

Description

Proust writes from his famous Paris address: "Please allow a sick man not writing more for much longer"

French writer (1871-1922) known for the monumental sixteen-volume In Search of Lost Time, regarded as one of the greatest achievements in world literature. ALS in French, one page, 5 x 8, October 2, [no year but circa 1906-1919]. Handwritten letter from his famous address at "102 Bd Haussmann," where he lived from 1906 to 1919, and where he wrote most of In Search of Lost Time. In full (translated): "You would give me very great pleasure and you can guess a great honor by accepting this small fan. I send it to you to be 'well regarded' by you. Please allow a sick man not writing more for much longer and please deign to accept mademoiselle my respectful homage." In fine condition, with a small stain touching the closing.

An interesting letter by Proust in that he asks for the gift of a fan to be 'well regarded' by its recipient, and evoking his sickness as he often did. Proust suffered from asthma and neurological maladies which caused his health to deteriorate over time, and yet these sicknesses served as the basis for his extraordinary literary works. In his magnum opus In Search of Lost Time, Proust demonstrates a great knowledge of medicine—specifically neurology—and adopts the concept of 'emotional memory' as a literary tool. A fine letter by the celebrated French novelist.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts Featuring Major Figures of Science and Technology
  • Dates: #665 - Ended May 10, 2023





This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for $150.00

*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.