Eggplant.place

270d

"How easy it is, Doctor, to be a philosopher on paper, and how hard it is in life!"

#OTD in 1896.

Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull is unsuccessfully premièred at the Alexandrinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.

The hostile audience intimidated Vera Komissarzhevskaya so severely that she lost her voice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seagull

The Sea-Gull at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1754

#books #literature #theatre

A posed photograph of Anton Chekhov reading his play The Seagull to the Moscow Art Theatre company. On Chekhov's right, Konstantin Stanislavski is sat, and next to him, Olga Knipper. Stanislavski's wife, Maria Liliana, is seated to Chekhov's left. On the far right side of the photograph, Vsevolod Meyerhold is sat. Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko stands in the far left side of the photograph.

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270d

#OTD in 1911.

German novelist Hans Fallada, kills his best friend in a suicide pact staged as a duel.

Fallada made a pact with a friend, Hanns Dietrich von Necker, to stage a duel to mask their suicides, feeling that the duel would be seen as more honorable. However, because of both boys' inexperience with weapons, it was a bungled affair. Dietrich missed Fallada, but Fallada did not miss Dietrich, killing him.

Hans Fallada at Projekt Gutenberg-DE
https://www.projekt-gutenberg.org/autoren/namen/fallada.html

#books #literature

German writer Hans Fallada (1893–1947), depicted in Bonniers litterära magasin Nr.6, 1936.

In the image, Fallada appears as a middle-aged man with a solid, slightly rounded face. His expression is calm yet intense, reflecting a contemplative nature and the inner turmoil often associated with his life and writing. His eyes, framed by slightly heavy eyelids, have a distant, introspective gaze, as if lost in thought. His short, dark hair is combed neatly, and his face bears a mustache, common to his appearance in the 1930s.

Fallada's attire is formal but modest, in keeping with the style of the time. He is dressed in a suit with a high-collared shirt and a simple tie, perhaps signaling his role as a respected writer while also hinting at his working-class sensibilities. The black-and-white portrait from Bonniers litterära magasin emphasizes sharp contrasts, with Fallada's face and suit emerging starkly from the background, highlighting his features with a sense of gravity and weight.

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268d

"The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself."

#OTD in 1847.

Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is published (as "an autobiography, edited by Currer Bell") in London by Smith, Elder & Co. in 3 volumes.

The first American edition was published the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre

Jane Eyre at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1260

#books #literature

The title page to the original publication of Jane Eyre, including Brontë's pseudonym "Currer Bell".

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St John Rivers admits Jane to Moor House, illustration by F. H. Townsend

F. H. Townsend, 1868-1920 - http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1260/1260-h/images/

"Hush, Hannah! I have a word to say to the woman.

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267d

"Travellers like poets are mostly an angry race."
Narrative of a Trip to Harar

#OTD in 1890.

A day after the death of Richard Francis Burton in Trieste, his widow, Isabel, burns his journals, a revised translation of The Perfumed Garden to be called The Scented Garden and many more manuscripts and books, largely on account of their erotic nature.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Francis_Burton#Death

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Perfumed_Garden#Translations

Books by Sir Richard Francis Burton at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/898

#books #literature

Isabel and Richard Burton in 1890 in Triete Dining Room with furniture belonging to British Consul.

Photo from A Rage to Live: A Biography of Richard and Isabel Burton.

In the photograph, Sir Richard Burton, nearing the end of his life, is dressed with a dark suit with a waistcoat, reflecting his status as a British diplomat. His expression is calm but weathered, showing the effects of his years of travel and exploration. His beard, which by this time was quite full and white, adds a sense of gravitas to his figure.

Isabel Burton sits beside or near him, exuding an air of elegance and devotion. Dressed in late-Victorian fashion, she may be wearing a long, dark dress with high collars and intricate lace, reflecting both her social status and the fashion of the period. Her expression is likely one of pride or affection, as she was deeply devoted to her husband and his legacy, both personally and professionally.

The dining room in Trieste, where the couple is seated, is richly furnished with pieces belonging to the British Consul, reflecting the formality and status of Richard’s diplomatic role.

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267d

"La vie est la farce à mener par tous."
Une Saison en Enfer (1873)

French soldier and poet Arthur Rimbaud was born #OTD in 1854.

Poems such as Le Bateau ivre, Le Dormeur du val and Voyelles are among the most famous in French poetry. The precocity of his genius, his dazzling literary career and his short, adventurous life all contributed to forging his legend and making him one of the giants of world literature.

Books by Rimbaud at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/33825

#books #literature #poetry

Arthur Rimbaud in Harar, “in a banana garden”, 1883, Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

Photo staged by Arthur Rimbaud, it would be his employee, Constantin Chriseos Sotiro, who would have operated the shutter (quoted in: Hugues Fontaine, Arthur Rimbaud photographe, ed. Textuel, 2019. ISBN 9782845977822.) - African Train fr. BNF (Paris) since 1969: Print on albumen paper, 18 x 13 cm. Original color tone is orange.

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It's a 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞́𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. Spend some eye-to-eye time with Rimbaud's only known draft of “Une saison en enfer” via 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞́𝐞 𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐚 𝐁𝐧𝐅

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267d

#OTD in 1917.

The 51-year-old poet W. B. Yeats marries 25-year-old Georgie Hyde-Lees at Harrow Road register office in London, with Ezra Pound as best man, a couple of months after Yeats' proposal of marriage to his ex-mistress's daughter, Iseult Gonne, is rejected.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._B._Yeats#Marriage_to_Georgie_Hyde-Lees

Books by W. B. Yeats at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1719

#books #literature #poetry

Walter de la Mare, Bertha Georgie Yeats (née Hyde-Lees), William Butler Yeats, unknown woman, summer 1930; photo by Lady Ottoline Morrell.

In the image, the group is outdoors, likely in a garden or rural setting, characteristic of Lady Ottoline's gatherings at her homes. The lighting is soft, typical of an English summer, lending a relaxed and somewhat nostalgic quality to the photograph.

Walter de la Mare, the English poet and author, stands or sits calmly, perhaps slightly to one side.

Bertha Georgie Yeats (née Hyde-Lees), the wife of William Butler Yeats, appears in the photograph with a sense of quiet elegance.

William Butler Yeats, the famed Irish poet, stands or sits prominently in the image, his distinctive features easily recognizable.

The unknown woman is present alongside the others, her identity and role a mystery, adding an air of intrigue to the photograph.

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268d

"The same people who can deny others everything are famous for refusing themselves nothing."
Table Talk (1851)

English poet and essayist Leigh Hunt was born #OTD in 1784.

He was the centre of the Hampstead-based group that included William Hazlitt and Charles Lamb, known as the "Hunt circle". Hunt also introduced John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Robert Browning and Alfred Tennyson to the public.

Books by Leigh Hunt at PG:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leigh_Hunt

#books #literature #poetry

Leigh Hunt, engraved by H. Meyer from a drawing by J. Hayter

Unknown author - Unknown source

Leigh Hunt (1784-1859), an English essayist and poet

In this engraving, Hunt is depicted with a sharp yet thoughtful expression. His face is oval-shaped, with fine, well-defined features. His hair is curly and dark, swept back from his forehead in a loose, natural style, characteristic of the Romantic era. His high forehead suggests intellect, while his penetrating gaze and slightly furrowed brow give an air of seriousness and reflection. His eyes are a focal point, full of life and intelligence, conveying both his wit and his contemplative nature.

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268d

"Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own."

Irish writer Jonathan Swift died #OTD in 1745.

Swift is remembered for works such as A Tale of a Tub, An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity, Gulliver's Travels, & A Modest Proposal. He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms—including Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, M. B. Drapier—or anonymously.

Books by Jonathan Swift at PG
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/326

#books #literature

Charles Jervas portrait of Jonathan Swift.

In the portrait, Swift is shown as a middle-aged man, with his characteristic rounded face and full, expressive features. His hair, worn in long, flowing curls, is typical of the wigs of the early 18th century, a fashion among men of high status. His gaze is direct, with piercing, intelligent eyes that convey both a sharp wit and deep contemplation, traits often associated with his satirical writing.

Swift is dressed in clerical attire, signifying his role as a clergyman within the Church of Ireland. He wears a dark robe with a white clerical collar, which contrasts against the rich, dark tones of his clothing.

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246d

In November 1873.

The children's periodical St. Nicholas Magazine begins publication by Scribner and Company in New York under the editorship of Mary Mapes Dodge.

Books by Mary Mapes Dodge at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/402

#books #literature

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267d

Dutch author and poet Isabelle de Charrière, known as Belle van Zuylen, was born #OTD in 1740.

She is now best known for her letters and novels, although she also wrote pamphlets, music and plays. She took a keen interest in the society and politics of her age, and her work around the time of the French Revolution is regarded as being of particular interest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabelle_de_Charri%C3%A8re

Books by Isabelle de Charrière at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Isabelle+de+Charri%C3%A8re&submit_search=Go%21

#books #literature #poetry

Isabelle de Charrière by Jens Juel, (1777), Bibliothèque publique et universitaire de Neuchâtel.

Jens Juel - http://www.charriere.nl/images/juel.htm [1]

Isabelle de Charrière, born Isabelle Agneta Elisabeth van Tuyll van Serooskerken, known as Belle de Zuylen (1740-1805)

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263d

German novelist and translator Dorothea von Schlegel was born #OTD in 1764.

She met the poet & critic Friedrich von Schlegel in the salon of her friend Henriette Herz in 1797, after which Dorothea divorced Simon Veit in 1799.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_von_Schlegel

#books #literature

Dorothea von Schlegel; portrait by Anton Graff (c.1790) Anton Graff - Own work, anagoria

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264d

Swiss illustrator Eugène Grasset died #OTD in 1917.

Grasset was an engraver, poster artist, decorator and architect, representative of the Art Nouveau movement. He exercised his talent in all areas of the decorative arts: architecture, decoration, illustration, graphics, furniture, jewelry, stained glass...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Grasset

#art #literature #illustration

Grasset poster, Drei Frauen und drei Wölfe, c. 1892.

Eugène Samuel Grasset (1845-1917) - http://www.kunstkopie.de/a/grasset-eugene-samuel/drei-frauen-und-drei-woel.html

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La Vitrioleuse ("The Acid Thrower"), 1894, lithograph with hand-stencilled colours, for L'Estampe originale

Eugène Grasset - Own work

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265d

Dracula author's lost story unearthed after 134 years.

An amateur historian has discovered a long-lost short story by Bram Stoker, published just seven years before his legendary gothic novel Dracula.

By Maia Davies @BBCNews

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g9119l64qo

"Gibbet Hill" published in Supplement to the Daily Express in 17th December 1890 is available here:
https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000924296

Books by Bram Stoker at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/190

#books #literature

Gibbet Hill by Bram Stoker (early short story) published in
Supplement to the Daily Express.
17th December 1890

Source: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000924296

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266d

"No man was ever yet a great poet, without being at the same time a profound philosopher."
Biographia Literaria (1817)

English poet, philosopher, & critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born #OTD in 1772.

He was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England & a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth. He also shared volumes and collaborated with Charles Lamb, Robert Southey, and Charles Lloyd.

Books by Samuel Taylor Coleridge at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/95

#books #literature

1795 portrait by Peter Vandyke

Peter Vandyke - http://www.zeno.org/Literatur/I/coleridg.jpg, held at the National Portrait Gallery

Coleridge was just 23 years old when this portrait was painted, yet even at this young age, he exudes intellectual depth and a sense of purpose.

In the portrait, Coleridge is shown in three-quarter view, with his body slightly turned but his face directed towards the viewer. His youthful face is soft, with smooth, almost cherubic features, reflecting his early years before the hardships of ill health and addiction would mark his later life. His expression is calm but thoughtful, and his wide eyes are particularly striking, conveying both curiosity and deep contemplation, traits that would define his career as a poet and thinker.

Coleridge's hair, worn in loose, dark curls, frames his face in a soft and natural manner, adding to the overall impression of youthful vigor. His attire is typical of a gentleman in the late 18th century: a dark coat with broad lapels, a high white cravat or stock, and possibly a waistcoat beneath.

The neutral tones of the backdrop ensure that the light falls softly on his face, emphasizing his clear complexion and expressive features.

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Engraving by Gustave Doré for an 1876 edition of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Coleridge. Labeled "The Albatross," it depicts 17 sailors on the deck of a wooden ship facing an albatross. Icicles hang from the rigging.

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266d

"Sleep does make us all equal, it seems to me, like his big brother--Death."
Plays and Stories

Austrian author and dramatist Arthur Schnitzler died #OTD in 1931.

He is considered one of the most significant representatives of Viennese Modernism. Schnitzler’s works, which include psychological dramas and narratives, making him a sharp and stylistically conscious chronicler of Viennese society around 1900.

Books by Arthur Schnitzler at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3010

#books #literature

Arthur Schnitzler (1862–1931) in 1926, Austrian author and dramatist.

In this portrait, Schnitzler appears as a mature man in his mid-sixties. His face is strong and defined, showing the signs of age through wrinkles and a slightly weathered complexion, yet his expression remains sharp and contemplative, reflecting his lifelong engagement with complex human emotions and social issues. His eyes, a prominent feature, are penetrating and thoughtful, suggesting the deep introspection and psychological depth that permeate his writings. There is a subtle intensity in his gaze, as though he is pondering profound ideas or reflecting on the human condition.

Schnitzler’s hair, now graying, is neatly combed, while his full mustache and short beard add to his distinguished appearance. His facial hair is well-groomed, giving him a sophisticated and somewhat aristocratic look, in keeping with his prominent position within Viennese society.

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266d

"I like too many things and get all confused and hung-up running from one falling star to another till I drop. This is the night, what it does to you. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion."

Part Two, Ch. 4 - On the Road (1957)

~Jack Kerouac (12 March 1922 – 21 October 1969)

#books #literature

Kerouac's Naval Reserve Enlistment photograph, 1943

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266d

"The... first stepping-stones towards scientific knowledge are wonder and curiosity..."

American author, and social critic Charles Eliot Norton died #OTD in 1908.

He was a militant idealist, a progressive social reformer, and a liberal activist whom many of his contemporaries considered the most cultivated man in the United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Eliot_Norton

Books about or translated by Charles Eliot Norton at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/778

#books #literature

Photograph of Charles Eliot Norton (1827-1908), reading a book,1903. Photographer: J.E. Purdy & Co.,Boston (Mass.).

In the image, Norton sits in a dignified posture, holding a book in his hands, deeply absorbed in its contents. His head is slightly bowed, as if concentrating intently on the text, giving the photograph a contemplative and scholarly atmosphere. His face shows the marks of age, with deep lines and a long, white beard that adds to his distinguished appearance. Despite his advanced years, his posture suggests a quiet energy and focus, a testament to his enduring intellectual curiosity.

Norton's hair is thinning and gray, neatly combed back, while his beard is full, long, and well-groomed, adding a sense of gravitas to his appearance. His expression, though not visible in detail due to the downward angle of his face, likely reflects concentration and calm thoughtfulness.

He is dressed in formal, conservative clothing typical of the era, likely a dark suit and waistcoat, with a high-collared shirt.

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278d

#OTD in 1891.

Émile Zola's stage adaptation of his novel Thérèse Raquin (first performed in 1873) achieves a single London performance, its English stage première (at the Royalty Theatre). To evade the Lord Chamberlain's Office's censorship it has to be staged privately by the Independent Theatre Society, but still attracts criticism on moral grounds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9r%C3%A8se_Raquin#

Thérèse Raquin at PG:
FR: https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/7461
EN https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/6626

#books #literature #theatre

Italian actress Giacinta Pezzana in Zola's Teresa Raquin, at the Teatro dei Fiorentini in 1879.

In the photograph, Pezzana is dressed in 19th-century period costume, reflecting the modest yet slightly somber wardrobe of the character Thérèse, a woman trapped in a loveless marriage who becomes embroiled in a passionate but tragic affair.

Her expression is intense, with deep emotion etched across her face. Her eyes likely convey a mix of anguish, guilt, and desperation, key emotions that define the character of Thérèse in Zola's narrative. Pezzana’s ability to inhabit such a tortured character is evident in her strong facial features and the emotional tension captured in her gaze.

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261d

#OTD in 1922.

Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf is published by the Hogarth Press of Richmond upon Thames with a jacket design by the author's sister Vanessa Bell. Also this summer, Woolf writes the short story "Mrs Dalloway in Bond Street" (published July 1923), the groundwork of the novel Mrs Dalloway (1925).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob%27s_Room

Jacob's Room at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/5670

#books #Literature

First edition of Jacob's Room is the third novel by Virginia Woolf, first published on 26 October 1922.

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280d

#OTD in 1849.

American writer Edgar Allan Poe died under mysterious circumstances at Washington Medical College four days after being found on the streets of Baltimore, Maryland, in a delirious and incoherent state.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Edgar_Allan_Poe

Books by Edgar Allan Poe at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/481

#books #literature

Edgar Allan Poe. Quarter-plate portrait daguerreotype of Edgar Allan Poe taken by William Abbott Pratt in Richmond, Virginia, September 1849. The two daguerreotypes Pratt made of Poe in this sitting are the last to have been made of the writer before his death in Baltimore in October 1849.

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265d

"Tupi or not tupi - That is the question."
Manifesto Antropófago, 1928.

Brazilian poet, novelist and cultural critic Oswald de Andrade died #OTD in 1954.

Andrade was one of the founders of Brazilian modernism and a member of the Group of Five, along with Mário de Andrade, Anita Malfatti, Tarsila do Amaral and Menotti del Picchia. He participated in the Modern Art Week (Semana de Arte Moderna).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_de_Andrade

#books #literature

Escritor brasileiro Oswald de Andrade/Brazilian writer Oswald de Andrade

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263d

Uruguayan poet Delmira Agustini was born #OTD in 1886.

She wrote for the magazine La Alborada (The Dawn). She formed part of the Generation of 1900, along with Julio Herrera y Reissig, Leopoldo Lugones and Horacio Quiroga.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delmira_Agustini

#books #literature #poetry

Retrato de Delmira Agustini publicado en 1907 en el poemario "El libro blanco (frágil)" Desconocido - https://diadelasescritoras.bne.es/delmira-agustini/

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261d

"Woe to those who lead idle lives. Idleness is a dreadful illness and must be cured in childhood. If it is not cured then, it can never be cured."
Le Avventure Di Pinocchio

-Carlo Collodi (24 November 1826 – 26 October 1890)

#books #literature

Ulteriori dettagli Carlo Collodi (engraving from a photograph by Montabone) Sconosciuto - «L'Illustrazione Italiana», No 44

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245d

#OTD in 1893.

Jerome K. Jerome founds To-Day, "A weekly magazine-journal", in London. However, he had to withdraw from both publications (The Idler) because of financial difficulties and a libel suit.

Books by Jerome K. Jerome at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/173

#books #literature

Advertisement poster by Dudley Hardy for Jerome`s magazine "To Day"

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259d

#OTD in 1919.
Arthur Ransome leaves Russia with his future wife Evgenia Petrovna Shelepina, previously Trotsky's secretary, carrying a diplomatic message for Estonia.

Books by Arthur Ransome at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/601

#books #literature

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