CURNONSKY (Maurice Saillant, known as). - Lot 85

CURNONSKY (Maurice Saillant, known as). Born in Angers. 1872–1946. Writer and journalist, he was nicknamed the “Prince of Gastronomes.” Letter from “Maurice Curnonsky” to “Dear Colleague.” Paris, July 18, 1895. 3½ pages, oblong in-12 format. Tinted paper (hole, creases, tear at the edge of the right-hand page, trace of adhesive). A VERY BEAUTIFUL LETTER TO A COLLEAGUE, DATED 1895.Curnonsky, then 23 years old, was a columnist for various newspapers and one of the “ghostwriters” for Willy, Colette’s husband, to whom he had been introduced by the Veber brothers…...Before joining in the collective cheers that *Gil Blas* will make ring out along the banks of the Seine this Saturday, I would simply like to express to you the immense joy I feel at the official recognition of your noble and proud talent—a talent that taught me to love you even before I knew you...When I had the honor of being introduced to you by our charming friend Veber, you were immediately so kind and welcoming to me that I am happy to be able to express my deep gratitude to you today… That astonishing dragoon captain I’d told you about—you know, the one who cursed me for introducing *L’Ennemi* into my regiment’s officers’ library?… has just made amends himself (…): he’s read your work! And he was pleasantly surprised to discover that *The Enemy* is not, as he confessed to me he had always believed, an indictment of the army. Here is yet another fine man whose esteem you have won!… All the more so since he was the owner of vineyards ravaged by phylloxera to the very core… As for me, who knew you beforehand, I felt, upon learning of your promotion to an Order that takes pride in admitting men such as yourself, a very keen and sincere enthusiasm, which I am sure will be shared by all those who still have the right to call themselves young… Isn’t enthusiasm the hallmark of our age? And then, my dear teacher, you have provided me with the most decisive argument in favor of the usefulness of ministers. I feel that I am beginning to believe in human justice… and so I owe you a feeling that is both rare and precious! Since I would have expressed this very poorly at our meeting next Saturday, I felt it important to write to you, and I dare to hope that you will see in my letter nothing but proof of the most respectful affection and deep literary sympathy of your young collaborator… Wishing to become a journalist, Curnonsky moved to Paris at the age of 18 to prepare for the École normale supérieure. As he began writing articles for newspapers, Alphonse Allais advised him to adopt a pen name. He first worked at the newspaper Gil Blas alongside Tristan Bernard and the two Veber brothers, Pierre and Jean—the latter a painter and press illustrator.Curnonsky, known for his food columns, founded the Académie Gastronomique in 1911 and the Académie des psychologues du goût in 1922.