Auction 111 Rare Books, Manuscripts, Letters of Rabbis and Rebbes
Dec 11, 2018 (Your local time)
Israel
 3 Shatner Center 1st Floor Givat Shaul Jerusalem
The auction has ended

LOT 19:

Letter from Einstein to his Friend, Artist Hermann Struck. Berlin, 1922

Sold for: $14,000
Start price:
$ 3,000
Estimated price:
$8,000 - $12,000
Auction house commission: 22%
VAT: On commission only
tags:

Letter handwritten and signed by Prof. Albert Einstein. Berlin, c. 1922. Sent to Jewish artist Hermann Struck.

Content of the letter: Einstein expresses appreciation to his friend Struck for his wonderful gift, with which he is overjoyed. Struck sent him two copies of the etching Elderly Jew in Jaffa, regarding which he declares that he has put the work in an appropriate place, above his desk. Einstein reveals great interest in the portrait of the "old man" captured by Struck so magnificently [Einstein once said, "I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."]. He indicates that it always reminds him of Leonardo (Da Vinci?). Yet he sees fit to note that he has reservations about the strange rigidity projected by the figure in the etching. With a humorous note, he adds that the rigid expression is possibly due to the the old man's being required to stand for the portrait. He writes that he will sign the etchings, as Struck has requested. [Struck sent two copies.] At the end of his letter, Einstein expresses his hope that he will meet Struck again soon.

Aside from his intensive scientific occupation, Einstein was also an art enthusiast, and saw them as two sublime complementary fields in the life of man; at one opportunity he expressed: 'All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom."

Refer to the next item for details of the special connection between Einstein and Hermann Struck.

[1] leaf Albert Einstein's official stationery from when he was in Berlin, 22x17 cm. German. Very fine condition.