*Ancient Days
onassis.org
—
cavafy.onassis.org
Days to come stand in front of us...*
16 Frynichou Street, Athens. One hundred and sixty years after his birth, Constantine P. Cavafy gains a new "home,” from which the unceasing sensibility of his timeless poetry shall be now transmitted. The Plaka building houses, foremost, the Cavafy archive (initially managed by Prof. G. P. Savvidis), which we acquired in 2012 from Manolis Savvidis and to whom we would like to extend our gratitude through these pages. Since then, the Cavafy archive has been constantly enriched with new belongings. Secondly, we were able to acquire and exhibit many of the poet’s original furniture and decorative items, which were transported to Greece by his legal heirs, Alekos and Rica Singopoulo. These came into our possession from their respective heirs, members of the Trechantzakis family, and we feel obliged to underline their contribution. Therefore, in a building that could have also been embedded within the urban fabric of Alexandria, as it belongs to the same era and architectural style, we concentrated our effort on conveying the ambience of the “chambers” where Cavafy lived, alongside his furniture and poems. The objective is not to activate the space as a Cavafy “museum,” but to allow the visitor to grasp the essence of the spiritual and material lives of the poet, as much as possible, with no further artificial sensationalism. I believe that the architectural design by Eva Manidaki and Thanassis Demiris/Flux-office serves this purpose ideally. Finally, in this space, we have gathered a handful of documents from the artistic life of Alexandria during the interbellum era. These painters, Alexandrians themselves, knew and socialized with Cavafy and portray his city for us. This new space, open to the public and subscribing to the standards of the Onassis Foundation holistic policy, shall operate as a hub of cultural legacy and creation, situated just a few steps away from the Onassis Library and Mandra (our new outdoor event venue); as such, the space aligns itself with the rest of our Cavafy initiatives. In 2017, the International Cavafy Summer School was established with the participation of Greek and international researchers, amplifying the “reading” of Cavafy’s oeuvre through a scope extending from cinema studies to visual culture. As of 2019, the entire personal and literary archive of Cavafy, containing manuscripts of poems, hand-compiled printed editions, prose literary works, correspondence, and photographs, has been fully digitized in accordance with optimal contemporary practices and is freely accessible to all scholars and the public at cavafy.onassis.org. In May 2023, at the festival organized by Onassis USA in New York, artists, academics, and writers highlighted aspects of Cavafy’s oeuvre that maintain a direct contact with our times. Finally, the Onassis Foundation undertook, through sponsorship, the restoration of the Cavafy Residence in Alexandria, in collaboration with the Hellenic Foundation for Culture and, again, under the architectural design of Flux-office. On Frynichou Street, the Onassis Foundation inserts another landmark in the Athenian center and a novel milestone in Cavafy research. Anthony S. Papadimitriou President of the Onassis Foundation
* C. P. Cavafy, “Candles”
4
5
CAVAFY ARCHIVE
Timelessly contemporary, political, sensual, and profound, but always relevant, the internationally acclaimed poet C. P. Cavafy compiled and archived his work on a systematic basis, hence creating a unique literary and personal archive. The Cavafy archive consists of more than 2,000 items, including manuscripts of poems, hand-compiled printed editions, prose literary works, articles, studies, and notes by the poet, along with his personal archive rich in correspondence, texts, and photographs. The Onassis Foundation acquired the Cavafy archive at the end of 2012. This acquisition safeguarded its preservation in Greece and prevented its potential fragmentation. The aim of the Onassis Foundation is to ensure openness and free access to the archive by the public and researchers, as well as to disseminate the universal nature of Cavafy’s poetry. The Onassis Foundation proceeded with digitizing, classifying, and fully documenting the entity of the Cavafy archive contents in Greek and English, and in May 2019, the digital collection of the archive was published at cavafy.onassis.org, rendering it accessible to all. Responding once again to the need for openness, accessibility, and dissemination of the poet’s work, the Onassis Foundation invested in the creation of the Cavafy Archive, a tailor-made space in Athens dedicated to the poet’s archive, which was inaugurated in November 2023. Yet another international cultural heritage attraction opens for all residents, researchers, and visitors under the architectural design of Flux-office by Eva Manidaki and Thanassis Demiris. The Cavafy Archive on Frynichou Street in Plaka hosts the poet’s literary and personal archive, 966 books from his library, and a collection of documents and works of art with references to Cavafy. The aim was to create a space for the poet’s writings and books, his personal items and furniture, surrounded by artworks that enable us to gain an in-depth understanding of his growing impact on artists from his era until today―a space open to researchers and the public, open to all.
6
7
ONASSIS FOUNDATION
The mission of the Onassis Foundation, founded by Aristotle Onassis in 1975, will always be human-centric: to create the conditions, explore the ideas, and spark the discussions that lead to a better society. The Foundation works to promote the rich contributions of contemporary Greek culture worldwide. The Onassis Foundation's work is based in Athens but spans the globe, focusing on culture, healthcare, and education. It has awarded more than 7,600 scholarships to young people worldwide since the late 1970s and presents countless cultural events each year. By building the Onassis National Transplant Center (ONTC) until 2024, following the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center (OCSC) in Athens, it creates the conditions to provide health to all, offering the Greek society a hospital for the transplant of solid organs as well as a center for research and innovation in the field of organ transplantation. In the US, the Onassis Foundation generously supports and curates cultural programming across various art forms and creative endeavors. Onassis USA, based in New York, includes Onassis X (ONX), a hybrid production and exhibition space in the Onassis Gallery of the Olympic Tower in Manhattan that supports a global artistic ecosystem centered on Extended Reality. Onassis X embodies the Onassis Foundation’s commitment to shaping new practices in digital creativity and focuses on accelerating the development, execution, and mobility of new XR work in key global arenas. Through Onassis AiR, a program built on the continuous support of artistic research and practice, aiming to foster a space where the artists set the conditions themselves for the development of their work, the Onassis Foundation supports the existing partnerships and members of its broader ecosystem with the local and international artistic community. And when it comes to culture, it's not just art; it's a way of living. At Onassis Culture, with the Onassis Stegi as its hub, the Onassis Foundation encourages the talent and energy of local and international artists to thrive and starts conversations that aim to shake and shape society. Onassis Stegi is a center of global contemporary culture that, through a series of initiatives and works, promotes dialogue about democracy, social and environmental justice, racial and gender equality, and LGBTQIA+ rights. Stegi Radio is Onassis Stegi's international web radio, thus a cultural platform that focuses on new music productions, speaking through sounds and ideas, tracing current political and critical thought, and crossing an imaginary archipelago for the bolstering of dialogue that goes beyond borders and dates. The Onassis Channel on YouTube is constantly evolving and growing bigger by adding new productions, digital concerts, documentaries, online discussions, and unique content, bringing our common digital future into focus.
8
9
C. P. CAVAFY Move to Constantinople
The Cavafy Family The poet Constantine Cavafy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on 17 April, 1863. When the new calendar came into effect, the date changed to 29 April, so the latter is customarily cited as the poet’s date of birth. Moreover, it coincides with 29 April, 1933, the date of his death, creating a notable coincidence in the registry. During the 19th to mid-20th century, Greek communities flourished in many Egyptian cities; the largest was that of Alexandria. The poet’s parents, Peter John Cavafy and Hariclia, daughter of Georgakis Fotiadis, had a total of nine children, two of whom died in infancy; one of these was the only girl. Constantine was the ninth and last child. Together with his brother George, who had settled in London, Peter John Cavafy managed a flourishing trading company, “Cavafy & Co.” which traded wheat and cotton.
1882 saw a military uprising in Egypt; the British navy intervened (the British would rule over Egypt for the following seventy years); Alexandria was bombarded, and foreign residents began to abandon the city. Among them was Hariclia, who this time hurried to her family home in Constantinople. The poet described the journey in a journal written in English, which he titled “Constantinopoliad, an epic.” We have only tentative information regarding his three-year stay in Constantinople. During those same years, he composed his first verses in both Greek and English, as well as prose in the style of encyclopedia entries. Around the end of 1885, the family returned to Alexandria, and Constantine assumed various jobs. Over the next several years, the family would experience the successive deaths of numerous family members. Cavafy’s brother Peter John (named after their father) died in 1891, their mother Hariclia in 1899, followed by George (1900), Aristides (1902), and Alexander (1905). His remaining two brothers would die in the 1920s, Paul (1920) and John (1923), leaving Cavafy the last surviving sibling. He had obtained steady employment in 1892, when he was hired by the Third Circle of Irrigation, under British control, where he worked for the next 30 years. From 1908 until the end of his life, he lived alone in the apartment at what was then 10 rue Lepsius, in October 1964 renamed rue Sharm el Sheikhj and later renamed rue Cavafy.
Visits to Athens The Years in England The family’s prosperity was to be short-lived. Peter John’s premature death in 1870 forced Hariclia to leave Alexandria and seek support for herself and her children from her husband’s brother in England. The family resided first in Liverpool and afterward in London. We have very little information regarding the poet’s roughly five-year stay in England (1872–1877). Naturally, he would have attended school and learned English. In 1877, Hariclia and the children returned to Alexandria; Constantine was enrolled in the Hermes Lyceum of Constantine A. Papazis, where his friends included Miké Ralli and Stefanos Scilizzi, both of whom died young. Constantine composed one of his first poems (“For Stefanos Scilizzi,” 1886) to commemorate his friend’s death, while he kept a journal of sorts regarding the illness and final days of Miké Ralli (1889). 10
During his years in Alexandria, Cavafy traveled only infrequently, be it to the Egyptian interior (Cairo) or abroad. In 1897, he and his brother John embarked on a two-month journey to Paris and London. In the summer of 1901, he visited Athens for the first time, in the company of his brother Alexander, and kept a journal in English regarding the trip, with detailed accounts of what he saw and whom he met, including Kimon Michailidis, publisher of the journal Panathinaia, the poet Ioannis Polemis, the painter Georgios Roilos, and Grigorios Xenopoulos. Cavafy went on to exchange letters with Xenopoulos, who in 1903 wrote “A Poet,” historically significant as the first extensive piece about Cavafy’s work to be published in Athens, in Panathinaia. The poet would again visit the Greek capital in 1905 to visit his brother Alexander, who was being treated in a hospital there and would eventually die later that same year. Cavafy’s last trip to Athens came in 1932, for reasons of his own health. 11
The “Legend” of rue Lepsius
Early Publications
Cavafy’s apartment on the second floor of what was then 10 rue Lepsius would, over time, become his customary place for meeting with Alexandrian intellectuals as well as visitors from Greece. His unusual publication method, certain personal idiosyncrasies, as described by his associates, and his always pointed references to literary figures and books began to create an aura of legend around his person. His public image acquired strong (sometimes distorting) features from the descriptions of the well-known writers and poets, Greek and foreign alike, who visited him, including Filippo Tommaso Marinetti and E. M. Forster. Friends (and sometimes enemies) of his work gave accounts of their conversations with Cavafy either orally or in writing. This sharing of private conversations, as well as excerpts from interviews, also gave rise to the public exchange of mutually negative comments between Cavafy and Kostis Palamas, in an era in which Cavafy’s poetry had begun to threaten Palamas’ omnipotence. The recognition of Cavafy’s importance was often accompanied by parodies (sometimes vicious) that took aim either at the poet himself or at particular poems. After the poet’s death, this trend continued with the parodic mockery of a range of themes, thereby confirming the robust and continual permeation of his lines into everyday life, which continues to this day.
Τhe Cultural and Artistic Environment of Alexandria During the early decades of the 20th century, alongside the commercial and financial activities of the Greeks of Egypt, significant cultural and artistic movements had developed in both Alexandria and Cairo, most notably the appearance of a range of periodicals and books (even by Athenian writers), satiric yearbooks, and literary journals (Serapion, Grammata, Nea Zoi, Propylaia, Panaigyptia, Argo, Foinikas), which in time found distribution throughout the Greek-speaking world. Poems by Cavafy, as well as studies or commentaries on his work, not always positive or well-intentioned, appear in all of these journals. The peculiarities of his poetry, his own personal idiosyncrasies, and his solitary life in the apartment on rue Lepsius without a telephone or electricity comprised an exceptional case that departed from the usual models. Slowly but steadily, his poetry began to spread both in the Egyptian communities and in Greece, acquiring faithful fans as well as fanatic opponents. 12
1886 saw Cavafy’s very first publications: the prose piece “Coral from a Mythological Perspective” in the newspaper Konstantinoupolis and the poem “Bacchic” in the journal Esperos in Leipzig. Both, like many other poems and prose pieces of his early years, were signed Constantine F. Cavafy and were later silently repudiated. It has been suggested that the “F” in his signature stood for a second baptismal name (Fotios), yet the official baptismal register contradicts this view, referring to a single Christian name. Most likely, it was a gesture of respect and honor toward Cavafy’s maternal grandfather, Georgakis Fotiadis. For the remainder of his life, he continued to publish prose and poetry in newspapers, yearbooks, and journals in Alexandria, Leipzig, Constantinople, Cairo, and Athens, though he never published a book. Several of these issues contain responses to the poet regarding the fate of the poems that he submitted for publication from time to time, primarily during the early years of his public presence.
Editorial Practice We first meet with the idiosyncratic editorial method Cavafy followed throughout the remainder of his life in 1892, when he printed a broadside containing the poem “Κτίσται” (“Builders”), followed a few years later by the four-page leaflet “Τείχη/My Walls” (bilingual edition, 1897); “Δέησις” (“Prayer,” 1898); “Τα Δάκρυα των Αδελφών του Φαέθοντος” (“The Tears of Phaëthon’s Sisters”) and “Ο Θάνατος του Αυτοκράτορος Τακίτου” (“The Death of the Emperor Tacitus”), under the joint title “Αρχαίαι Ημέραι” (“Ancient Days,” 1898); and, lastly, an eight-page leaflet containing the poem “Περιμένοντας τους βαρβάρους” (“Waiting for the Barbarians,” 1904). In subsequent years, he collected offprints of poems that had appeared in various journals―or had individual poems printed―and formed packets of works, which scholars retrospectively organized into two categories: two “volumes” (1904 and 1910) and ten “collections,” which contained poems from the years 1910–1932. These quasi-books never circulated commercially; rather, the poet himself sent or gave them to friends and admirers of his work, maintaining fastidious distribution lists. This novel publication method rendered his equally novel poetry elusive and highly sought-after. His entire poetic production was later grouped by G. P. Savvidis into four categories: the 154 poems of the “canon,” comprising the poems Cavafy himself put into circulation in his two “volumes” and ten “collections” plus one that was unpublished but assumed to be ready for printing on his death; the “Repudiated” poems of his early period; the “Hidden,” which Savvidis originally called the “Unpublished” and were not published in Cavafy’s lifetime; and the “Unfinished,” drafts of poems that the poet never completed. 13
Nea Techni and Alexandrini Techni
The Final Trip to Athens
By the 1920s, many young readers in Athens had turned their attention to Cavafy’s poetry; some wrote to ask for collections of his printed poems or composed commentaries on his work. A first public, notable example of the Athenian reception of his work was the rather hodge-podge tribute in the journal Nea Techni (1924), in which a plethora of writers expressed their largely positive opinions about the poet being honored. The tribute was conceived by Marios Vaianos, who corresponded with the poet but never met him and had taken it upon himself to act as Cavafy’s agent in Athens, offering significant help in facilitating Athenian intellectuals’ communication and contact with the Alexandrian poet. In 1926, the dictatorship of Pangalos awarded the poet the Order of the Phoenix, the only distinction he received during his lifetime. The same year, when most of the important Alexandrian journals had ceased their publication, a new literary and artistic journal, Alexandrini Techni (1926–1932), appeared in Alexandria, which Cavafy not only directed from behind the scenes but supported financially in order to promote his work and to refute any negative comments his work might attract. The relevant news columns also note sporadic, isolated translations of his poems into foreign languages.
Beginning in the late 1920s, the poet was troubled by a discomfort in his throat. “That is what made him put cigarettes out hastily, become more and more quiet when in company, and be overcome at times by a sudden melancholy,” as Stratis Tsirkas writes. He was diagnosed with throat cancer and encouraged by his doctors to travel to Athens for further treatment. He was accompanied on the journey by his heirs, Alekos and Rica Singopoulo. His presence in the Greek capital met with a great deal of publicity in the Athenian press. He remained for four months (July–October 1932), was treated at the Hellenic Red Cross Hospital, and underwent a tracheotomy, which caused him a permanent loss of his ability to speak. His visitors at the hospital communicated with him by way of written notes. On his final trip, he met many Athenian writers in person who recorded their—not always positive—impressions. Before his departure for Alexandria, the couple Kostas and Eleni Ourani threw a party in his honor, where the composer and maestro Dimitri Mitropoulos performed his work 10 Inventions, a piece for piano based on ten poems by Cavafy.
Cavafy’s Death and International Recognition
Translations of His Poetry The earliest English translations of poems by Cavafy were attempted by John Cavafy, the poet’s brother (responsible for the translation in the bilingual edition “Τείχη/My Walls,” 1897), and George Valassopoulo, who translated several poems by Cavafy that were included in E. M. Forster’s books about Alexandria and also published in T. S. Eliot’s journal The Criterion. During Cavafy’s lifetime, translations of his poems into European languages were rare, appearing most often in foreign-language anthologies of Modern Greek poetry. An actual translation explosion took place after the Second World War and continues to this day, with frequent new editions, even in languages that already boast several prior translations. 14
Near the end of 1932, after the poet had returned to Alexandria, a tribute to Cavafy appeared in the Athenian journal Kyklos. Meanwhile, the state of his health worsened. In April 1933, he was admitted to the Greek Hospital of Alexandria, where he breathed his last on April 29; he was buried in the Cavafy family grave in the Greek cemetery in Shatby. The simple plaque reads: Constantine P. Cavafy / Poet / Died in Alexandria on 29 April, 1933. According to criticism, Cavafy’s early poetry showed the influence of romanticism; he subsequently passed through periods of Parnassianism and symbolism to culminate, in the longest and most mature phase of his work, in poetic realism. His ironic language is immediate and powerful, far removed from the obsessions of demoticism; his erotic themes are unapologetic; and the treatment of contemporary events by means of history is perceptible throughout his work. With his lifelong, unfailing devotion to the Art of Poetry, Cavafy spoke of love and death, of the violence and intoxication of power, of political opportunism and the failure of great ideals. Today, he is internationally recognized as one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. Text by Dimitris Daskalopoulos, poet, bibliographer, and critic Translated by Karen Emmerich 15
CAVAFY ARCHIVE
THE PERSONAL BELONGINGS OF CAVAFY
THE READING ROOM ATHENS OF CAVAFY
16
17
THE PERSONAL BELONGINGS OF CAVAFY
What items surrounded C. P. Cavafy in his apartment? A collection of the poet’s personal items and furniture reflects the scene of his private space in Alexandria. Among photographs, vases, frames, a copy of his glasses, his desk, and other tiny and large objects, six portraits of the poet created by contemporary artists stand out. The only items never touched by the poet but exhibited in the space are his death mask, as well as the first edition of Cavafy’s poems, edited by Rica Singopoulo and illustrated by Takis Kalmouchos, which was printed in 1935, following the poet’s death.
Α. C. Β.
18
19
THE PERSONAL BELONGINGS OF CAVAFY
1. 2.
—
Α.
1.
Death mask of C. P. Cavafy Photographic portrait of Hariclia Cavafy (1834–1899), the poet's mother
2. 3.
(left) — Frame, wood decorated with mother of pearl, bearing the photo of Alexander Cavafy (Alexandria, 1856 – Athens, 1905). He married Thelxiopi Theodorou with whom he had a daughter, Eleni (Coletti). He traveled with his brother Constantine to Athens in 1901. (right) — Frame, wood decorated with mother of pearl, bearing the photo of Efvoulia Papalamprinou (née Fotiadi), Cavafy's maternal aunt. She was close to the poet's mother Hariclia and one of eight siblings that made up this Constantinopolitan family. Mirror with carved gilded frame, wood Chest of drawers with metal decoration, wood
3 1 1
2 2
20
21
THE PERSONAL BELONGINGS OF CAVAFY
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
—
Α.
Takis Kalmouchos (1895–1961), Portrait of C. P. Cavafy, Pencil on paper, 13 October 1927 Efthymios Papadimitriou (1895–1958), Portrait of C. P. Cavafy, Ink on paper Yannis Kefallinos (1894–1957), Portrait of C. P. Cavafy, Etching
1
2
3
4
5
6
Yannis Kefallinos (1894–1957), Portrait of C. P. Cavafy, Pencil on paper Konstantinos Maleas (1879–1928), Portrait of C. P. Cavafy, Pencil and ink on paper, December 1923 Hariclia Alexandridou Stefanopoulou (1889–1963), Portrait of C. P. Cavafy, Pencil on paper and wasticks, 1932
22
23
THE PERSONAL BELONGINGS OF CAVAFY
1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
A pair of the poet's round spectacles with tortoiseshell frames. Replica of an original pair in possession of the Charitatos Collection. Worry beads (Komboloi) Case for visiting cards with the initials of Hariclia Cavafy (née Fotiadi) Cigarette case with the initials of C. P. Cavafy, silver Packet of Irma Cigarettes, A. G. Coussis & Co., Cairo-Malta, brand preferred by C. P. Cavafy Smoking pipe in silk case Smoking pipe Ashtray, bronze Vase with lid, bronze Bonefolder
11. 12.
B.
—
Desk C. P. Cavafy, Poems, Alexandrini Techni Publications, 1935. The first edition of Cavafy's poems, edited by Rica Singopoulo and illustrated by Takis Kalmouchos. Print on Super Nacré Japanese paper, numbered 6/30.
1. 2.
3. 4.
Japanese Satsuma vases, pair. Courtesy of Anthony S. Papadimitriou from his Private Collection. Japanese Satsuma plate, 19th century. Courtesy of Anthony S. Papadimitriou from his Private Collection. Japanese Satsuma vase. Courtesy of Anthony S. Papadimitriou from his Private Collection. Porcelain vase with gilt decoration
1.
Armchair with velvet upholstery
1 3
2 5 7 1 3 4 6 8 9 10
11
12
1 2
24
25
4
THE PERSONAL BELONGINGS OF CAVAFY
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
—
C.
1. 2.
Candlestick, bronze Candlesticks, bronze and copper, pair Candle saucers without stand, four pieces Vases, bronze, pair Table lamp, metal Chest of drawers with metal decoration, wood
5
1
2
3
4
Statuette of a woman with a pitcher, bronze Decorative flower stand column, marble
1
6
26
27
2
THE PERSONAL BELONGINGS OF CAVAFY
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Side tables, wood and mother of pearl, pair Rectangular table, wood and porcelain Quran reading lectern, wood and mother of pearl Small table, wood and ceramic surface Octagonal table, wood and mother of pearl
1
1. 2.
2
3
Decorative flower stand column, marble Courtesy of Anthony S. Papadimitriou from his Private Collection Carpet with white fringes, country of origin: Turkey
2
1
28
29
—
4
5
C.
ATHENS OF CAVAFY
Cavafy had a complex and somewhat contentious relationship with Athens, a city he revered, albeit with a slight Phanariot condescension. “I love Athens so much,” he wrote in a letter dated 1903. Athens undoubtedly fascinated him. He viewed the Greek capital as the gateway to his poetic recognition and desperately sought the critical approbation of his Athenian readers. Athens’ literary establishment both resisted and exalted him, challenging him to actively promote his reputation and cultivate strategic relationships. By the end of his life, Cavafy had succeeded in establishing himself as a legitimate Greek poet with a reputation on par with his Athenian counterparts. But that achievement was ultimately overshadowed by the pain that Athens came to represent in his later life. Whereas Cavafy’s first two trips to Athens in 1901 and 1903 were exciting and full of discovery, his final two trips were of a different nature altogether. When he returned to Athens in August of 1905, it was to visit his dying brother Alexander, who had contracted typhoid fever. When the poet next returned in 1932, he had been diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent a tracheotomy at the Red Cross Hospital. Cavafy’s final Athenian reception was marked by adulation and sympathy, a belated but bittersweet validation of his mounting literary success. That his surviving archives would ultimately find a permanent haven in Athens marks his final triumph in the world of Greek Letters, establishing his now undisputed status as the foremost poet of Greece. Exhibition curators: Peter Jeffreys, Associate Professor of English at Suffolk University, Boston, USA Gonda Van Steen, Professor, Koraes Chair in the Centre for Hellenic Studies and Department of Classics at King’s College London UK
“I went to Athens—as to a Mecca—decided to like it and I kept my word to myself. …In all this, I assure you I was not activated by patriotism. I simply let myself be guided—as I like to do at times—by Sentiment and Illusion.” (From a draft of a letter by C. P. Cavafy to Marigo Cavafy, wife of his cousin, dated 1902).
30
31
ATHENS OF CAVAFY 1.
2.
3. 4. 5.
6.
Letter dated 22 November 1883, written to Cavafy by his godmother and cousin Amalia Pappou (née Pitaridi). Pappou comments on the poet’s interest in journalism and politics, discouraging him from both career paths. Cavafy will visit his godmother during his 1901 trip to Athens. Page from the travel diary that Cavafy kept during his first trip to Greece in 1901. On 16 June he records his departure from the island of Delos (Rineia), where the boat had quarantined prior to docking in Piraeus. A visit to Patras was on Cavafy’s itinerary as well. A hotel bill issued by the Grand Hôtel Splendid that covered Cavafy’s seven-day stay in Athens in July 1903. Pages from the program of the comic opera Les mousquetaires au couvent, performed by a French cast under the artistic direction of Bizet-Dufaure at the Faliro Theater (9/22 July 1901). Cavafy acquired this playbill during his 1901 trip to Athens. Cavafy’s admission card for the Club Athénien (Athens Club) starting 17/30 July 1903. The Athens Club was established in 1875 and was modeled after British gentlemen’s clubs. It provided entertainment for its members and promoted sporting activities. Letter to Cavafy from Grigorios Xenopoulos (1867–1951), critic, playwright, novelist, and editor of the journal Nea Estia (1927–1934), who wrote the first significant review the poet received in an Athenian journal which signaled his arrival in the world of Greek letters. In this letter, dated 26 January 1906, Xenopoulos asks Cavafy if he intends to visit Greece on the occasion of the 1906 (Intercalated) Olympic Games and whether he has composed any new poems.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
7.
8. 9. 10.
11. 12.
12
32
33
The first page of the diary Cavafy kept during his 1905 visit to Athens documenting the illness and death of his brother Alexander. In the diary, which is written in both Greek and English, Cavafy blames the hospital physicians for mishandling his brother’s case. The obituary of Alexander Cavafy published in the Alexandrian newspaper Tachydromos on 23 August / 5 September 1905. Alexander (born 1856) died of typhoid fever on 21 August and was buried at the First Cemetery of Athens. Letter to Cavafy by Ion Dragoumis (1878–1920), politician, writer, and revolutionary, dated 16 March 1911. Dragoumis refers to the renowned Greek actress and theater manager Marika Kotopouli and expresses his wish to introduce her to the poet. Note written on a postcard by Georgios Charitakis, dated 2 August 1915, in which he conveys the kind words of Kostis Palamas regarding Cavafy’s work. Charitakis (1885–1943) was a lawyer and economist who was active in politics and Greek letters. Opening pages of a letter by Cavafy to Marios Vaianos, dated 14 April 1925, in which he praises the author, poet, and translator Konstantinos Theotokis (1872–1923). Vaianos (1905?–1975) himself was a critic, poet, and journalist. Satiric sketch by Antonis Protopatsis depicting the “apotheosis” of Cavafy. It was published in the journal Filiki Etairia (1925) in response to the 1924 special issue of Nea Techni dedicated to the poet. It shows Cavafy blessing Napolean Lapathiotis. The original item belongs to the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation [MIET] – Greek Literary and Historical Archiv [ELIA], Literature Archives.
ATHENS OF CAVAFY 13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18. 19.
Letter to Cavafy from Angelos Sikelianos (1884–1951), poet, prose writer, and playwright who, together with his wife Eva Palmer, organized the Delphic Festivals in 1927 and 1930. In this letter, dated 26 January 1925, Sikelianos expresses how moved he is to have received the poems that Cavafy sent him. Program for a lecture by Mme J. Barthe d’Yvermont on Modern Greek literature, including Cavafy’s poetry, which was held on 28 April 1926 at the Apollo Theater in Athens. The evening presented various literary genres as well as recitations of poetry by “Myrtiotissa” Theoni Drakopoulou. Letter dated 15 July 1926, from Dimitri Mitropoulos asking Cavafy for French translations of his poems to accompany his musical score. Mitropoulos (1896–1960) was a conductor, pianist, and composer. The original letter belongs to the Music Library of the Friends of Music Society “Lilian Voudouri.” Printed edition of Dimitri Mitropoulos’ 10 Inventions, his musical interpretations of Cavafy’s poems. The first page bears a printed dedication to Alkis Thrylos (Eleni Ourani) and the third page contains a handwritten dedication to Cavafy dated 9 June 1927. The 10 Inventions were performed at a reception given in the poet’s honor during his 1932 stay in Athens. Letter by the poet and critic Tellos Agras (1899-1944) to Cavafy, dated 21 December 1927, written on letterhead from the Ministry of Agriculture. Agras comments extensively on Cavafy’s poetic work, remarking on publications and referring to specific poems. Letter to Cavafy from Miltiadis Malakasis (1869–1943), poet and dean of the Library of the Parliament, dated 26 September 1929, expressing his admiration of Cavafy’s work. Letter referring to Cavafy’s health, dated 30 July 1932, written by Napoleon Lapathiotis (1888–1944), a poet and intellectual who met Cavafy in 1917 while residing in Egypt. A gay poet himself, Lapathiotis remained a staunch defender of Cavafy’s poetics in the face of his Athenian detractors.
13
14
15
16
17 18
19
20
21 22
20.
21. 22. 23.
24.
29.
23
A letter by Cavafy to Antonis Benaki, dated 1 August 1932, written while the poet was undergoing medical treatment for throat cancer in Athens. Cavafy states his preference to recuperate at the Asimakopoulos Clinic and asks Benaki to visit him there. Benaki Museum Historical Archives, Inv. no. 37/16. Note scribbled by Cavafy at the time of his illness, when he was unable to speak. Written on stationery from the Hôtel Cosmopolite in Athens, it reads: “My voice will come back in the end, but it may take a while.” Clipping from the Athenian newspaper Dimokratia of a 1933 article by Giorgos Kotzioulas titled “The ‘Kyklos’ on Cavafy” regarding the special issue of the Athenian journal Kyklos that was dedicated to Cavafy’s poetry. Telegram dated 29 April 1933—the day of Cavafy’s death—in which Antonis Benaki expresses his condolences to Alekos Singopoulo.
(24-28) Volumes by prominent Athenian poets and writers with inscribed handwritten dedications to Cavafy. Angelos Sikelianos dedicated his Τελευταίος Ορφικός Διθύραμβος / The Last Orphic Dithyramb (1932), Kostas Karyotakis his Νηπενθή / Without Sorrow (1921), Miltiadis Malakasis his Αντίφωνα / Antiphonal [Voices] (1931), Giorgos Theotokas his Ώρες αργίας / Leisure Hours (1931), and Galateia Kazantzakis her 11 π.μ.-1 μ.μ. κι’ άλλα διηγήματα / 11 am – 1 pm and Other Stories (1929). Pages from the 1924 special issue of the Athenian journal Nea Techni dedicated to Cavafy and edited by Marios Vaianos. This issue marks a watershed in Cavafy’s burgeoning reputation in Athens. It contains a selection of poems, commentaries from Athenian, Alexandrian, and foreign critics, poetic imitations, artistic sketches, and biographical and autobiographical notes. The original item belongs to the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation [MIET] – Greek Literary and Historical Archive [ELIA], Literature Archives.
24 34
35
25
26
27
28
29
THE READING ROOM
The Reading Room space is where the public encounters and comes into contact with the physical archive of Cavafy. This space hosts two sections of artworks. In the "Portraits of Cavafy" section, the Alexandrian poet is presented through the eyes of eminent Greek and international artists in six unique portraits by Nikos Engonopoulos, David Levine, Giorgos Ioannou, Sotiris Sorogas, Aria Komianou, and Yannis Kyriakidis. On the other hand, the section "Egyptiotes painters" invites us to imagine everyday life in Alexandria in the era of C. P. Cavafy through ten artworks created by contemporary with the poet Egyptiotes, i.e., Egyptian Greek painters, which capture fragments of life in the city where he was born and lived himself.
A. B.
36
37
THE READING ROOM
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Α. PORTRAITS OF CAVAFY
—
THE READING ROOM
1.
Nikos Engonopoulos (1907–1985), C. P. Cavafy, Egg tempera on wood, 1948 David Levine (1926–2009), C. P. Cavafy, Ιnk on paper, 1972 © Matthew and Eve Levine Giorgos Ioannou (1926–2017), Portrait of C. P. Cavafy, Gouache on canvas, June 1983 Aria Komianou (1938–2015), Portrait of C. P. Cavafy, Woodcut, 1983 Sotiris Sorogas (b. 1936), Portrait of C. P. Cavafy, Wood paint and pencil on treated (burnt) paper, 1983 Yannis Kyriakidis (b. 1940), Portrait of C. P. Cavafy, Etching, 2018
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Β. EGYPTIOTES PAINTERS
—
Nikolaos Gogos (1898–1974), Walk in the Garden with Foliage, Mixed media on paper Thalia Flora-Karavia (1871–1961), The Nile, Oil on canvas Takis Kalmouchos (1895–1961), Seascape – Ships, Watercolor on paper Nikolaos Gogos (1898–1974), Two Figures Walking in the Sun, Mixed media on paper Nikolaos Gogos, Portrait of a man at work, Mixed watercolor technique Nikolaos Gogos, Desert Landscape with Trees and Houses, Watercolor on paper Nikolaos Gogos, Street with buildings in Alexandria, Oil painting on cardboard Nikolaos Gogos, Cluster of Palm Trees, Oil painting on cardboard Nikolaos Gogos, Trees in the Playground, Watercolor on paper Nikolaos Gogos, A Young Man Walking with an Old Man on a Street in Alexandria, Mixed media on paper Courtesy of Anthony S. Papadimitriou from his Private Collection (exhibits 1-10)
1
1
2
3
4
5
2
3
4
6 5
38
39
6
7
8
9
10
40
41
ONASSIS FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ONASSIS CULTURE
Anthony S. Papadimitriou President of the Board
Afroditi Panagiotakou Director of Culture Dimitris Theodoropoulos Deputy Director of Culture
Costas Grammenos Vice-President of the Board Dennis Μ. Houston Vice-President of the Board
ONASSIS EDUCATION
Florian Marxer Vice-President of the Board
Effie Tsiotsiou Executive Director & Director of Education Marianna Christofi Project Development Manager
Stefanos P. Tamvakis Member of the Board
Angeliki Mousiou Cavafy Archive Researcher
Michael-Spyros Sotirhos Member of the Board
Eleanna Semitelou Educational Projects Coordinator
Simon Critchley Member of the Board Karen Brooks Hopkins Member of the Board James Stavridis Member of the Board Paul Holdengräber Member of the Board Nikolaos Karamouzis Member of the Board Panayiotis Touliatos Member of the Board Mary Karagianni-Michalopoulou Member of the Board Eleni Panagiotarea Member of the Board Konstantinos Bikas Member of the Board
42
43
PROJECT/EXHIBITION SCIENTIFIC CONSULTANTS
CAVAFY ARCHIVE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Peter Jeffreys Associate Professor of English at Suffolk University, Boston, USA Amalia Pappa Deputy Director General, General State Archives (G.S.A.), Greece
Stathis Gourgouris Professor of Comparative Literature and Society at Columbia University, New York, USA Maria Boletsi Endowed Professor of Modern Greek Studies at the University of Amsterdam (Marilena Laskaridis Chair) and Associate Professor in Comparative Literature at Leiden University, The Netherlands
Gonda Van Steen Professor, Koraes Chair in the Centre for Hellenic Studies and Department of Classics at King’s College London, UK
Martha Vassiliadi Assistant Professor of Philology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece Bart Soethaert Principal Investigator at the Cluster of Excellence “Temporal Communities: Doing Literature in a Global Perspective” (EXC 2020) and post-doctoral researcher at Frei Universität Berlin, Germany Amalia Pappa Deputy Director General of the General State Archives (G.S.A.), Greece Peter Jeffreys Associate Professor of English at Suffolk University, Boston, USA Christina Dounia Professor Emerita of Modern Greek Literature at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece Takis Kayalis Professor of Modern Greek Literature at the Hellenic Open University, Greece Vicente Fernández González Associate Professor of Translation and Interpreting (Modern Greek) at the University of Malaga, Spain 44
45
EXHIBITION CREDITS
Design & Curation Flux-office: Eva Manidaki Thanassis Demiris Efthymios Dougkas Flux-office Collaborators Ismini Linthorst, Eleni Arapostathi Lighting Design Eleftheria Deko Construction of Exhibition Units Sirigos Deluxe Furniture Construction of Special Lighting Athanasios Kalkanis Conservation of Artworks Athens Art Conservation: Archondia Adamopoulou Evgenia Stamatopoulou Hanging of Artworks Christos Stefanidis Technical Advisor Pantelis Stefanis Project Coordination Marianna Christofi Vlassis Adraktas Rentis Eleanna Semitelou Building Restoration Contractor K. I. Papadopoulos Ltd.
46
47
CAVAFY ARCHIVE
Address 16B Frynichou Street Plaka, Athens 105 58 Opening days and hours Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 11:00-18:00 Admission free E-mail cavafyarchive@onassis.org
PUBLICATION CREDITS Director Afroditi Panagiotakou Advisors Dimitris Theodoropoulos, Effie Tsiotsiou, Demetres Drivas, Alexandros Roukoutakis Artistic Direction Christos Sarris Editor Marianna Christofi Publication Management Christina Kosmoglou Graphic Design Georgia Leontara, Maria Poyiadji Coordination Elisavet Pantazi Copy Editor Margarita Grammatikou Translation & Text Editing Vassilis Douvitsas Print Management Yiannis Alexandropoulos © 2023—24, Onassis Foundation
48
onassis.org
—
cavafy.onassis.org 52