Letter from Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz written 24.08.1939

24.VIII 1939

Honoured and Dear Professor,
Thank you very much for the letter and especially for your kind offer to translate my article. But you did not express your opinion about the correction/change, neither here nor in the letter – and that was what I expected. As for the portrait, I do turbans for all who have larger collections [of my portraits], and the main reason for it is laziness to draw the ear. I thought that you don’t have one, and my legs got paralysed up to above my navel when you mentioned that other Rajah to me. Accepting  you without any reservations as the ideal of a man almost, which I always say about you, I cannot dig up anything in my freudianised pasteurised subconsciousness that could point to a malign coloration of turbaneness as such. Turban ist Turban – ist nichts mehr darüber zu sagen die absolute Unmöglichkeit eine symbolische Bedeutung in die Turbanigkeit wesensmässig zu introizieren ist mir fast befreundlich geworden sogar in den Dimension meiner Porträtkunst. [Ger. A turban is a turban – and there is no more need to pursue the absolute impossibility of establishing symbolic meaning of turbaneness as a characteristic feature introduced only for friends in the dimension of my portraiture.]

I cannot get down to writing because of the atmosphere. But I read a lot. Unfortunately, due to an avalanche of portrait commissions, I haven’t made the intended portrait of Miss Popiel. I am asking you kindly for her address and whereabouts.

I enclose word of respect, affection and gratitude for you both.
FG [family greetings] Vitkacius