Swedish Artist/Dancer Elena Dorey Watercolor & Archive of Letters (4)

A large watercolor and several autograph letters signed (4) by Elena Dorey (Gjertrud Jensen). The watercolor and ink painting measures 25.25" x 18", n.p., ca. 2001. Signed at the lower right corner "Elena Dorey 2001." At the lower left corner, the artwork has been titled "Phantasy." Accompanying the work are three autograph letters signed and an invitation from Dorey to her friend Jan Wahl, dating from 1986-1987. Over the span of a little over a year, Dorey shares news of her friends, struggling with depression, and her 80th birthday celebrations. Her letters are signed in a variety of ways: "E", "Dorey Singh", "Elena Dorey", and "Gertrude". All have retained their original transmittal covers, which have also been signed by Dorey within the return address on verso. One of the letters also has some charming sketches done by Dorey of her two pets, a cat "Shanti Misser" and a dog "Trold (Arthur von Schlendrian II)". The letters all have flattened mail folds, with light, expected wear. All boldly signed. The watercolor artwork has bright, bold colors and is boldly signed, with only minimal wear at the edges and corners.

Highlights from the letters include:
Autograph Letter Signed "Gertrud (Elena)", n.d. (ca. March 1986), Bjaverskov, Denmark: "What you tell me in your last letter about Isaac has shaken me deeply. Poor soul, you must have suffered terribly - there is only one light point: that you have realized it now (I was always in doubt not from the beginning - but a couple of years after I met you both,) and that you now are free to go and come without these heavy burdens…Mogens & Angelo whom I went to a week ago have said that you can stay with them gradis. And you know they have a lovely home…I like them very much, and it is so amusing that Angelo knows all my former theater colleges…I want to invite you for my 80 yrs. Birthday the 27th of April this year…I will be very sorry if you don't come…" [featuring sketches of a shield with three hearts as well as her two pets at the conclusion of the letter].

Autograph Letter Signed "Gertrud", July 24, 1986, Bjaverskov, Denmark: "…I cannot explain what had taken hold of me, I am still not out of the darkness and the stupor, although I feel better. I can still sit for hours doing absolutely nothing hardly thinking looking blankly on my carpets telling myself: I must clean them - but to no avail. We completed the sale to our little men, but I have never spoken to them ever since you was here. Raj did not want them to say that he had broken his word - so we say goodbye to 700,000 crownes. Anyway: we cannot take it with us! Can we?... I hope you get some good results with your publishers in N.Y. as well as here in Cpn.!

Autograph Letter Signed "E", May 30, 1987, Bjaverskov, Denmark: "…as usual at this time of the year, I am plunged down in a depression and it is so difficult for me to pull myself together and do things - such as writing letters…Our so called 'friends' Mogens and Angelo have opened their beautiful shop in Maharani's old premises, it has - as you can imagine - become very elegant and horrifying exensif [sic]. They have remodeled the whole place and the whole façade of the building. I have not spoken to them since you left - that is over for good…"

Elena Dorey (1906-2001) became a modern dancer and ballerina at the Royal Danish Ballet at the age of 9, under the name "Gjertrud Jensen". She also became a talented opera singer, writer, and painter and held an exhibition of her work in Copenhagen from 1999 to 2000. Jan Boyer Wahl (1931- 2019) was an American children's author. He published over 120 works and is best known for his award-winning children's books, including "Pleasant Fieldmouse", "The Furious Flycycle", and "Humphrey's Bear". He was also an early consultant on the television show that would eventually become "Fraggle Rock".

We’ve done our best, but there could be secretarial or facsimile signatures found within this sizable collection.

Please see our terms and conditions of sale regarding large lots.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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