Gluck by Diana Souhami (most interesting books to read .TXT) 📗

inserted in your catalogue as you definitely promised, I may feel inclined to answer further questions. Meantime I shall be very pleased to hear what you intend doing as regards to payments? I would refer you to your own letters of October 2nd, last paragraph, November 1st, second paragraph, November 3rd, first paragraph. An early acknowledgement of this letter and its contents will oblige.

Yours faithfully

A.J, Westbrook

She was getting as good as she gave – a formula which got her nowhere, time after time.

Accompanied by Nesta and the actress Leonora Corbett, who was starring in To Have and to Hold at the Q theatre, Richmond, Gluck made several visits to the tailor for her exhibition menswear. She arranged the lettering for the flag to be hung outside the gallery in Bond Street proclaiming her show, sorted out titles of pictures for the catalogue and supervised the printing and distribution of 2500 invitation cards. And a month before the show opened, she attempted to resolve a less practical problem – Mother. She wrote the Meteor a cautionary letter:

October6 1936

Mother darling

I do hope you will read this letter very carefully as I am going to do my utmost not to write anything that could be misunderstood by you or that could possibly hurt you.

For at least a year, as you well know because I have often burst out about it to you, I have tried to show you how vital it seemed to me to avoid, especially in my Exhibition, any connection whatever with the family name. It is twenty years now since I have called myself Gluck and made it what it is, an independent and not entirely unknown name.

As you well know, there will be innumerable press people about, and that’s the difficulty. You have been very sweet in wanting to help me as much as you can, but I have had repeatedly to refuse because no one can help me except in very small and personal ways, but now darling, I’m going to tell you frankly the ways you can help me. They are terribly important to me, though they may not seem so to you.

First of all, do remember to call me Hig instead of Hannah. It really worries me to think that at the Show, or any time we are with people, out will come the hated name. Do please make a tremendous effort for my sake.

Then I know you genuinely think it will help me to have some of the Royal Family at the show. For a very long time now, I have tried to tell you it is a matter of indifference to me about whether they come or not. Though you do not seem to realise it by your many remarks, my paintings have nothing to do with royal patronage, but a good deal to do with Time! And Time is a dignified affair and does not truckle to temporary things. If you had been a personal friend of the Queen it would be different. Even Queen Mary is different because you have had some sort of connection with her, but for the others you would have to write explanatory letters and immediately the comment ‘why Gluck and Gluckstein’ would come up at once.

The Brookses I should like to meet, because they are nice people and are sweet to you. For no other reason at all. As they are not taking the Royalty matter out of your hands and you would have to do it all yourself, I really do not want you to. If you do, I don’t wish to hear another word about it, for to me it seems undignified, and we cannot run around explaining why I took the name of Gluck – and there it is!

I am putting all I have into this exhibition, every ounce of myself, and I do want to feel that you are in complete agreement with me, and not hindering me simply because I had not made everything clear to you. What I feel is that the people who come through knowing you with your name of Gluckstein can only be a source of danger and distress to me. Please try and see this, and when you send out the cards, do not put your name on as well as mine.

I am more than happy that you as my mother will be able to be at my show. You’ll look a knock out and I shall be very proud of you. But it must be as my mother and not as Mrs Gluckstein. D’you see?

Anyway, if you truly love me you will do this to help me and give in to my wishes, even though they may disappoint you, so please darling let me recapitulate them once more.

1. Unless the Brookses can hand my cards to the Queen or any members of the Royal Family in the ordinary way of friendship or acquaintance, do nothing about it.

2. When you come to the show, tell no one you are Mrs Gluckstein. Just tell them you are my mother. You will help the sale of my pictures more than you know, because then I shall not be labelled ‘rich amateur’ and your personality will not be swamped by the name either.

3. And …‘HIG’darling. ‘HIG’ for ever more!!!

Bless you. Don’t be disappointed, but now that you realise how much this means to me, tell me that you understand and will do all I ask for my sake.

Your very loving Hig

It was the letter of a child anxious that her mother might prove an embarrassment on prize day. Like a child, Gluck felt that the power her mother had over her would extend to others too. It was not the letter of a forty-two-year-old woman, of considerable professional standing, brazen enough to wear men’s suits. Behind the wolf’s clothing there lurked a sheep or even lamb, the victim, not the aggressor. Gluck was afraid, as ever, of losing her will, of ‘being swamped’, by the mere mention of her family