|
Oiso, Nov. 27th My dear BB, Thank you very much for your letter of Nov. 21st. Every letter from you gives me an infinite pleasure as a proof of your good health! I am glad to know that you have looked through my book on the Annunciation. The illustrations are arranged in various classifications (somewhat united up together), and it is impossible to guess from them what I am driving at. When I come to Italy & call on you at I Tatti, I will explain to you my aim in writing that book. I am very happy to tell you that I can visit you at I Tatti much earlier than I expected. A few weeks ago, Dr. Tucci of the Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente came to Japan as the guest of our government, and now I am invited by Tucci & by Italian Government to come to Italy & stay there for three months. So I shall come to Rome with my wife in the early part of February. I accepted the invitation of Tucci with a very glad feeling, because that gives me the chance of visiting my beloved Italy over again, where the great sources of inspiration for my young days, and all through my life, including my master BB, are still there and are waiting for me, to inspire me over again. What you told in your letter about National Gallery of Washington & about your pupil & my great friend John Walker worries me very much, especially for the sake of Walker. I hope it will be solved well for Walker. What you spoke about me with Walker & what he is making efforts for my sake, I appreciate very very much. I deeply hope that by your help & by Walker’s, I shall be able to write my books on Far Eastern Arts in English. The death of Horovitz is indeed a great blow for me too. I liked him very much, when I met him several times in New York. He wanted me to write a book on Oriental Art somewhat in the manner of Gombrich’s “Story of Art” a human approach to the subject, which Horovitz was very very proud to have published. I promised to write a book of the kind, when I have time enough. Now Horovitz is no more. I am very sad. My wife is very excited to go to Europe for the first time. She says she is very happy to meet you and express her gratitude to you, to whom her husband owes everything. Also my son, who is now in Paris, studying music at Conservatoire in Paris, would come to Italy to join us, and we shall take him with us to meet you. How happy I am to think all this! Yours ever, Yuki Please remember me to Nicky. |
