Yashiro's Study of the Annunciation in Art (1952), mentioned in this letter, was sent to Berenson with a handwritten dedication by the author. A sketch of Yashiro by Dario Neri was found in the book. The sketch was presumably made when Yashiro visited I Tatti in 1956; see below.
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Oiso, Oct. 22nd My dear B.B., Thank you ever so much for sending me “Bibliografia”. That is a very convenient publication, which teaches us the wide range of your intellectual activities. That is especially valuable & useful for me, as I am just writing my preface to the Japanese edition of “Italian Painters”, in which I plan to make clear to Japanese public what a great brain and a warm heart you have. Your secretary wrote to me in your absence that my book on the Annunciation in Art had arrived. I feel very shy to think that you would look through it. There may be many mistakes in the names & attributed names of the illustrations, because here in Japan, reliable books on European Art are so scarce, & it is almost impossible to verify the names. My main purpose in the book is to trace both psychologically & pictorially the development of that interesting subject through historical periods. I think I had something new to say in that book, but as the text is in Japanese I cannot explain that to you. The only interest you might take in the book, would be the collection of many photos of the Annunciation in various countries & of various periods. Dr. Tucci of the Italian Institute for the Middle & Far East is just here in Tokyo. He says kindly that he is going to invite me to Italy soon. So I may come to Italy sometime in near future. My heart warms, as I think I may call on you again. Hoping that you are well, Yours ever, Yukio Yashiro Please remember me to Nicky! |
