“L’ange noir” and “the master of word” – an excerpt from Jan Iwański memoirs about Antoni Lange (edited by Aleksandra Błasińska)

Abstract

The project was financed by Narodowe Centrum Nauki awarded on the basis of decision number DEC-2013/09 / D / HS2 / 02798

The article presents an excerpt from Jan Iwański’s memoirs referring to Antoni Lange. The text was probably expected to constitute a part of the work prepared to be published in the chapter The profiles of writers and scholars. The manuscript can be found in the National Ossoliński Institute, signature 15047 (4b). The following text entitled Lange is an extract from Jan Iwański’s draft work and was supposed to be included in the memoirs which were under editorial preparation. The Iwański family cultivated the tradition of putting down their recollections on paper. Moreover, the concept of this work resembles the memoirs published by the poet’s father – Pamiętniki 1832–1876, and Wspomnienia. 1881–1939 written by his brother, August Jr. Unlike August Jr., Jan mentions people who were not closely related to his school education though they occasionally appeared in his family home at the invitation of his father – August Iwański Sr. They formed a circle of individuals connected with the artistic world: Edward Słoński, Gustaw Daniłowski, Henryk Sienkiewicz and Antoni Lange. Iwański intended to dedicate extensive parts of the texts to the latter, making him – as it is reflected in the title – the subject of a longer fragment of a chapter; however, frequently emerging digressions did not allow the author to characterize Lange and their relationship in a coherent way. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the poet significantly influenced Iwański, caused his fascination and became his master whose opinion on the poetic attempts of the young entrant proved to be of paramount importance.