Le lettere di Konstanty A. Jeleński a Teresa Jeleńska nell’archivio del Museo della letteratura Adam Mickiewicz di Varsavia: una panoramica

The letters discussed in this analysis are those written by Konstanty A. Jeleński (Kot) to Teresa Jeleńska (Rena) and were a gift from Rafael Martinez, the secretary and heir of the painter Leonor Fini, who was Kot’s long-time partner. These letters represent the most significant part of the writer’s correspondence with his parents: primarily with his mother (722 letters from the son to the mother, 84 from the mother to the son), and to a lesser extent with his biological father (39 letters from Kot to his father, 27 letters from his father to him). Jeleński’s correspondence provides insights into his professional relationships and friendships with the most important Polish writers of the second half of the 20th century. The letters also reveal his reflections on the geopolitical situation in Europe at different periods of his life. They reflect the ups and downs of his essayistic work, and they also contain mentions of Kot’s disappointed artistic ambitions, particularly his many unsuccessful attempts at writing a novel. Additionally, these letters contain impressions from the countries where Kot lived or traveled for work or leisure. The article aims to enrich the portrait of Kot Jeleński through the lens of this correspondence and to identify its main thematic pillars and stylistic characteristics in his epistolary writing.