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P.C. Boutens
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Donation by the Vereniging Vrienden van de Koninklijke Bibliotheek
Acquisition 1995
Date 1903
Size 26 x 21 cm.
Signature 2294 B 34
On 12 June 1900, fifteen year old Willem van Tets esquire died of meningitis. Poet and classicist P.C. Boutens (1870-1943), a teacher of Latin and Greek at Voorschoten's very exclusive private school Noorthey, commemorated his student in a poem with 52 stanzas that begins with fading 'summer evening glow' and concludes with 'the most fragile acoustics' in which all sounds are extinguished: 'tears are music'.
The 'music' had yet to be composed, and it was two years after the tragic death before Boutens corresponded with the printing firm Enschedé in Haarlem about publishing the poem. Boutens was one of the first modern authors who insisted on a bibliophile version of his works, which he also often had printed as private publications. Money was certainly not an issue; thanks in part to Noorthey his circle of friends included aristocratic and wealthy gentlemen including Anton van Herzeele, Emile Menten and Timon Fokker.
It was considered a privilege to be able to buy his books. This copy originally belonged to Boutens himself. It was later donated to his 'houseboy' (a euphemism for male companion) Cornelis van Duyvenbode, and eventually ended up with publisher/bibliophile Johan Polak (1928-1992). Polak's collection was sold by auction in 1993; this special copy was not part of the sale, but a second copy was, even though the entire edition existed of only twelve (possibly fourteen) copies.
Boutens asked his friend Jan Toorop to provide the artwork, but there were difficulties and therefore they could not be printed. Once the work was published, Toorop 'illuminated' the books (not every copy, however) with two medieval-style initials. These ecoline drawings, a Z at the beginning and an H for the supplementary 'In memoriam' poem, are not the same in each copy. They were inspired by the writing and illustrate a rising sun, an eye and a female torso with a raised hand. Toorop illustrated Boutens' copy more richly than the others, adding painted decorations along the edges of five pages in red, green and blue. He also signed both initials.
(PVC)
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