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Sylvia Plath Self-portrait Sells at Sotheby's

On 25 June, I mentioned that a self-portrait by Sylvia Plath was going to be auctioned via Sotheby's today, 14 July, in Lot 98. The estimate was between 3,000 and 5,000 GBP. The item did sell for 3,750 GBP including buyers premiums.

The self-portrait dates from July 25, 1949, this is roughly three and a half months before her famous diary entry on November 13, 1949.
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  1. Melanie Smith16 July, 2011 10:12

    Thank you for this information Peter and reminder of Plath's journals!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Peter K Steinberg16 July, 2011 21:24

    You're welcome Melanie!

    I was kind of happy to find that link to the 1949 journal entry. I certainly hope the link doesn't go bad!

    pks

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous20 July, 2011 10:49

    Dear Peter,

    Just a note to clarify the fact that the link you provide to Plath's Nov 13, 1949 diary entry, which contains three famous quotes, is the version edited by Sylvia Plath's mother, Aurelia, that was published in Letters Home. The actual diary entry has a passage that sits between two of these famous quotes (published in Eye Rhymes: Sylvia Plath's Art of the Visual, 2007) is this:

    I want, I think, to be omniscient -- and a bit insane. That is the trouble with the world -- (of course I can dictate from my judgment seat) not enough people have that spark of divine insanity that can retwist this crippled frame of existence that deforms us all so horribly. I think I would like to call myself, "The girl who wanted to be God."

    One can see why Aurelia edited this out, of course. But your readers should see the real thing, seems to me.

    GM

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  4. Peter K Steinberg20 July, 2011 11:01

    Thanks GM for your post; I had not realized that the link I provided was to the edited version of Plath's diary entry and I appreciate you calling our attention to that!

    pks

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