Hellens’ eldest son Alexandre, born in 1921, inspired Ivanovsky in 1934 to write and illustrate Two Russian fairy-tales for Desclée De Brouwer. The next summer Ivanovsky was asked by Hellens and his Russian-born wife to spend the holidays together. By that time she had already made illustrations for a book by Hellens, published in The Hague in 1935. That summer Ivanovsky also started to illustrate several manuscripts by the poet. The one dedicated to Modigliani (who painted Hellens’ portrait), eventually became published as a facsimile in 1986. These happy days, inspirational for their wonderful Bass, Bassina, Boulou (see nr. 129) turned grim when in May 1940 war broke out. Alexandre Hellens, 18 years old, serving in the army, went missing in action. Only months later the family found out the boy had fallen on the battlefield near Rouen. To commemorate this tragic event Hellens wrote this poem as an in memoriam. He had 50 copies printed and asked Ivanovsky to adorn each one of them with a small illustration. In blue and white gouache she painted a dove on each copy. At the memorial church service for family and close friends the poet gave the adorned print to all present. Ivanovsky still calls it: ‘une souvenir triste’, a sad memory.

References:

Brussels 2005, nr. 131.