Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) and Stanley Twardowicz (1917-2008) - photo 1
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) and Stanley Twardowicz (1917-2008) - photo 2
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) and Stanley Twardowicz (1917-2008) - photo 3
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) and Stanley Twardowicz (1917-2008) - photo 4
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) and Stanley Twardowicz (1917-2008) - photo 5

Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) and Stanley Twardowicz (1917-2008)

Lot 113
15.12.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 100
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1108912
Lot 113 | Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) and Stanley Twardowicz (1917-2008)
Estimate value
£ 10 000 – 15 000
Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) and Stanley Twardowicz (1917-2008)
Autograph manuscript haïkus and drawings, [Northport, New York], [1963]
11 pages of haïkus and verse fragments by Jack Kerouac on 9 leaves, 305 x 230mm and 460 x 305mm (2), most with sketched portraits in felt-tip pen or biro on the verso, some of these fragmentary, one verse fragment and some of the drawings by Kerouac's friend Larry Smith, annotated initials ('J.K.' and 'L.S.') added to each page by way of attribution. [With:] Stanley Twardowicz. Untitled drawing, ?portrait of Kerouac, signed and dated ('S. Twardowicz. 64'), ink on craft paper. 450 x 300mm. [And:] Larry Smith. Photograph of Jack Kerouac and Stanley Twardowicz, 1964, modern reproduction. Provenance: Stanley Twardowicz (1917-2008, American painter) – Sotheby's New York, 18 June 1987, lot 101 –Sotheby's New York, 19 June 2015, lot 62.

Unpublished cat haïkus by Jack Kerouac, spontaneously composed at a party in 1963, with a drawing by Stanley Twardowicz, who preserved these verses. In an inscription on the back of the photograph, Stanley Twardowicz explains the origin of these haïkus: 'In 1963, Jack Kerouac [...] Larry Smith and his wife Tsuneko, artist Matsumi Kanemitsu [...] and I had a party [...] During the evening, Matsumi mentioned to Jack that he was doing a book of drawings on cats and suggested to Jack to write some haïkus to be included in the book. Jack was excited about the idea and asked me for pen and paper and spent the rest of the evening writing haïkus, doing drawings of cats and of me and friends'.

Kerouac discovered haïkus after he was introduced to Buddhism by his friend, the poet Gary Snyder, and later developed his own approach to the form, the 'Western Haïku'.
Artist:Jack Kerouac (1922 - 1969)
Place of origin:USA
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
10.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
11.12.2023 09:00 – 20:00
12.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
13.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
?>