Johannes Brahms (Hamburg, 1833 - 1897, Vienna)
Envelope with Cigarette Butt, 3 September 1894
Ink and graphite on paper, cigarette butt, 12.6 x 15.3 cm (4 15/16 x 6 in.)
Yellow Room
Commentary
The cigarette butt in this envelope comes from the lips of Johannes Brahms. Isabella Stewart Gardner routinely saved souvenirs of her friendships with contemporary musicians. During a visit to Brahms’ hometown of Ischl, Austria in 1894, a star-struck Gardner told a friend that she “somehow must meet him.” The very next day, she and the composer were spotted “having tea together like old friends,” perhaps with cigarettes in hand.