New Biography Explores the Extraordinary Life of Harry Kessler, the Enigmatic 'Red Count'

Karl Lagerfeld once described Harry Kessler as representing "Germany at its best, a Germany that is forever gone" – a Germany of culture, pacifism, and courtesy. A new biography by Jean-Pierre Pastori delves into the life of this enigmatic aristocrat, patron, diplomat, and writer, often dismissively nicknamed the 'Red Count' due to his alleged communist sympathies.

Kessler's lineage traces back to Saint-Gall, with paternal ancestors descending from the preacher Johannes Kessler, a key figure in the Reformation. His maternal grandfather had conquered Burma, and his mother, Alice, a mezzo-soprano and writer, instilled in him a passion for arts and letters. Educated in German, French, and English, Kessler became a convinced European, particularly after World War I.

“

Germany at its best, a Germany that is forever gone. That of culture, pacifism, and courtesy.

He was sensitive to modernity, collecting works by Renoir, Van Gogh, Munch, and Maurice Denis, and commissioned three portraits from Munch. His house in Weimar was designed by architect Henry Van de Velde. Kessler wrote art studies, visited Rodin and Monet, and met with Verlaine. He documented his encounters and reflections in his journal, expressing a deep understanding of passionate, unrequited love.

“

I know from experience what it means to love passionately and without hope.

Kessler's life also included a notable friendship with a 17-year-old jockey and cyclist named Gaston Colin, whose nude portrait by Maillol he acquired. Their excursions and shared activities, despite the age difference and societal norms, are detailed. At the time, German law prohibited homosexual relations, a fact highlighted by Pastori, noting the law's revision only in 1994.

In the 1920s, Kessler actively denounced the poverty affecting Berlin's children, demonstrating a strong social conscience. His life, marked by art, diplomacy, and social activism, paints a picture of a man who, despite his aristocratic background and the turbulent times, championed humanitarian ideals and dreamed of a unified, pacifist Europe.

“

I'm bored to death, I think of you night and day.