Julia Franck’s book illuminates Rilke’s relationship with artist

Julia Franck explores the relationship between poet Rainer Maria Rilke and painter Baladine Klossowska in a new book released near the 100th anniversary of Rilke’s death.

Klossowska, also known as Elisabeth Spiro, came from a Jewish family in Breslau, Germany, and later married the artist Erich Klossowski before moving to Paris. She began a passionate but ultimately unreciprocated relationship with Rilke in 1919, flooding him with letters expressing her love while he maintained emotional distance.

Franck reconstructs the dynamic through Klossowska’s letters and Rilke’s brief replies, accessing original correspondence from the Fondation Bodmer archive. The author details how Klossowska, who signed her letters as “Merline”, intensely analyzed Rilke’s poetry, particularly his Stundenbuch, as a way to connect with him. Rilke often responded vaguely, seeking solitude to focus on his work and occasionally addressing her as “Mouky”. Franck considers whether Rilke’s distance might have stemmed from Klossowska’s Jewish background, though the correspondence itself doesn’t offer proof.

She notes that Rilke also had complex relationships with other women, including Lou Andreas-Salomé and Claire Goll. Ultimately, Franck portrays Klossowska as a talented and unfortunate woman, while acknowledging Rilke’s dedication to his art and the pressures of his life. Klossowska died in Paris in 1968, but Rilke had shown care for her sons, helping to advance their careers.