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On completing his studies, Gibran travelled backto America by way of Athens, London, Munichand Paris, possibly funded by Fred Holland Day.While in Paris in April 1902, he learnt of the deathof his youngest sister, Sultana, at the age of 14. Shehad contracted tuberculosis, not uncommon inthe crowded slum conditions in Boston where thefamily was living. Gibran returned to find that hisstepbrother and his mother were also very ill. Botheventually died in 1903 — his brother of tuberculosisin March, his beloved mother of cancer in June —leaving Gibran and his sister Marianna. One can onlyimagine the psychological effect this would have hadon the sensitive 20-year-old Gibran.In 1904, Fred Holland Day, still a constant friendand guiding light, offered to let Gibran use hisHarcourt Building studio for Gibran’s first publicexhibition. The display opened on 30 April 1904 tofavourable critical attention. It was at the opening ofhis exhibition that Gibran met the next key figure inhis life, Mary Elizabeth Haskell (1873–1964).At 30, Mary Haskell was ten years older thanGibran, and an independently wealthy headmistressof her family’s private school in Boston. RecognisingGibran’s talents, Mary’s interest in him grew and shegradually took him under her wing and made himone of her protégés. Mary encouraged and fundedGibran’s visit to Paris from July 1908 to October1910, where he went to study art, and further develophis techniques and philosophy.Gibran enrolled at the Académie Julian (a largeprivate academy with a number of ateliers all overParis) in July 1908, when he joined the atelier ofJean-Paul Laurens. Here he learnt how to paint anduse colour, and improved his powers of observation.By early 1909 he was working in the studio ofPierre Marcel-Béronneau (of the Symbolist school).Shortly after this, Gibran seems to have given up on‘formal education’. He met up with his former fellowstudent Youssef Howayek, who was also in Paristo study art and sculpture. They hired models andspent hours studying the work of other artists theyadmired in the galleries and museums, immersingthemselves in their styles and techniques.It is possible that in December 1908, in thecompany of some professors and other students,Gibran visited Auguste Rodin in his studio. Rodinexpounded his philosophy of art and life and onequestion led him to talk about William Blake.Of all the impressions absorbed by Gibran duringhis Parisian sojourn none had a greater and morelasting influence on him than his [re-]discovery ofWilliam Blake. In Blake’s visionary work Gibranfound the support and confirmation for his ownearly ideas, and he owed more to the Englishmanthan to any other poet, artist, or philosopher.Bushrui and Jenkins, Kahlil Gibran: Man and poet, p. 101Gibran profited from Paris and, with the help ofhis teachers and friends and sheer hard work, hetransformed himself from a skilful draughtsman tosomeone who was not afraid to use colour and hadsome familiarity with oils, watercolours and pastels.While in Paris, he occasionally socialised withSyrian compatriots, meeting an older Lebanesewriter and political activist, Ameen Rihani(1876–1940), who introduced Gibran to other Syriandissidents living in Paris and to the world of Arabicpolitics, then in a dynamic stage of unificationbetween Arab states.Man in search of existence, c. 1920Wash drawing7KAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MANKAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MAN8

Gibran returned from Paris feeling he hadoutgrown Boston. Once again, encouraged andsponsored by Mary Haskell (who remained inBoston), he moved to Greenwich Village, New York,in April 1911. He eventually rented an artist’s studioin which he worked and lived, which he called ‘TheHermitage’. At this stage, he was still focused onfinding fame and fortune as an artist. A major artisticproject that Gibran conceived and initiated in Pariswas his ‘Temple of art’ series of pencil portraits(always Gibran’s best medium) of famous male andfemale artists of the day. He continued to add tothis series once he returned to America — in a 1914exhibition in New York there were 19 portraits ondisplay. However, by 1917 Gibran was finding moresuccess with his writing than his art, and this iswhere he started to concentrate his efforts.During his Parisian sojourn Gibran and Mary hadcorresponded regularly, and by the time he returnedfrom Paris they had formed a partnership of sorts,which essentially lasted for the remainder of Gibran’slife. He benefited from this devotion to his talent— Mary felt strongly enough about Gibran to be his‘muse’, English-language editor and ‘confidante’to the end of his life. She also financially supportedGibran. Along with paying for his visit to Paris, shealso paid the rent for his studios in Boston and NewYork and provided other funds until Gibran wasfinancially independent, a couple of years after thepublication of The prophet in 1923.New York was an exciting new prospect. Despitehis humble origins, by the time he reached histhirties Kahlil Gibran had become a charismatic man— small of stature but good looking, intense, politeand softly spoken. He had a ready and interestingopinion on most matters, but was also a goodlistener. He felt an abiding love for his homeland,yet could not bring himself to leave America, his landof opportunity. He was fascinated with all aspectsof the world around him yet often led an ascetic andlonely existence.Gibran continued his involvement with AmeenRihani and other Arabic activists, and became oneof the founding members of the Pen Club (’al-Rabitaal-Qalamiyya), writing for Arabic newspapers andassociating with the Syrian literati and other writersliving in New York. He gave popular poetry readingsin English to test new ideas for his publications, andbecame a darling of the matriarchal elite of New Yorksociety, at a time when alternative forms of religiousexpression were beginning to attract interest.Gibran was published in Arabic first, and laterin English. One of his first Arabic publications wasThe broken wings in 1912; and his first publicationin English was The madman in 1918. His Englishpublications veered from pessimistic to optimisticover time, with The prophet in 1923 considered themost confident and optimistic of all his writing.The prophet was Gibran’s third English-languagebook, and the twelfth of his 17 Arabic and Englishbooks published in his lifetime.In conception, it was the first of a trilogy: Theprophet was intended to cover man’s relationship toman, addressing the realities of human existence:birth, children, marriage, love, eating, work, pain anddeath. The second book, The garden of the prophet,was to address man’s relationship to nature; and thethird, The death of the prophet, would focus on man’srelationship to the divine. Gibran was working onThe garden of the prophet at the time of his death.The triad-being descending towards the mother-sea, 1923WatercolourKAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MAN10

Art is a step from nature towardsthe infinite.I long for eternity because thereI shall meet my unwritten poemsand my unpainted pictures.Forgetfulness is a form of freedom.Evocation of Sultana Tabet (?), 1908CharcoalQuotes above are from Kahlil Gribran’s Sand and foam, 192611KAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MANKAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MAN12

The prophet consists of 26 ‘counsels’. Gibran tookmany years over the book and considered it the mostimportant of his works. References to the book occurmany times in Mary Haskell’s journals from as earlyas 1912. Letters between Gibran and Haskell originallyrefer to ‘counsels’ or ‘The Commonwealth’ whenmentioning what was later to become The prophet.The structure of the book was in place by 1912 andby 1919 it had evolved into its present form, with itspresent title. The manuscript was mostly finalised bylate 1921, with Gibran and Mary perfecting it during1922 — working on the spacing of the sentencesand taking the ‘Book of Job’ as their model. Marywas, as usual, the perfect editor, sympathetic andencouraging. It is interesting to speculate how muchof the book’s value can be attributed to her tirelessefforts. The book was finally published in September1923, either by design or fate — September being themonth of ‘Ielool’, in which the book is set.Many scholars believe that The prophet reveals thekernels of Gibran’s own belief system. It poeticallyenshrined Gibran’s firm belief that the mostimportant thing in life is Life itself. As with many ofhis other Arabic and English writings, the rhythmsand cadences in The prophet were based on theBible, and the author himself did the illustrations.Gibran was unique in his capacity to blend twoartistic sensibilities — art and writing. The prophetmade his reputation and, more than anything else heaccomplished, still resonates with readers today.From around the mid-1920s Gibran suffered fromillness, creative fatigue and self-doubt. He continuedto write — his second most-popular and longest book,Jesus, the son of man, was written from November1926 to December 1927 — but he was starting to flag.His later works were mostly one-act plays and thereworking of writing done years before.Kahlil Gibran died aged 48 on Friday 10 April 1931.The cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver, althoughhe also showed signs of tuberculosis. During hislifetime he had published 10 works in Arabic, sevenworks in English, written 38 newspaper articlesand shown his art in nine exhibitions. His Arab andAmerican followers and friends mourned his passingat such a tragically early age.Gibran’s will directed that everything in his studiowas to go to Mary Haskell, with the instruction thatshe should send to Bsharri anything she didn’t wantto keep. Gibran left his money, securities and sharesto his sister Marianna. He bequeathed the royaltiesof his copyrights to his home town — the GibranNational Committee in Bsharri was formed to copewith the influx of royalties.Mary remained true to Gibran’s wishes after hisdeath. They had talked as far back as 1913 about hisbeing buried in Lebanon, and in 1931 she pushedfor the fulfilment of his dream. The chosen sitefor Gibran’s tomb was the ancient monastery ofMar Sarkis, which Gibran had set his heart onacquiring a few years before his death and which hissister Marianna (urged by Mary) purchased at thebeginning of 1932.Today the monastery, now the Gibran Museum,houses the best collection of Gibran’s artworks in theworld, as well as the personal belongings found inGibran’s New York studio at the time of his death.Avryl WhitnallCuratorKahlil Gibran: The Prophet, The Artist, The ManThe divine world, 1923WatercolouriiKAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MANKAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MAN14

Deep inside me there is another dynamic intelligenceFace of Almustafa, 1923(Frontispiece for The prophet)Charcoal15 KAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MANwhich has nothing to do with words, lines or colors.Human figures spread out below a dark landscape, 1930WashKAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MAN16

itEm listUnless otherwise indicated, all works are by Kahlil Gibran(1883–1931), and are on loan from the Gibran Museum, Bsharri,Lebanon. Titles of works appear in italics; where the title hasbeen ascribed, it is not italicised.thE manFred Holland Day (1864–1933)kahlil gibran with book, 1897Photographic print National Media Museum/Science& Society Picture Library, UKPortrait of may Ziadeh, 1920-1921(Sketched from a photograph)CharcoalPortrait of a young womanwith head inclined, 1908–1910Oil on canvasPortrait of an artist, 1912CharcoalFred Holland Day (1864–1933)Portrait of kahlil gibran, c. 1898Photographic print National Media Museum/Science& Society Picture Library, UKMay (Marie) Ziadeh (1886–1941)Postcard to kahlil gibran, no dateImage: Temple of Jupiter inBaalbeck, LebanonEvocation of sultana tabet (?),1908Charcoalisolation, c. 1912Oil on cardself-portrait, 1908CharcoalMay (Marie) Ziadeh (1886–1941)Postcard to kahlil gibran, no dateImage: Valley of the Dog River inLebanon (Nahr Al Kalb)L’automne, 1909Oil on canvasthe dawn, c. 1912Oil on canvasYoussef Howayek (1883–1962)Portrait of kahlil gibran, 1909-1910Oil on canvasnotebook, no dateOriginal manuscript in bothEnglish and Arabic‘tEmPlE OF aRt’ sERiEsself-absorbed, pre-1914Oil on canvasEvocative image of mary haskell,1904Pencilnotebook, no dateOriginal manuscript in bothEnglish and ArabicCarl gustav Jung, 1913Charcoalthe murmur of silence, pre-1914Oil on canvasPortrait of sultana gibran, 1910Oil on canvasnotebook, no dateOriginal manuscript in bothEnglish and ArabicDance movement(Ruth st. Denis), 1914Pencilanguish, 1914Oil on canvasPortrait of Charlotte teller, c. 1911Oil on canvaslove asleep in a field of poppies, c. 1900PencilPortrait of the american painteralbert Ryder, 1915Red chalkthe masks of life, 1914Pencil and charcoalameen Rihani, 1911CharcoalComforting angel, c. 1904PencilPortrait of george Russell, 1928Charcoalhead of a man, 1914–1917PencilPortrait of Claude Debussy, 1910CharcoalthE aRtist17 KAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MANKAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MAN18

itEm listEyes closed, 1914–1917Charcoalthe mountain, c. 1916Wash drawinglove, 1923WatercolourFriendship, 1923Watercolournude woman holding child, no dateRed ink drawingman in search of existence, c. 1920Wash drawingthe marriage, 1923Wash-drawingthe divine world, 1923Charcoalthe triangle, 1918Wash drawingtwo faces, 1923Charcoalthe archer, 1923WatercolourAlfred A Knopf, Inc., New Yorkgalley proof of The prophet, c. 1923(Handwritten corrections by Gibran)Galley proofWhen the sun kissed his own nakedface for the first time, 1918Pencilhuman figures spread out belowa dark landscape, 1930Washthe gift, 1923WatercolourAlfred A Knopf, Inc., New YorkPlate proof of The prophet, c. 1923Plate proofbalance of the absolute, c. 1918Pencilgibran’s watercolour set(Box with drawing appliances, brushes,colours and watercolour sets)the three stages of being, 1923WatercolourKahlil GibranThe prophet, 1923Alfred A Knopf, Inc., New York,September 1923(First edition)State Library of New South Walesthree nudes their hands raisedand joined, 1919Wash drawingFace of almustafa, 1923(Frontispiece for The prophet)CharcoalPain, 1923WatercolourTwenTy Drawings sERiEsstudy for the triad-being descendingtowards the mother-sea, c. 1920Pencilthe prayer, 1923Watercolourmanuscript for Jesus, the son of man,c. 1927(Part 1 of 2)Manuscript in notebookthe triad-being descending towardsthe mother-sea, 1923Watercolourtowards the light above, 1923WatercolourKahlil Gibranmanuscript for Jesus, the son of man,c. 1927(Part 2 of 2)Manuscript in notebookthE PROPhEtthe waterfall, 1919Wash drawingthe rock, 1916Wash drawing19 KAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MANJesus, The son of Man sERiEssketch of the face of Jesus, 1928 (?)CharcoalKAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MAN20

thE austRalian lEbanEsE FOunDatiOnThe University of Sydney established theAustralian Lebanese Foundation in 2002 to buildeducational links between the university andLebanese academic centres, to support educationalopportunities for young Australians of Lebaneseheritage and to strengthen cultural ties betweenLebanon and Australia.The Foundation has raised funds from thecommunity to support its many activities. Over40 first-year university students have receivedscholarships, and practical links have beenestablished with the Lebanese University andother institutions in Lebanon. The Foundation hasarranged visits to Australia of leading scientists,politicians, journalists and financiers to supportthe goals of enhancing the Australian community’sunderstanding of the rich cultural heritage ofLebanon and of informing the people of Lebanonand the Lebanese diaspora about Australia. Theseinclude the visits of a Lebanese environmentalscientist to explain the diversity and beauty of theLebanese ecology; senior political figures to discussthe status and management of Middle Easterntensions; and Lebanon’s leading television journalistand his team to make two programs on the Lebanesein Australia for international broadcast.This exhibition of works from the Gibran Museumbrings to Australia a heightened understandingof the fine traditions of Lebanese philosophy andculture, encapsulated in the modern era in thepoetry and prose of Khalil Gibran. While Gibran iswidely read and admired, relatively few Australiansare aware of his heritage. The Australian LebaneseFoundation is delighted to be associated withthis exhibition and its important contribution toadvancing community understanding.bibliographySuheil Badi Bushrui and Salma Haffar al-Kuzbari,Blue flame: The love letters of Kahlil Gibran to MayZiadeh, Longman, Essex, England, 1983Virginia Hilu (ed.), Beloved prophet: The love lettersof Kahlil Gibran and Mary Haskell, and her privatejournal, Knopf, New York, 1972Suheil Bushrui and Joe Jenkins, Kahlil Gibran: Manand poet, a new biography, Oneworld, Oxford, 1998Kahlil Gibran: Horizons of the painter, exhibitioncatalogue, Nicolas Sursock Museum, Beirut, 1999Patricia J Fanning, Through an uncommon lens: Thelife and photography of F. Holland Day, University ofMassachusetts Press, Amherst, 2008Mikhail Naimy, Kahlil Gibran: A biography, QuartetBooks, London, 1988Kahlil Gibran, Sand and foam: A book of aphorisms,Knopf, New York, 1989Kahlil Gibran, The prophet, Heinemann, London, 1995Youssef Howayek, Gibran in Paris, Popular Library,New York, 1976Khalil S Hawi, Kahlil Gibran: His background,character and works, The Arab Institute for Researchand Publishing, Beirut, 1972Annie Salem Otto, The parables of Kahlil Gibran: Aninterpretation of the writings and art of the authorof ‘The prophet’, Citadel Press, 1963George W Russell, The living torch, The MacmillanCompany, New York, 1938Robin Waterfield, Prophet: The life and times ofKahlil Gibran, The Penguin Press, London, 1998Two faces, 1923Charcoal21 KAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MANKAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MAN20

. In my work I am as solid as a rock, butmy real work is neither in painting nor inwriting. Deep inside me there is anotherdynamic intelligence which has nothingto do with words, lines or colors. The workI have been born to do has nothing to dowith brush or pen .Kahlil Gibran to May Ziadeh, letter, 3 November 1920The State Library ofNSW is a statutoryauthority of, andprincipally fundedby, the NSW StateGovernment

KAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MAN 4 3 KAHLIL GIBRAN: THE PROPHET, THE ARTIST, THE MAN Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary. Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky. We fell them down and turn them into paper that we may rec