Christie’s says letters to Marianne Ihlen document ‘one of the most captivating love affairs of its time as well as the transformation of a young man into a great artist’ It was one of the great love stories of the “flower power” era of the 1960s. And when Leonard Cohen met Marianne Ihlen it led to the flowering of the talent of one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. Cohen was a struggling poet when they first came together on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960. And Ihlen became his greatest muse, inspiring one of his emblematic songs, So Long, Marianne, and several others, including Bird on the Wire, while at the same time giving him the confidence to sing in public. Continue reading...
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