# Kahlil Gibran

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Virginia Orbison, Kahlil Gibran, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> Kahlil Gibran
> 
> Virginia Orbison
> 
> 1966
> 
> KAHLIL GIBRAN(from a letter by V. Orbison to JPL)
> Lux. 1966
> 
> In answer to your request I shall write down for you what I remember having
> heard, or what I have proof of, about the artist-writer, Kahlil Gibran.
> 
> As you know, he is the author and illustrator of the very widely read books
> "The Forerunner" and "The Prophet", as well as other books whose titles I do
> not remember. These books have been translated into many languages and the
> philosophy expressed in them followed by a great number of people, as it is
> full of great beauty and wisdom. In these books, however, as far as I know,
> the author does ;not mention the influence of Abdu'l-Baha, (son of
> Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Baha'i World Faith), and the fact that he
> attended lectures, classes and meetings held by the Master, when He visited the
> United States in 1912-1913.
> 
> Many Baha'i of that time, and notably Miss Juliet Thompson, a very well-known
> painter, writer, author, and one of the earliest Baha'is- knew Gibran and
> some have written about him in connection with the visit of Abdu'l-Baha.
> 
> The definite proof that Kahlil Gibran had contact with Abdu'l-Baha is the
> magnificent portrait in pencil (?) which he made of he Master, showing the
> great majesty and authority and vision on that wonderful face. It is a
> three-quarter view of the head, and in the lower left hand corner, it is signed
> with a very clear neat; Kahlil Gibran, April 1912. I do not know where the
> original portrait is. Photographic copies were made of it, however, and Dr.
> and Mrs. Ugo Giachery used to have one hanging in their home in New York City.
> Dr. Giachery was very moved when he again saw a copy in my house in Lisbon,
> Portugal. (1956) This copy was given me by Beatrice Irwin when she (and I)
> were in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands. (1953) Dr. Giachery knows much
> of the story of Gibran and Abdu'l-Baha.
> 
> One familiar with the Baha'i Writings can easily trace their influence on
> Gibran, and I have always felt that this story would be of great interest to
> the millions (perhaps) of followers of Gibran in many parts of the world. It
> is interesting to know too, that Gibran had planned to write a book on the life
> of Abdu'l-Baha, but died before this could be realized.
> 
> Another interesting connection which later became Baha'i, is what I learned
> while in Valmont/Montreux, Switzerland in 1949 when there after an illness. In
> Valmont Clinique I met Mrs. Una Drage, an American woman writer, painter, who
> was the author of "Una and I" and other books, dealing with her own amazing
> childhood among scientific parents (Father was Curator of Smithsonian Inst. in
> Washington), in Washington, and in Hawaii, etc. Her books on her childhood
> were used by Prof. Hames in his classes on child psychology, so good were they.
> Well it seems that Una, when a young girl, taught art to groups of children
> and young students too poor to pay for lessons, or go to art school. Among
> these students (in the city of Boston?) or New York?- was a young Syrian of
> about 15, named Kahlil Gibran, recently arrived in America. He was extremely
> gifted. Una Drage told me quite a lot about him all of which I have forgotten.
> At that time I knew nothing about the portrait Gibran had made of
> Abdu'l-Baha. However, she and I talked much of the Faith, she met some
> Baha'i visitors, especially Honor Kempton, who often visited her after I
> left, and who was with her when she died (in her seventies) in about 1952,3).
> 
> Juliet Thompson wrote a book about Abdu'l-Baha in which she speaks of Kahlil
> Gibran's presence at Baha'i meetings. Juliet was one of those constantly
> with him. Biographies of Gibran do not much of these things, if at all. One
> book, by a woman admirer, which I have read, takes good care NOT to mention it,
> or Juliet - as her wish was to lay stress of Gibran as a great original poet and
> thinker.
> 
> METADATA
> 
> Views456 views since posted 2026-02-22; last edit 2026-02-23 02:01 UTC;
> 
> previous at archive.org.../orbison_kahlil_gibran
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> Shortlink: bahai-library.com/7259
> Citation: ris/7259
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> — *Kahlil Gibran (Used by permission of the curator)*