Elisar von Kupffer (1872 - 1942)
Maalikunstnik, kirjanik ja filosoof

Elisar sündis Sophienthalis, Tallinnas (Revalis), Balti aadli Adolf Arzte pojana. Õppis St. Peterburis juurat ja idamaade kultuuri, Münchenis ja Berliinis filosoofiat. Täiendas end maalikunsti ja filosoofia vallas 1902-1915 Firenzes. Pärast pikki reise rajas ta aastal 1915 koos oma armastatuga, Eduard von Mayeriga, kodu ning kultuurikeskuse Minusiotasse, Locarno lähedale, Shveitsi. "Sanctuarium Artis Elisarium" - villa, kus Elisar von Kupffer elas koos oma filosoofiharidusega armsamaga. Tänaseni räägitakse lugusid ümbruskonna noormeestest, kellest nad tegid ühiselt aktifotosid või kasutasid maalimistel modellidena. Elisar on Eesti avalikkusele täiesti tundmatu, kelle elutöö, tööde-tegemist, loomingu ja meestelembuse kohta ei teata midagi.

Pärast Kupfferi ja Mayeri surma sai "villa-sanctuary" kunstikoguks, mille kohalikud võimud Minusios muutsid kultuurikeskuseks, kus hooldatakse ja kategoriseeritakse von Kupffen töid ning millest on saanud turistide ja asjahuviliste armastatud "Meka".

Pseudonüümi "Elisarion" all avaldas Elisar von Kupffer oma suurima töö "Antologia sull'amore degli amici nella letteratura mondiale "(Anthology on the Friends' Love in the World Literature, 1900). Oma antoloogia sissejuhatuses kirjutab autor, et armastatud samasooliste sõprade pühendumus on eetiline ja sotsiaalne hümn nii asjaosalistele, kui ühiskonnale.

Elisar von Kupffer ütleb:

"In open linkage and attachment to each other ought youth to rejoice in youth. In attachment to another, one loses the habit of thinking only of self. In the love and tender care and instruction that the youth receives from his lover he learns from boyhood up to recognize the good of self-sacrifice and devotion; and in the love which he shows, whether in the smaller or the greater offerings of an intimate friendship, he accustoms himself to self-sacrifice for another."

"In this way the young man is early nurtured into a member of the community - to a useful member and not one who has self and only self in mind. And how much closer thus does unit grow to unit, till indeed the whole comes to feel itself a whole I..."

"The close relationship between two men has this further result - that folk instinctively and not without reason judge of one from the other; so that should the one be worthy and honorable, he naturally will be anxious that the other should not bring a slur upon him. Thus there arises a bond of moral responsibility with regard to character. And what can be of more advantage to the community than that the individual members should feel responsible for each other?"

"Surely it is just that which constitutes national sentiment, and the strength of a people, namely, that it should form a complete whole in itself, where each unit feels locked and linked with the others. Such unions may be of the greatest social value, as in the case of the family. And it is especially in the hour of danger that the effect of this unity of feeling shows itself; for where one man stands or falls with another, where glad self-sacrifice, learnt in boyhood, becomes so to speak, a warm-hearted instinct, there is developed a power of incalculable import, a power that folly alone can hold cheap."

"Indeed, the unconquerable force of these unions has already been practically shown, as in the sacred band of the thebans who fought to its bitter end the battle of Leuctra; and, psychologically speaking, the explanation is most natural; for where one person feels himself united, body and soul to another, is it not natural that he should put forth all his powers in order to help the other, in order to manifest his love for him in every way? If any one cannot or will not perceive this we may indeed well doubt either the intelligence of his head or the morality of his heart."