Autograph Letter Signed by Henri Matisse (13 results)

Kein Einband. Condition: Sehr gut. Matisse, Henri (1869-1954) - Fine art content autograph letter signed - French artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. Autograph letter signed in full "Henri Matisse". 1p., 8.25 x 10.0 inch, written and signed in blue ink, Nice, 1920 November 4. Letter to Paul Colin of L'Art Libre, written from the Hotel Mediterranée. In French, in full: "Je ne puis vous répondre au sujet de votre exposition quant á mes oeuvres, veuillez vous addresser à Mme Bernheim ou Georges Bernheim, mes marchands. Quant au pastel de Redon, je ne puis vous satisfaire, car il n est àmoi que la moitié. Or mon parent pour il est pour l autre moitié, craintles risqué du voyage - mais, cependant desire le vendre le pastel est visible 19 quai St. Michel, chez moi. Avec mes regrets de ne pouvoir vous satisfaire, je vous prie d agréer, Monsieur, mes sincères salutations." Translated: "I cannot give you any answer regarding your exhibit; as far as my works are concerned, please contact Messrs. Bernheim or Mr. Georges Bernheim, my dealers. As for the pastel by Redon, I will not be able to satisfy you because I own only half of it and my relative who owns the other half fears the risks of a trip but still wants to sell it. The pastel can be seen at 19 quai St. Michel, at my place." In very good to fine condition, with creasing, and short tears, to the edges. A fantastic letter referencing Odilon Redon, an artist whom Matisse greatly admired. He had purchased some of Redon's paintings for his father, and acknowledged the influence of Redon's pastels on his own colorful Fauvist palette. COMES WITH A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY BY ANDREAS WIEMER HISTORICAL AUTOGRAPHS. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. Signatur des Verfassers.

4to. 1 p. To the French writer Henry de Montherlant (1895-1972). Matisse was hoping that Montherland still is in Nice when he gets there: [] Je crains si vous partez de ne pas vous voir avant longtemps. Moi je suis toujours ici à contre cur. Je devrais être à Nice, déjà arrivé il y a une semaine mais un rhume grippal avec une menace d'otite [] m'a obligé de rester encore []". About the fever he was suffering from je suis presque sourd d'une, n'entends pas beaucoup de l'autre». Il espère partir à la fin de la semaine: «j'ai la tête comme bourrée de coton je commence à me décourager[]" - Some age toning to paper; repair to the verso of the paper and paper wrinkling.

No Binding. Condition: Near Fine. Single page, written to A. M. Venneman, in French, in which the artist declines an appointment due to being called away from home. Undated. Fold marks, else fine with a bold signature. Signed by Author(s).

4to. 2 pp. 8vo. 4pp. Interesting letter to the French writer Henry de Montherlant (1895-1972) about the collaboration of two projects that Monterlant proposed to Matisse. He is happy to have been able to help Montherlant to fight his insomnia. He encourages him to do gymnastics and promises not to talk about homeopathy anymore, since he does it perfectly, that this medicine is not yet recognized et même niée par les pontifes de l'Académie" - Then he comes to Montherlant's project around photographs of female nudes: Votre départ sur les photos de nus féminins m'amuse". It will not be easy to make a book, tout au plus une préface pour une édition de reproductions de ces [alluring erased] beautés. Les photos sont évidemment éloquentes [] elles peuvent parler à l'esprit, et aux sens, ou bien à un seulement et aux autres exclusivement. Votre rôle de commentateur est d'expliquer par quel bout ils nous touchent, le bout noble". He can not be of help Je ne pourrais rien en dire avec des mots, ça c'est pour vous. Je pourrais en tirer des dessins qui dégageraient l'essence des choses que j'y verrais. Mais ça c'est une uvre assez importante. Voyez une série de photos dont la qualité essentielle serait dégagée par Montherlant & Matisse. Si j'étais plus jeune, je veux dire seulement si je n'avais tant de choses sur la planche pour mes dernières années!" He could possibly realize this idea with Despiau le subtil" or Mariette Lydis la suave". About another illustration project traité d'astronomie", he points out to him three Dürer engravings of the hemispheres and zodiac signs on the tropics of the terrestrial sphere: Que pourrais-je faire de plus? Une illustration d'un manuel d'astrologie dont vous imagineriez un texte phantaisiste et rabelaisien! ça colle?". He proposes to Montherlant to send him the portrait he has made of him.

4to. 1 page. To a friend with thanks for his letter, letting him know that everyone is in good spirits, asking for the address of "the last proprietor" and regretting his being unable to visit him, as he is presently incapable of moving: "Je vous remercie de votre lettre et je suis heureux de constater que tout le monde est de bonne foi. Voulez-vous bien me donner l'adresse du dernier propriétaire pour que je puisse lui écrire. Je regrette de ne pouvoir aller vous voir mais je suis immobilisé en ce moment [.]".

8vo. 2 pp. on bifolium. To his mother Héloïse, a little worried about not having received a letter from his family for five days, insisting that his daughter Marguerite should write him every day, as he does not suppose his wife Amélie forbade her to do so. He trusts his mother is well, and he is fully convinced that his stay in Sevilla will benefit him greatly, provided he receives more letters to prevent him from boredom: "Je n'ai pas encore de lettre aujourd'hui, et d'après la dépêche que j'ai reçue hier rien ne me fait prevoir que je n'en aurait durant 5 jours. Je ne comprends pas que vous me laissez sans nouvelles. Marguerite doit m'écrire tous les jours. Je ne suppose pas qu'Amélie lui a défendue. Je pense d'après la dépêche que tu vas bien et que ton régime l'a entièrement réussi [.] Je pense que mon séjour ici me fera beaucoup de bien, à la condition que je ne m'ennuie pas - pour cela écrivez régulièrement". Matisse plans to write to his wife in Perpignan and suspects her to be upset with him, although he travelled to Spain to do nothing but work, concluding with comments on the weather in Paris and Sevilla: "Je vais écrire à Perpignan. Quand est donc parti Amélie? Comme ça n'est pas bien de ne pas m'avoir prévenu. Elle est donc tout à fait colère contre moi. Je ne peux que toujours répéter je ne suis ici que pour travailler [.] Je sais d'après les journaux qu'il fait très mauvais temps à Paris. Ici le temps est beau quoiqu'un peu toublé aujourd'hui [.]". - On stationery with a stamp of the "Circulo de labradores y propietarios".

4to. 2 pp. With autograph envelope. To Mary Hutchinson in London about François Campaux's short film "Henri Matisse" (1946). He has forwarded her list of potential viewers to Campaux, who travels to London the following day and will mail their invitations. Matisse will remain in Paris to finish work he began last summer, but plans to return to Vence in mid-December, where he hopes to welcome her at some point during the winter: "Mille mercis pour la peine que vous avez prise au sujet des invitations à la présentation de mon film. J'ai transmis vos listes à Mr Campaux l'auteur. Il part à Londres demain lundi et va faire, ou plutôt envoyer ses invitations. J'espère que les invités seront intéressés. Je suis encore ici, retenu par la terminaison des travaux que j'ai entrepris cet été. Je retourne à Vence le 15 décembre. J'espère que cet hiver vous viendrez peut-être à la Côte d'Azur et que vous voudrez bien venir à Vence me visiter [.]". - 2 telegrams (1947 and 1950) to the same, expressing his best wishes, are loosely enclosed, as is as another autograph envelope.

12mo. 4 pp. on a bifolium. Complex and emotional letter to his wife Amélie Noellie Parayre, primarily describing a mental health crisis of Matisse's student and alleged lover Olga Markowa Meerson. In the first part of the letter, Matisse informs his wife that he had written to his patrons Gertrude and Leo Stein. He emphasizes that he wrote about painting at length but did not mention a potential visit of the siblings in Collioure, the southern French fishing village where Matisse spent the summer of 1911. Apparently, Amélie dreaded their visit and Matisse planned to suggest to the Steins the neighbouring village Argèles as an alternative domicile, but concludes: "Even if they find accommodation here - provided that they bring their housemaid - we cannot give the impression of pushing them away. You will probably see less sympathetic people here because Collioure is said to be invaded by painters" (transl.). - The second part of the letter forms an intimate account of Meerson's mental crisis, Matisse's conflict with his wife over the student, and his as well as his daughter Marguerite's growing desperation that is worth quoting in full: "I do not have anything really new to report except perhaps that it rained all day and that Olga already wanted to leave 3 times since your departure. The nerves recover less and less well, which is very difficult for us. For three days she has been sleeping here, having had hallucinations at her place. I strongly wish her to return to Paris and I hardly see the possibility of taking her to Italy because she could never work to make ends meet and take care of herself. Surely she needs to return to her family, she is really incapable of any effort. I am highly annoyed and enervated - she makes scenes for no reason. Her irritation, which was with Purrmann, has shifted to me, and I assure you that it is not at all amusing and there is nothing to say because she will not acknowledge it. Today she suffered a very strong crisis that destroyed Margot and me. I have been awake since one in the morning and am writing you after writing to Stein. It is now four o'clock. Finally after wanting to leave yesterday at 11 o'clock in the evening, very agitated, as if mad, she decided to stay, but will not see us again. She will make arrangements to stay with Madame Delfau [wife of the painter Louis Delfau] and remain there so as not to disturb us anymore. She has a day or two. You can wait to see her come back after these days but I do not recommend it at all because it will be unnecessary stress for you. We certainly made a mistake in not letting her leave a month ago. She has to return to her family, she admits it herself in her manic phases. To hold her back would be negligent. Besides, there are other things to do, I have not worked in four days. Since Huyot [the painter Albert Huyot] left we have been saddled with her, and it is enervating. The night before this I slept very poorly. This one is sleepless now - you need to choose her or me without even considering Marguerite, who is strongly affected [.]. The sea is certainly harmful to her, and she needs the care that her family has to provide her". - Matisse met the Russian Olga Meerson, a talented painter, at the "Académie Matisse" that he had founded in 1908 with the financial support of the Steins and other friends. The German artist Hans Purrmann, mentioned in the letter, was among the organizers of the short-lived academy. When Matisse stopped teaching in 1911, he continued to meet Meerson, who served him as a model, and they allegedly had an affair. The fact that Meerson in 1911 executed one of the few portraits of Matisse, always a reticent sitter, speaks of their intimacy. While it is often repeated that Matisse broke off contact because of his wife's jealousy, the letter tells a more complex story. We do not know details of the relationship of the two women but Matisse's dramatic demand to choose between him and her clearly points to a very emotion.

8vo. 1½ pp. To the writer Henry de Montherlant (1895-1972), hoping that his trip was an interesting one and that he returns bearing good news, regretting to no longer having works by Roger Martin du Gard (1881-1958) in his possession, returning a copy of Hermann Rauschning's "Hitler m'a dit" (1939), and recommending two tailors in Nice, Messrs. Hettema and Gentilomme: "J'espère que votre voyage a été intéresant par conséquent profitable et que vous n'en rapportez pas de nouvelles trop désespérantes. Je n'ai plus 'les Martin du Gard', regrets. Je vous fait remettre le 'Hitler m'a dit'. Je me suis renseigné au sujet du l'adresse d'une bon taileur que vous me demandez car je ne me suis jamais fait habiller à Nice. Voici ce qu'on m'a indiqué comme excellent - Hettema [.] le complet était en ce moment de 3.500 fr - mais tout est bon coupe étoffe et tout et tout [.] Un autre tailleur de bonne coupe m'a été indiqué par mon ancien croupier [.] c'est le tailleur qui fait les habits des croupiers qui devaient être impeccables [.] Il s'appelle Gentilomme [.] Je n'en connais pas les prix - je les suppose plus modestes. Moi j'irai chez Hettema - mais le Genilomme est peut être suffisant [.]".

8vo. 2 pp. To the writer Henry de Montherlant (1895-1972), glad to hear that he is interested in the proofs of his illustrations for the lyrical work "Pasiphaé: Chant de Minos (Les Crétois)", having just discovered that they are intended for a separate album that will not be published for another year, therefore planning to provide him with different proofs; also relieved to hear that his foot has healed and hoping to see him in January: "Les épreuves que je vous ai envoyées vous intéressent, j'en suis flatté. J'apprends que, comme elles doivent faire partie d'un futur album de mes études sur P. & le Ch. de M., même dans le tirage imparfait de l'Éclaireur de Nice elles ne pourront exister quand l'album en question paraîtra. Ça ne sera pas avant un an. Alors je vous les remplacerai. Vous les trouverez dans l'ensemble que je vous prierai d'accepter. Content d'apprendre que votre pied est guéri, vous allez pouvoir déployer vos ailes. Vous verai-je en Janvier? [.]". - Montherlant's "Pasiphaé", retelling the Greek myth of the Minotaur, was illustrated with 148 linocuts by Matisse and was published by Martin Fabiani in Paris in 1944.

8vo. 3 1/2 pp. On mourning letter paper. To Auguste Bréal (1875-1938) reporting his return to Issy, some photographs, and personal news: "I have been back here in Issy since Saturday. I found the weather here beautiful, but the cold excessive -however, the sun has not stopped shining, and for Paris, that is superb. You can well imagine, everyone has been happy to see me again. I am delighted that the beautiful days in Seville cause you to look forward to the spring. I recall them very well and enjoy them in recollection. And that Imperio, does she really dance so very, very well? As well as Dora? I would have liked to have seen her to make comparisons. I looked around for new dances in Madrid, but there were nothing but commonplace offerings -just as in Barcelona. I found this latter city quite ugly, in spite of the magnificent landscape that surrounds it. It is in Barcelona that I came across the ugliest house I have ever seen. You cannot imagine anything so obviously hideous. It made me think of 'Le Gran Catalan du Cercel' which Barcelona regretted. How different Andalusia is from all that!".

4to. 2 pages. To his friend, the French writer Henry de Montherlant. Matisse regrets not being able to receive him in the evening, as he has had a "spasm crisis which tired me much": "[.] mes journées sont souvent longues et le soir je dois renoncer à des visites qui prépareraient une nuit d'insomnie, d'autant plus certaine que visiteur serait plus intéressant. Aujourd'hui j'ai supporté un examen radiographique qui m'a brisé. En somme, je me trouve surtout en lutte avec les médecins [.] Ma fille que j'ai fait appeler m'aide heureusement dans cette lutte difficile et délicate. Au fond je me sens très bien, et aucune urgence ne me paraît indiquée. Comme je ne prends que des bouillies pour désenflammer l'intestin et des oranges (vitamines), j'ai forcé un peu trop sur les oranges, qui par leur aciditée m'ont dérangé l'intestin qui allait au mieux. Au lieu de reconnaître la cause vraie de ce petit accroc, les médecins y voient un motif de hâter l'intervention. Je ne les crois pas malhonnêtes mais simplement un peu trop excités à l'action. Le chirurgien est un père coupe toujours. Le médecin traitant est fils d'italiens et menacé par le nouveau régime a l'air de ne pas vouloir contrarier ce chirurgien établi solidement à Nice. Le 2e médecin est juif tremble dans ses culottes et se range de l'avis du plus fort. - Il a dit à ma fille, moi j'ouvrirais pour voir ce qu'il y a dedans. Au fond tout ça est rigolo. Il suffit de savoir se défendre - et pour ça je suis assez fort quand je ne fais pas de tableau - ce qui est le cas [.]".

4to. 1 p., 8vo 2 1/2 pp., 50 : 200 mm 1p. One ALS and one typed letter with signature plus one sketch to Jean Leymarie of the Musée National d'Art Moderne. [] ami, J'ai votre lettre à l'instant et je vous ai tout de suite envoyé un télégramme vous indiquant le ton du cadre gris plus foncé que le mur de façon à rendre la toile planté sur le mur comme une fresque. Permettez moi de vous dire que le cadre n'est pas assez épais [] il faudrait donc augmenter sa feuillure en ajoutant [] comme je vous l'indique sur votre croquis []"Matisse is dicussing the colour of the gray frame which he wants to see in a darker tone than the wall so as to make the wall look like a fresco. He suggests to increase the frame as he has indicated on the sketch.In a joint letter (typed) from October 1953 Matisse writes: [] Tout d'abord je tiens à vous dire que je suis très touché par votre désir si constent de joindre à la collection de votre Musèe une sculpture de moi et je vous prie de m'excuser de répondre à vos lettres avec un tel retard. Voici ce qu'il en est des pièces qui vous intéressent. La Serpentine est épuisée. Les grands bas-relièfs n'existent pas actuellement en bronze car des complications matérielles ne permettent pas pur le moment leur exécution. Vous ne pouvez donc que choisir entre les 4 premiers états de la Tête de Jeannette, car, là encore, our le moment il ne m'est pas possible de vous fournir le dernieèr état, le cinquième. Je pense que le prix de 200.000 Fr pour une de ces tetes pourra vous convenir. []" Matisse expresses that he feels touched by the request to include a sculpture of his in the collection of the Museum. The large bas-reliefs of La Serpentine do not exist in bronze due to complications with the material. Leymarie can therefore only choose between the first 4 states of the Tête de Jeannette, because, there again, for the moment it is not possible for Matisse to provide him the last state, the fifth. I think the price of 200,000 Fr for one of these heads may suit you."La Serpentine, it's original is from 1909, is an elongated figure of a woman with grotesque proportions yet is both dignified and provocative. The nonchalant pose of resting one elbow on a post and crossing the feet at the ankles has been related by Alfred Barr to the Greek tradition. Hilton Kramer has said of this work: "The parts are each given an unexpected weight the torso as slender as any to be found in a later Giacometti, the head conceived like a flower too large for its stem, the calves almost too absurdly thick for the lean thighs yet the whole is resolved in a harmony that belies the distortion of the parts." With the heads of Jeannette, five of its kind, Matisse shows the process of abstraction in these heads. Matisse also demonstrates his extraordinary mastery of organic form and its expressive possibilities. [The sculpture of Matisse, MoMA, 1972].