Marc Chagall LS Describing His New Home & Studios in the South of France, "Les Collines"

A 2pp letter in English signed by modern artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985) as "Marc Chagall" on the second page at center. Written in the hand of Chagall's longtime partner, Virginia Haggard McNeil, in Vence, France on May 26, 1950 on a single leaf of stationery with "'Les Collines' / Vence / (A.M.)" [trans: "'The Hills' / Vence A[lpes] M[aritimes]."] letterhead. Also signed by Virginia at the conclusion of the letter as "Virginia." Expected wear including minor paper folds and isolated closed tears, else near fine. 8.25" x 10.625."

Chagall signed this letter addressed to his friends Mr. and Mrs. Adolphe Juviler. Juviler was a devoted collector of modern art whose collection included works by Chagall himself. Chagall by way of Virginia welcomed the couple to visit them at their new home in Provence.

"…please come to see us in our new house at the above address. This is a beautiful place which perhaps you know already - Marc has found a house that suits him admirably with a seperate [sic] house containing three studios! You would think he would have plenty of room here but he still stores his pictures in the passages + lavatories…"

Chagall had begun a relationship with Virginia Haggard McNeil, a much younger woman and already married, in 1945. The pair would have a child, David, in 1946. Chagall lived in Vence and in nearby Saint-Paul-de-Vence in the Alpes-Maritimes region of southern France between circa 1948 and his death in 1985. He purchased a country home called "Les Collines" where he lived and worked well into his 90s. Fellow modern artists Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso also called this part of the Côte d'Azur home.

Very little information can be found about Chagall's correspondent, Adolphe Juviler. He was French-speaking, and possibly a naturalized citizen of the United States. Juviler served as the chairman of the Olympic Radio and Television Inc., of Long Island City, and was also the president of International Resistance Company, a manufacturer of resistors, key components of early televisions. Juviler channeled his business acumen into art collecting.

Juviler's art collection was described by "Time" Magazine in 1961 as "a choice, if uneven, selection of modern paintings, sculpture, and drawings" which included works by Marc Chagall, Pierre Bonnard, and Chaim Soutine. In the fall of 1961, Juviler and his wife decided to thin out his art collection. The prestigious Manhattan auction house Parke-Bernet Galleries handled the sale of 39 works of art, garnering over $1 million in sales, and enabling the wealthy couple from New York and Palm Beach to devote more time to travel.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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