Matisse Henri



Henri Matisse ALS Written in Vence, France 2 Years before Beginning His Chapelle de Rosaire  

2pp ALS in French inscribed overall and signed by abstract artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954) as "H. Matisse" verso in lower right corner. Written in Vence, France on April 19, 1946. On a double-sided half sheet of watermarked cream paper. Expected light paper folds and a few residual hinge marks at top, else near fine. Measures 8.25" x 5.25". Accompanied by a semi-glossy black and white photograph of Matisse in his studio, originally taken by Alvin Langdon, circa 1913. Provenance information includes carbon copy of a sales receipt from B. Altman & Co., New York, dated December 3, 1977. A full English translation is provided.  

Translation:  

"Vence, 19 April 1946  

Dear Monnier, friend,  

I regret not having seen you during my stay in Paris to chat about the book that you are doing at Lezard's - which will certainly be interesting. I am waiting for him to write me about it.  

I picture you leading the life of a wise man at Mirepoix, working to the rhythm of spring, which must be very beautiful where you are. Here it is almost gone - The temperature is already hotter now than it is usually is in the summer.  

It was very kind of you to write me all about my son's adventure - I hope that it doesn't turn out so bad -  

I will receive your son, or any of those you send me, when I will next be in Paris -  

Thank you as always for [taking care of] my little girl, I hope that she isn't too noisy - I will relieve you of her within the next few days -  

Believe in my best wishes, Monnier and friend.  

H. Matisse."  

The identity of Matisse's correspondent is unknown, but he may have been related in some way to Bernard Monnier (1928-2016), who later married Matisse's granddaughter Jacqueline Matisse (born 1931). From the letter, we know that Matisse's correspondent was a writer then staying in Mirepoix, France, located on the other side of the Côte d'Azur about 50 km southwest of Carcassonne.  

Matisse mentioned a son in the letter; this could have been either Jean Gerard Matisse (1899-1976) or Pierre Louis Auguste Matisse (1900-1989). The identity of "the little girl" mentioned towards the end of Matisse's letter is much more uncertain. None of Matisse's immediate female family members were of child's age. Could Matisse's "fillette" have referred to a beloved pet? The passage, with its emphasis on making noise, only makes sense for "the little girl" to be a child or an animal. Henri Matisse had moved to the mountainous village of Vence, located near the French-Italian border halfway between Nice and Antibes, in 1943 to avoid bombardment. He lived in a villa called Le Rêve ("The Dream") with three cats named La Puce ("The Flea"), Minouche, and Coussi, who were hand-fed brioche for breakfast. Could this letter be addressed to Matisse's pet-sitter?  

The photograph that accompanies the lot shows a much younger Matisse dressed in a white smock, grasping an artist's palette and fistful of paintbrushes in his left hand while leaning on a ladder positioned in his studio. In 1946, when he wrote this letter, Matisse was much less vigorous. Abdominal cancer surgery in 1941 had left Matisse wheelchair-bound and bed-ridden.  

Despite his physical frailty, Matisse managed to undertake his self-proclaimed masterpiece at the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence between 1948-1951. Matisse's convalescence led him to experiment with decoupage. The chapel for a chapter of Dominican nuns would later be entirely decorated by Matisse, literally from floor to ceiling. Matisse's design can be seen in the roof, doors, murals, stained glass, fonts, ecclesiastical garments, crucifix, and candlesticks.  

Provenance: Included is a carbon copy of a customer's sales receipt, #303666, from B. Altman & Co., dated December 3, 1977. A certain Vincent Morano of Jefferson Township, New Jersey purchased this Henri Matisse ALS, then displayed in a frame, for $400, or $1,700 in today's currency (2018). Two black and white photographs taken of the Matisse letter displayed in that frame are also included.  


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