SEVERINI GINO: (1883-1966) Italian painter, a leading member of the Futurist movement and a co-signatory of the Manifesto of the Futurist Painters in February 1910. A scarce A.L.S., Gino Severini, one page, 4to, Paris, 19th June 1963, to [Pierre Berès], in French. Severini informs his correspondent that he is sending them a photograph of his gouache Courbe algébrique, continuing ´et puisque vous me faites l’honneur de vous intéresser à mes expériences de construction par les "projections orthogonales conjuguées" (choses pour lesquelles j'ai eu les plus sévères critiques), je vous envoie aussi le calque d'une partie du corps humain, vu de profil, de face, en projection horizontale, et tourné de 25°´ (Translation: ´and since you have honoured me with your interest in my experiments in construction using “conjugate orthogonal projections” (for which I have been severely criticised), I am also sending you a tracing of part of the human body, seen in profile, from the front, in horizontal projection, and turned at an angle of 25°´). Severini further explains ´J'ai aussi naturellement les épures des différentes positions d'une tête, mails malheureusement elles sont parties pour mon exposition de Rotterdam. Alors, afin que vous voyez l'ensemble des projections de la tête et du buste je vous envoie un exemplaire de mon livre : Du cubisme au classicisme, ainsi à la page 68 et à la page 69 vous verrez l'ensemble de cette recherche, qui a été pour moi un exercice, en même temps qu'une réaction momentanée à la grande ignorance de tout métier dans la peinture. D'ailleurs cela continue´ (Translation: ´I also have, of course, the sketches of the different positions of a head, but unfortunately they have been sent to my exhibition in Rotterdam. So, in order for you to see all the projections of the head and bust, I am sending you a copy of my book: From Cubism to Classicism. On pages 68 and 69, you will see all of this research, which was an exercise for me, as well as a momentary reaction to the great ignorance of all craftsmanship in painting. Moreover, this continues´) and reflects ´Mais on a voulu prendre pour définitive cette attitude polémique, et encore récemment on a traité d'absurde et abscons ce modeste essai. En somme on me le reproche depuis 40 ans. Depuis "beaucoup d'eau a passé sous les ponts"... (c'est une expression d'Apollinaire), et certaines "avant-gardes" sont pires que des académies´ (Translation: ´But people wanted to take this polemical attitude as definitive, and even recently this modest essay has been treated as absurd and abstruse. In short, I have been criticised for it for 40 years. Since then, ‘a lot of water has passed under the bridge’ (to use Apollinaire's expression), and some ‘avant-gardes’ are worse than academies´). In a postscript to the left margin Severini adds ´Dans mon catalogue de l'exposition de Rome, que je vous joins il y a aussi les projections de la tête. Vous pouvez garder ce catalogue, mais je vous prierai de me renvoyer le livre lorsque vous n'en aurez plus besoin´ (Translation: ´In my catalogue of the Rome exhibition, which I am enclosing, there are also projections of the head. You may keep this catalogue, but I would ask you to return the book to me when you no longer need it´). None of the enclosures the painter refers to are still present. A letter of interesting content. VG

Pierre Berès (1913-2008) Russian-born French bookseller, antiquarian book collector, publisher and art collector.