Bidspirit auction | GRIS JUAN: (1887-1927) ´ ...you

GRIS JUAN: (1887-1927) ´ ...you know how much your opinion interests and enlightens me...´ - GRIS JUAN: (1887-1927) Spanish painter, closely associated to the innovative artistic genre Cubism. A good, scarce A.L.S., Juan Gris , three pages, 8vo, Beaulieu près Loches, Indre et Loire. 10th May 1918, to [Léonce Rosenberg] ( ´Mon cher ami´ ), in French. Gris states that he is taking advantage of Jacques Lipchitz´s visit to Paris to deliver a few finished paintings, explaining ´ Il y a un paysage de 30, une nat [ure]- morte de 10 et 4 tableaux tous petits du 3 et 4´ (Translation: ´ There is a 30 landscape, a 10 still life and four very small paintings, 3 and 4´ ) and further informing Rosenberg ´ Tout cela ce n’est qu’un commencement de ce que j’espère faire ici. Quand même je crois que des petits il y en a deux qui ne sont pas mal et la nat [ure]- morte de 10 ne me déplaît pas trop. Quant au paysage, ce n’est pas encore ça. J’ai en train en ce moment un paysage qui sera beaucoup mieux j’espère et une figure de paysan en blouse bleue dans un intérieur qui me donne de l’espoir. En tous cas, je sens que la composition devient plus serrée et que tout ça prend une saveur classique qui démontre que cette peinture n’est pas du tout en dehors de la grande tradition´ (Translation: ´ All this is merely a start to what I hope to achieve here. Still, I think two of the small ones aren’t bad, and the 10 still - life doesn’t displease me too much. As for the landscape, it’s not quite there yet. I’m currently working on a landscape that I hope will be much better, and a figure of a peasant in a blue smock in an interior that gives me hope. I n any case, I feel that the composition is becoming tighter and that the whole thing is taking on a classical flavour which shows that this painting is by no means outside the great tradition´ ). Gris concludes his letter by remarking ´ Vous me direz bientôt ce que vous pensez de ces choses que Lipchitz va vous donner car vous savez comment votre avis m’intéresse et m’éclaire . C’est pour des raisons d’économie que je me prive cette fois-ci du plaisir d’aller vous serrer la main. Cela sera pour le mois prochain´ (Translation: ´ You will soon tell me what you think of these works that Lipchitz is going to give you, for you know how much your opinion interests and enlightens me . It is for reasons of economy that I am denying myself the pleasure of coming to shake your hand this time. That will be for next month´ ). A letter of both interesting content and association. Autograph letters of Gris are scarce as a result of his death from kidney failure at the young age of 40. With an ink date received stamp to the upper margin of the first page. Loosely contained within a collector´s presentation folder. VG Léonce Rosenberg (1879-1947) French art collector, writer, publisher and art dealer who was a supporter and promoter of the cubists, especially during World War I and in the years immediately after. Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973) Lithuanian-born French-American Cubist sculptor. In 1920 Lipchitz held his first solo exhibition at Rosenberg´s Galerie L'Effort Moderne in Paris.