Marc Chagall Autographed Letter Signed to Jean Leymarie 1968

  

Signed autograph letter to Jean Leymarie. Signed autograph letter, Paris, November 5, 1968, 1 page in-8°, to Jean Leymarie.

Beautiful friendly letter to the former director of the Musée de Grenoble in which he announces the invitation to lunch with Bernard Anthonioz. On this occasion, they can "talk again about the exhibition at the Grand Palais." This is of course the great tribute of the Grand Palais - the artist was 82 years old - where no less than 500 works by Chagall are gathered. Jean Leymarie is the author of numerous writings on Marc Chagall: Marc Chagall, stained glass for Jerusalem (1962); Marc Chagall and the Bible (1962); Marc Chagall (1966) as well as the prefaces of several exhibition catalogs.

In 1962, he wrote about Chagall's painting exhibition at the Musée Rath (Geneva) that "by resuming a task left in such a desperate situation that it seemed to have been postponed sine die, Chagall reached out beyond the borders of his century and accomplished, without betraying either one, a synthesis never before achieved between Jewish culture, which had long remained indifferent to painting, and modern painting, which had become foreign to the Bible." (Jackie Wullschlager, Chagall: A Biography, Knopf, 2008).

Art publisher and senior French official, Bernard Anthonioz was director of artistic creation at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, under André Malraux, and founder of the National Center for Contemporary Art (precursor to the National Museum of Modern Art). Notes: (1) This refers to Valentina Brodsky Chagall, the artist's second wife.

Thank you very much for your letter. Of course, I will be happy to see you. Anthonioz called me to invite us to lunch with you at his place on Friday. I will be very happy to see you together with Anthonioz and to be able to talk again about the exhibition at the Grand Palais.

Vava (1) joins me in sending you all our best regards. English and Russian translations available on request. Marc Chagall, born Moïche Zakharovich Chagall, is a painter and engraver naturalized French.

He is one of the most famous artists settled in France in the 20th century, along with Pablo Picasso. His work, without belonging to any school, presents characteristics of surrealism and neo-primitivism.

Inspired by Jewish tradition, shtetl life, and Russian folklore, it develops its own symbolism, around the artist's intimate life. In addition to painting on canvas, Chagall also experimented with engraving, sculpture, poetry, stained glass painting, enamel painting, etc.

Jean Leymarie is a French art historian. After the Liberation, he returned the treasures he helped save to the Louvre and was appointed assistant there. In 1949, he succeeded Andry-Farcy as director of the Musée de Grenoble, where he remained until 1955.

He then devoted a long period to teaching, as a professor of art history at the universities of Lausanne and Geneva, while also publishing the first in a long series of books. More information about Marc Chagall.

More information about Jean Leymarie. This is an authentic letter. Our letters are accompanied by a descriptive sheet including a transcription. The invoices and sheets we issue serve as a warranty certificate. Private carrier available upon request. SHILTONSON Rare Books & Manuscripts.