BIB_ID
424174
Accession number
MA 3500.328
Creator
Matisse, Henri, 1869-1954, sender.
Display Date
NIce, France, 1940 October 16.
Credit line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alexandre P. Rosenberg, 1980.
Description
1 item (3 pages) ; 26.8 x 20.7 cm + envelope
Notes
Addressed to "Monsieur Paul Floriac [sic]."
Written from "Le Réginia Cimiez Nice."
Written on carbon copy paper.
Envelope addressed to "Monsieur Paul Floriac [sic] / c/o Duveen Bros / 720 5th Avenue / New-York / USA."
Postmarked and stamped.
Note in pencil by unidentified hand on verso of envelope in French, describing that Paul Rosenberg used the pseudonym "Paul Floirac" based on where he stayed near Bordeaux between 1939 and 1946[?] for letters during the war.
Envelope has examiner sticker resealing the left side with "Opened by Examiner 1353" printed in black.
Written from "Le Réginia Cimiez Nice."
Written on carbon copy paper.
Envelope addressed to "Monsieur Paul Floriac [sic] / c/o Duveen Bros / 720 5th Avenue / New-York / USA."
Postmarked and stamped.
Note in pencil by unidentified hand on verso of envelope in French, describing that Paul Rosenberg used the pseudonym "Paul Floirac" based on where he stayed near Bordeaux between 1939 and 1946[?] for letters during the war.
Envelope has examiner sticker resealing the left side with "Opened by Examiner 1353" printed in black.
Summary
He was glad to hear from Rosenberg. He is living more than ever in isolation and welcomes Rosenberg's friendly letters. He's working as much as he can, but he's been back in Nice for only 2 months, and he's only at the beginning of a work season. And the events [of the war] are distressing. It's by working as much as he can that he's able to put up with them. He is in good health, and wartime food rationing is good for the diet he is on. He's not suffering from lack of food, although food shortages in France must seem difficult to someone in New York. News of friends and acquaintances is rare. He has heard from Boren[?] that he and Pablo [Picasso] are in Paris. [André] Derain is in the Free Zone and spoke on the radio, presented by [André] Villeboeuf as the greatest French painter. [Edouard] Vuillard and [Paul] Klee have died. Devilliers is in Cannes with his cousin Georges, whose wife recently died and whose son is a prisoner in Germany. Georges is destroyed and wants to leave Cannes for Nice, because Cannes is too small to walk around, which he does to try to get over his pain. Bonnard is in Cannes, which he hasn't left, and is working. Matisse is finding life bearable but is concerned about what has happened to his latest paintings. He doesn't know where they are. He has been offered a position to teach painting for a few months at Mills College, in California. Although flattered, he refused the offer, feeling his is too old to make such a trip. He's going to stay in Nice whatever happens. He has to take care of himself at his age but remains well by taking precautions. Matisse says he has to get used to his new [wartime] life, in the hopes that the war will be over soon. He asks Rosenberg to give his regards to his [Matisse's] son [Pierre] when he sees him. Matisse writes to him often.
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