Letter from Henri Matisse, Nice, to Paul Rosenberg, 1942 April 10 : autograph manuscript signed.

He was glad to hear from Rosenberg. He's still disturbed that he mailed letters to Rosenberg at an inexact address. Another one was returned to him 4 months after he sent it. He's been trying to imagine New York seething with excitement because of the war, and it's hard for him to understand that there are still people who can look at a painting calmly. However, he is still selling some paintings. He knows that Rosenberg must be upset because of his brother-in-law's death [Yvon (Salomon Helft), who died in 1941]. He hopes that his wife is getting over her loss and that the rest of Rosenberg's family is in good health. Matisse says that he is doing well after his terrible surgery a year ago. He is recovered, after much care, and he has devoted the strength he has regained to his work. He has done a considerable number of drawings and has reached the level he foresaw, which allows him to express himself with his personal abilities freed from all apparent traditional influences. He's going to try to do the same with painting--starting all over again--maybe. First he has to illustrate the Florilèges des amours by [Pierre de] Ronsard and then go to Switzerland on June 1 to supervise the printing of the lithographs of these illustrations. He's happy to have this work to do, which will give him a change of scenery and the possibility of seeing some of their common friends.