GRIS (Juan).

Autograph letter signed to Léonce Rosenberg, dated Beaulieu près Loches, Indre et Loire, 10-5-[19]18, 2 1/4 pages in-8 (212 x 134 mm), in modern blue half-maroquin folder. The point on his painting. In 1912, Juan Gris had signed an exclusive contract with Kahnweiler, but the war having forced this German dealer to take refuge in Switzerland, the situation of the painter became very precarious: in 1916, he was forced to sell all his production to the dealer Léonce Rosenberg. Gris was then in Touraine, the country of his wife Josette, where he remained until the end of the war, producing a great deal. The years 1916-1919 being considered by the critics as "the most fertile and constructive" in the work of the one who was perhaps "the most classical of the cubists" (D.H. Kahnweiler), this letter is interesting, as it gives details of his paintings in progress. His friend the sculptor J. Lipchitz coming to Paris, he took advantage of the opportunity to send Léonce Rosenberg his recent paintings, which he detailed: "There is a landscape of 30, a still life of 10 and 4 small paintings of 3 and 4. All this is only the beginning of what I hope to do here. However, I think that two of the small ones are not bad and the still life of 10 does not displease me too much. He also painted some landscapes, but: As for the landscape it is not yet that. I am currently working on a landscape which I hope will be much better, and a figure of a peasant in a blue coat in an interior which gives me hope. He is confident in his art: In any case, I feel that the composition is becoming tighter and that all this is taking on a classical flavor that shows that this painting is not at all outside the great tradition. He is waiting for Rosenberg's opinion on his consignment, because you know how your opinion interests me and enlightens me. He is not coming to Paris to see it for reasons of economy [...] it will be for next month. At the top of the letter, Rosenberg's stamp, bearing the date of receipt.