Description:

Edouard Vuillard Apologizes to Female Friend about Abandoned Sketch

A 3pp autograph letter in French signed by Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940), the French artist closely associated with the artistic movement known as Intimism, as "E Vuillard" on the third page. N.d., n.p. Written on bifold cream stationery paper, the second page of which is blank. Expected wear including paper folds, a few extra wrinkles, and minor weathering to the last page. 4.375" x 7." Provenance: Ex-Noel Goldblatt (ca. 1926-2003) of the famous Goldblatt's Department Store, to a prominent Los Angeles, California collector.

Edouard Vuillard wrote this letter to a female friend who would pose for him in at least ten portraits over 20 years (see attached image for an example - not included with letter). There had evidently been a misunderstanding between Vuillard and the letter recipient (artist and subject respectively) about a disappointing sketch. Vuillard's explanation about why he wanted to keep the study, even though he condemned it, reveals that ultimately, he viewed his artistic potential as limitless. Talent could be achieved as well as bestowed; Vuillard could learn from his mistakes, thereby constantly improving his art.

He wrote, translated in part:

"I would be sorry if you believed me capable of doing anything that would go against you. I don't really recall what I could have said to you the other day…Let's look first at what it's about. I had not believed that you would have any desire to have this unfortunate preliminary draft, I believed you to understand this without saying a word; so, I should have said to you, which is true, that I didn’t want to leave it at my house, that it interested me more in not satisfying me, and that in keeping it, I would hope one day to understand the 'why' in helping serve me during a new attempt…"

Marie Escudier Fontaine was the wife of Arthur Fontaine (1860-1931), a wealthy Parisian industrialist, reformer, and art patron. She appears in Vuillard's "Madame Arthur Fontaine" (1904), an oil on board in a private collection; "Madame Arthur Fontaine in a Pink Shawl" (1904-1905), a gouache and oil on cardboard in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago (see attached image); and "Portrait of Madame Arthur Fontaine" (Ca. 1925), an oil on canvas in the collection of the Chrysler Museum of Art (Norfolk, Virginia) among many others. Mrs. Fontaine was also depicted in a famous pastel by Vuillard's friend and fellow artist Odilon Redon.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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