Description:

Marc Chagall TLS Regarding University of Chicago Exhibition

A 1p typed letter in French signed by modern artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985) as "Marc Chagall" at lower right. Written in Vence, France on January 21, 1958 on a single leaf of stationery with "'Les Collines' / Vence / (A.M.)" [trans: "'The Hills' / Vence A[lpes] M[aritimes]"] letterhead. Expected wear including minor paper folds and isolated closed tears, else near fine. 8.25" x 10.625." Accompanied by the original transmittal envelope bearing Chagall's typed signature verso. Bearing the usual cancelled stamps and philatelic markings, and letter-opened at top.

Chagall wrote this letter to his friend Adolphe Juviler, a devoted collector of modern art whose collection included works by Chagall himself.

Translated in full, with punctuation silently added to improve clarity:

"January 2I, I958

Dear friend,

How are you?

It has been a long time since I wrote you. But I hope that I will soon have the pleasure of seeing you all again.

I will be in New York the 18th of February. I will leave the same night for Chicago where I think I will stay until the 1st of March. Then, I will return to New York where I will spend several days.

Here is my address at CHICAGO: Marc CHAGALL, c.o. Mr. John NEF, 5650 Porchester Avenue, CHICAGO 37, Illinois.

I will see you very soon and I send you both, as well as your son Peter and his wife, my very cordial best wishes.

[signed] Marc Chagall."

Marc Chagall had several engagements at the University of Chicago, where he had agreed to deliver a series of three lectures, and also attend the opening of a three-week-long exhibition hosted by the University of Chicago, the Committee on Social Thought, and the Renaissance Society. "Marc Chagall: An Exhibition of Paintings and Graphic Works from Chicago Collections" was displayed between February 15-March 8, 1958. Chagall had first visited the University of Chicago in 1946, while still living in the United States.

John Ulrich Nef (1899-1988) was an economic historian who joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 1929. He was one of the co-founders of the Committee on Social Thought, established in 1941, to celebrate the contributions of arts and letters. Nef and his wife Evelyn (1913-2009) were both passionate Francophiles and collected the artwork of Chagall, Picasso, Renoir, Vuillard and others. The Nefs and the Chagalls summered together often in southern France.

Very little information can be found about Chagall's correspondent, Adolphe Juviler. He was French-speaking, and possibly a naturalized citizen of the United States. Juviler served as the chairman of the Olympic Radio and Television Inc., of Long Island City, and was also the president of International Resistance Company, a manufacturer of resistors, key components of early televisions. Juviler channeled his business acumen into art collecting.

Juviler's art collection was described by "Time" Magazine in 1961 as "a choice, if uneven, selection of modern paintings, sculpture, and drawings" which included works by Marc Chagall, Pierre Bonnard, and Chaim Soutine. In the fall of 1961, Juviler and his wife decided to thin out his art collection. The prestigious Manhattan auction house Parke-Bernet Galleries handled the sale of 39 works of art, garnering over $1 million in sales, and enabling the wealthy couple from New York and Palm Beach to devote more time to travel.

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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