LUCE MAXIMILIEN Illustrated Autograph Letter Signed Luce wit

Sale 2699 - Lot 130

Price Realized: $ 562

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200

EXPLORATORY SKETCHES: "I HOPE TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF THEM FOR PAINTINGS" LUCE, MAXIMILIEN. Illustrated Autograph Letter Signed, "Luce," with three small watercolor drawings, to [caricaturist Henri-Charles?] Oulevay, in French, expressing outrage at the prison sentence of a revolutionary, calling the Versaillais who condemned him cowardly, imagining that Honoré Daumier would have created a beautiful drawing about a ceremony celebrating the 100th anniversary of Daumer's birth, complaining of the weather, sending studies [the illustrations], and praising both Paul-Louis Courier's letters and his translation of The Pastoral of Longus or Daphnis and Chloé. The drawings, three sketches on third page, a landscape reflected in a lake, and two scenes with small groups of figures, each apparently showing a bather reclining near a tree, 3¼x5½; 2¾x2½; 2¼x2¾ inches. 3 pages, 8vo, written on folded sheet; leaves nearly separated at vertical center fold, moderate even toning overall, some chipping at upper edge (without loss to text or drawings), horizontal fold. Np, circa 1908

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". . . Don't you find what is happening funny and gloomy at the same time. . . . I learn from the newspapers of the condemnation to three years in prison of a revolutionary who simply asked the soldiers not to shoot--at Draveil. It is true that he was tried at Versailles, and these good Versaillais have not changed much since '71--they are the same good, cowardly and ferocious patriots.
"The funny note is given by the man . . . praising Daumier about the latter's centenary--what a laugh the old man would have if he could see and hear that! He, the creator of Rue Transnonain, of The Legislative Belly and of Robert Macaire--what a beautiful drawing he could make on that.
"All this is quite ridiculous and it is regrettable that there is no Daumier to immortalize Clemenceau. . . .
"Anyway, painting always helps one forget all this filth a little.
"I work as much as possible. The weather is not very good; little rain, but wind . . . . It is dry and as this country is very green it does not lend itself well to painting. I make studies, of women . . . bathing--I hope to get something out of them for paintings. I am sending you some sketches ['croquetons'] which will give you an idea of what I want to do.
"This evening I read some Paul L[ouis] Courier, the Pastoral of Longus and his correspondence--what a marvelous writer; his letters are really amusing and seem to me to be superior literature. I think that your collection will continue to grow. . . ."