MATISSE HENRI: (1869-1954) French artist. A good T.L.S., H Matisse, two pages ...

MATISSE HENRI: (1869-1954) French artist. A good T.L.S., H Matisse, two pages (separate leaves), 4to, Paris, 18th September 1951, to Monroe Wheeler, in French. Matisse states that he is taking advantage of his son, Pierre, taking a flight to deliver the two covers that Wheeler had asked him to create, remarking ´ Je dois avant tout vous prier de m´excuser de ne pas avoir compose la couverture du catalogue en trois couleurs seulement. La chose ne m´a pas ete possible et j´espere que son attrait pour le publie ainsi vous permettra d´en vendre suffisemment pour couvrir les frais de l´impression des six couleurs´ (Translation: ´First of all, I must apologise for not having composed the catalogue cover in three colours only. It was not possible for me to do so, and I hope that the appeal of publishing it in this way will enable you to sell enough to cover the cost of printing the six colours´) and further offering some instructions for the printing process, ´1. Pour aider l´imprimeur a trouver pour l´impression des couleurs absolument fideles, je joins a la composition des echantillons de ces couleurs de surfaces plus grandes. 2. Le noir des yeux doit etre le meme que celui de la band noire. 3. Les noms des Musees qui font l´exposition doitent etre imprimes en caracteres petits mais tres noirs sur la bande blanche inferieure. 4. Les petits filets blancs entre les bandes de couleurs ne doivent pas exister: la jonction des deux couleurs est une ligne droite. 5. Pour l´epaisseur du dos du catalogue veuillez ajouter la quantite necessaire de jaune et de rose a la ligne indicant la pliue de la couverture´ (Translation: ´1. To help the printer find absolutely faithful colours for printing, I am enclosing samples of these colours on larger surfaces. 2. The black of the eyes must be the same as that of the black band. 3. The names of the Museums in the exhibition must be printed in small but very black characters on the lower white band. 4. The small white lines between the colour bands must not exist: the junction of the two colours is a straight line. 5. For the thickness of the back of the catalogue please add the necessary amount of yellow and pink to the line indicating the fold of the cover´). The artist also makes reference to a dust jacket and lithograph, writing ´Pour la jaquette du livre de Monsieur Barr - j´ai toujours cru que c´est une couverture a relier que vous m´avez demande et je suis tres surpris qu´elle ne doit servir que de jaquette. Vous pourrez imprimer le titre du livre sur la partie rouge du dos. Quant a la lithographie que j´avais remis a la maison Mourlot, je ne pourrai pas signer et numeroter toutes les epreuves. Etant un peu fatigue actuellement, ce travail serait trop long pour moi. Je me suis donc souvenu que votre premiere idee etait que je signe la lithographie dans le corps de la planche et c´est moi qui vous ai dit que je ferai davantage - je signerai chaque epreuve. Je vous prie de m´excuser de n´avoir pas realise ma bonne intention´ (Translation: ´For the dust jacket for Mr Barr's book - I always thought it was a binding cover that you asked for and I am very surprised that it is only to be used as a dust jacket. You can print the title of the book on the red part of the spine. As for the lithograph I gave to Mourlot, I will not be able to sign and number all the proofs. As I'm a bit tired at the moment, this work would take too long. So I remembered that your first idea was that I should sign the lithograph in the body of the plate and it was I who told you that I would do more - I would sign each proof. I apologise for not realising my good intention´). A letter of excellent content and associations. VG

Monroe Wheeler (1899-1988) American publisher and museum curator who was employed in several posts at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, including as Director of Publications.

Alfred H. Barr Jr. (1902-1981) American art historian and the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Matisse´s letter refers to his collaboration in the publication of Barr´s Matisse: His Art and His Public by the Museum of Modern Art in 1951. The work was also published in a limited edition of 495 copies signed by Barr and with an original lithograph by Matisse created especially for the edition bound in opposite the limitation page.