MIRO JOAN: (1893-1983) Spanish painter. An excellent, lengthy and early A.L.S., Miro, three pages, 4to, Barcelona, 7th April 1934, to [Christian] Zervos, in French. Miro states that he has received his correspondent's letter, article and photograph, explaining that he did not answer sooner 'parce que j'ai du me rendrer a Montrois pour verifier d'apres le dessins.....les dates exactes, et vous donner de la facon la plus exacte possible, les renseignments que vous m'aviez demande a Paris' (Translation: 'because I had to go to Montrois to check according to the drawings….the exact dates, and to give you in the most exact way possible, the information that you had asked me for in Paris') and continuing to write concerning Zervos's article, and offering some advice, 'Votre article est tres, tres bien, vous avez tres bien compris mes inquietudes, il est en meme temps ecrit avec un grand courage. Je l'ai lu maintes fois attentivement et en suis tres emu. Vous en remercie de tout Coeur. Il faudrait toutefois rectifer, quelques dates, il m'etait tres difficile de les preciser lors de notre entretien chez vous. J'estime que ces donnees doivent etre tres exacter, d'autant plus qu'elles seront repandues a l'etranger, ou l'on se servira de ce numero de "Cahiers d'Art" lorsque l'on voudra ecrire quelque chose d'important sur moi. a) J'ai commence l'etude de la peinture a l'age de 14 ans, mon premier professeur a ete Urgell, et plus tard Pasco. b) Je cesse de peindre de 1910 a 1912 - a partir de cette date je m'adonne entierement a la peinture et frequente a Barcelone certaines academies etc. et passe mes vacances a Montrois, je frequente les academies jusqu'a 1914, et desormais je travaillerai seul. c) arrive a Paris pour le premiere fois en mars 1919, et c'est a partir de cette date que je travaille tantot a Barcelone tantot a Montrois, tantot a Paris. d) qouique la plupart de reproductions n'auront pas de titre, il ne faudrait cependant pas negliger d'en mettre a celles que vous citez dans votre article et aux plus representatives pour mieux le comprendre. e) ces tableaux ont ete faits l'hiver et le printemps 1933. f) Je trouve aussi que c'est mieux que vous supprimiez ce passage. Comme vous voyez toutes les rectifications sont tres necessaires et tres importantes, je vous demande de faire l'impossible pour y etre a temps' (Translation: 'Your article is very, very good, you have understood my concerns very well, it is at the same time written with great courage. I have read it carefully many times and am very moved by it. Thank you wholeheartedly. However, it would be necessary to rectify a few dates, it was very difficult for me to specify them during our interview with you. I consider that this information must be very exact, especially since they will be spread abroad, where people will use this number of “Cahiers d'Art” when they want to write something important about me. a) I started studying painting at the age of 14, my first teacher was Urgell, and later Pasco. b) I stop painting from 1910 to 1912 - from this date I devote myself entirely to painting and attend certain academies etc. in Barcelona and spend my holidays in Montrois. I attended the academies until 1914 and from then on I would work alone. c) arrived in Paris for the first time in March 1919, and it was from this date that I worked sometimes in Barcelona, sometimes in Montrois, sometimes in Paris. d) although most of the reproductions will not have a title, you should not neglect to put one to those you quote in your article and to the most representative ones to better understand it. e) these paintings were made in the winter and spring of 1933. f) I also think it is better that you delete this passage. As you see all the corrections are very necessary and very important, I ask you to do the impossible to there in time'). Miro also asks his correspondent if they have decided to go ahead with an exhibition, and to let him know the exact date of the opening as soon as they know it, and further enquiring if invitations will be sent, in which case Miro will provide some addresses, additionally writing 'J'ai reflechi a ce que votre femme me demande d'apporter de nouveaux tableaux. Il me semble que cette nouvelle serie faudrait la montrer ensemble, ce serait une erreur que d'en exposer quelques specimens au prealable. Ce qui serait peut-etre tres bien, ce que, du moment ou "Cahiers d'Art" est consacre a toute mon oeuvre, vous exposiez aussi, dans une piece a part quelques toiles anciennes. En etant fait simultanement a l'apparition de "Cahiers d'Art" cela n'aura nullement l'air d'une retrospective, qu'il faut a tout prix eviter.......ca restera tres intime et n'aura pas l'air pretentieux d'une exposition rue de la Boetie. Et suivrait en meme temps la trajectoire qui se termine en 1933' (Translation: 'I thought about your wife asking me to bring new paintings. It seems to me that this new series should be shown together, it would be a mistake to exhibit a few specimens beforehand. What would perhaps be very good, since “Cahiers d'Art” is devoted to all my work, you also exhibit, in a separate room, a few old paintings. By being done simultaneously with the appearance of “Cahiers d'Art” it will in no way seem like a retrospective, which must be avoided at all costs….it will remain very intimate and will not have the pretentious air of an exhibition on rue de la Boetie. And at the same time it would follow the trajectory which ends in 1933'). Miro concludes by asking if Zervos has seen Pierre Matisse, explaining 'Je lui ai ecrit deux lettres en reponse a la sienne ou'il me faisait part de l'accord avec [Henri] Matisse et il ne m'a point repondu. Je lui demandais s'il m'autorisait a ecrire a Matisse pour lui demander de s'entendre avec lui pour les mensualites de maniere a ce que ce fut Pierre qui ces versat en toute sa totalite. Je crois que du moment ou Pierre est, pour ainsi dire, le marchand officiel, pourrait trouver des moyens pour regler les mensualites…..' (Translation: 'I wrote him two letters in response to his where he informed me of the agreement with [Henri] Matisse and he did not answer me. I asked him if he would authorise me to write to Matisse to ask him to come to an agreement with him for the monthly payments so that it was Pierre who would pay them in full. I believe that since Pierre is, so to speak, the official merchant, he could find ways to settle the monthly payments….'). A letter of fine content. Some very light, extremely minor age wear, VGChristian Zervos (1889-1970) Greek-French art historian, critic, collector, writer and publisher who founded the magazine Cahiers d'art and also ran an art gallery.Pierre Matisse (1900-1989) French-American art dealer, the youngest child of Henri Matisse. The Pierre Matisse Gallery was opened in New York in 1931 and represented many European artists including Miro, Marc Chagall, Alberto Giacometti and Jean Dubuffet amongst others.
