Paul Signac - Signed Autograph Letter

Paul SIGNAC (1863 - 1935), French painter
Autograph letter signed to the writer and art critic Armand Dayot. Antibes, Pointe Bacon, December 14, 1916; 3 folio pages on Society of Independent Artists letterhead, with envelope.
Beautiful letter from Signac reflecting on the best possible collaboration between the painter and the upholsterer for the creation of a work in homage to Marseille: “Above all, do not think that I have forgotten the work that you kindly asked me to do and that this either through negligence or casualness that I have not yet presented anything to you. This would have been a breach of the friendship I have for you, and you know me well enough not to accuse me of this fault. I couldn't stop thinking about this work – I took all my documents to execute this “Marseille” panel. I drew fish, shells, fruit, flowers of Provence to frame the central motif, the composition of which I researched for a long time. What stopped me was the realization. As I believe I told you, it seems illogical to me to submit to you a panel that your artists would only have to copy; and we will obtain a much better result, if they could interpret it with the marvelous resources – far superior to mine – of colors, which they have at their disposal. Example: I want a beautiful orange. I paint this fruit, on my cardboard, with thirty touches of yellow, lemon and yellow - to obtain as much color as possible (superiority of division over flat tint -) But each of these touches of pasty material is itself - even flat. While in each of these touches your artists could by their points introduce yet a quantity of variety of elements which would embellish each of these touches, the whole will give a magnificence which could not be obtained by the exact copying of our touches of color . And how beautiful and fair it would be this collaboration between the painter and the upholsterer. These are the scruples which trouble and stop me, my dear friend: the desire for the best, which you do not blame, do you? Please give me some advice, and I will do exactly what you tell me. And believe that with all my heart, I want to respond to your generous and daring gesture, by doing a work worthy of both of us – and of our dear country. It’s the best way I have to prove my love to him, and to you, my gratitude and my friendship…”