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a handwritten letter from a man who is holding a piece of papera handwritten letter from person to his mother
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76 - Max ERNST. Letter to his “dear and wonderful friend” Joë Bou…
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Estimate €600 - €800
Sale commission
Description
Max ERNST. Letter to his “dear and wonderful friend” Joë Bousquet. Château Air-Bel, Marseille, Saturday [March–April 1941]. Signed autograph letter, 1½ pages in-4. An important letter written from the villa rented by Varian Fry and the American Relief Committee, which served as a refuge in Marseille for numerous artists and those seeking exile during the early months of the Occupation. Max Ernst thanks Bousquet for his practical help, his enthusiasm, and for having sorted out “the matter of the sale (or theft) of my house [in Saint-Martin d’Ardèche, which was abandoned when he was interned at the Camp des Milles because he was a German citizen]. I am setting off with a light heart, for I shall know where to return to once the rain has passed.” He announced that his financial situation had improved considerably thanks to the sale of a few paintings at very good prices (2,000 dollars, most of which I shall receive in America). He is hopeful of setting sail for the United States on 30 April, via Gibraltar and Martinique, thus following the example of Breton and Masson. He hopes that, once he arrives in New York, he will be able to read the articles by Bousquet due to appear in *Les Cahiers du Sud*, the journal co-founded by Joë Bousquet and Jean Ballard. In fact, Ernst arrived in the United States in 1941 with Peggy Guggenheim, whom he married shortly afterwards.
See original version (French)
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About the sale Henri Michaux, the Sven Pitsey collection
Auction location
Auction time 10/29/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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