André BRETON cites the surrealist precepts of Marcel DUCHAMP.

André Breton (1896.1966)

Autograph letter signed to Maurice Fourré.

Two pages in-4°.

Paris. December 15, 1950.

“In surrealism, we happily live on this pragmatic idea, recently stated by Marcel Duchamp, that an insulting article of 21 lines is preferable to a panegyric of 20 lines. »  

André Breton provides his friendly support to Maurice Fourré, desperate for the attacks and criticisms received following the publication of his first novel.

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"Dear Sir and Friend, I feel you are somewhat affected by the perfidies of certain reports and echoes in the press ; I should have warned you that they were inevitable and urged you not to lose your admirable serenity for so little. This venom has been directed against me with far too much persistence for me not to have been immune for a long time, but I understand that this personally surprises you and even affects you. Mr. Rousseaux, of the Figaro littéraire , has been watching me for some time and is trying to reach me indirectly if necessary: ​​nothing serious. The Saillets and Nadeaus, since "Flagrant Délit," are even more malicious. And what about the snippet from Opéra ? It is enough to know that this newspaper now has as its editor the former editor of France-Dimanche : to compete with its past, you can well imagine that it will have to go beyond the limits of infamy. All I regret is that this is coming under your nose.

In surrealism, we happily live by this pragmatic idea, stated recently by Marcel Duchamp, that an insulting article of 21 lines is preferable to a panegyric of 20 lines (and perhaps 40). We also have no relations with journalistic or even "literary" circles (which is why I was never seen at Gallimard receptions and the letters that imprudent correspondents addressed to me at the "Society of Men of Letters" were returned to them with the note: "Unknown".) I hope, dear Mr. Fourré, that the sad actions of which we speak will leave your luminous path untouched by any trace. Yours with all my heart, André Breton."

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Maurice Fourré (1876.1959) began his career as a writer at the respectable age of 74, with the publication of his novel La Nuit du Rose-Hôtel in the “Révélation” collection specially created by André Breton at Gallimard. Fourré will remain the first and final author of this collection inaugurated by Breton.

Novel-poem with erotic overtones La Nuit du Rose-Hôtel aroused an enthusiastic welcome from Gaston Bachelard and Jean Cocteau, but was shunned by the public.

Strongly marked by this failure and by the criticism, Fourré nevertheless wrote three other novels before his death in 1959.