Raoul DUFY - “A lot of people want to have my painting. »

Raoul DUFY (1877.1953)

Letter signed to Madame Letourneaux.

A page in-4°. Envelope.

Perpignan. February 14, 1949.

“I know a lot of people want to have my painting. »

“My dear Moune, I am responding to your two letters of January 20 and the one after that. I am very happy that you are with Emilienne, that you found her well, and that she is having good weather. I hope that I will see her soon, but I always see her so tormented, and I would like to reassure her so much. Which means that, in my state of almost immobility, I get angry and torment myself at not being able to do it, and especially at seeing her often. Tell him all this. Also tell her that I am happy with the success I have, for her and for me, but that this success is not without causing me a lot of torment and trouble. I am obliged to kick out people who come to bother me, and put the censer under my nose. Of course, I know that a lot of people want to have my painting , but what I'm even more sure of is that there are a lot of people who would like to sell it, so I have to track all of that down and struggle . And all these people who tell me that it's not right not to keep and not sell all my paintings in France. These people, if I sold them to them, would be the first to sell them to the Americans, because of the difference between the franc and the dollar. So, I prefer that the benefit of this operation be for me and for the person who takes care of my business, because selling paint and making it are two, and selling paint properly is much more. difficult than you think. I was very amused by the story of the Duke of COMPOSTELLE, who copied my paintings and was imprisoned in Nice. If you could send me the photos that were shown to the Court, that would amuse me a lot, because if he did his work in Nice, I think he was able to copy fake DUFYs . Take good care of Emilienne. Tell him everything I tell you. I wrote to him two or three days ago, but my hand was bad, and I was not able to tell him as much as I would have liked, but I will do so when my hand is a little better. I hope your business is good. I think of the watercolor that I promised you, and I kiss you. Kiss Emilienne well, and tell her all these stories too. Raoul Dufy »