André BRETON talks about surrealism with Joë BOUSQUET.

André Breton (1896.1966).

Autograph letter signed to Joë Bousquet.

A ½ in-4° page on skin paper. Stamped and canceled autograph envelope.

[Paris]. September 8, 1934.

« I decided to choose to send you the watercolor by Kandinsky that I was telling you about and a red chalk by Derain. »

Very beautiful, friendly letter between these two great figures of the surrealist movement. Breton – who a few months earlier had expelled Salvador Dalí from the movement – ​​discusses with his friend the surrealist magazine Minotaure founded by Albert Skira, the launch of the magazine Documents 34, and his desire to follow up on his principle expressed in Nadja “ Beauty will be convulsive or it will not be. »

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“My dear Friend, Very scandalously I left Paris without having sent you what you were perhaps expecting and which I am only putting in the post today. I beg your pardon but I was, as I told you, exhausted and what's more, I was planning to spend three or four days at the water's edge, no more. Even more revolting is that I did not write to you sooner, expressing all the pleasure your letter had caused me, quite apart from the invaluable you rendered me.

 However, I read this letter with attention and sometimes with difficulty, like many other things that you have written and, most recently, your admirable response to the “Minotaur” inquiry. If you allow me, I will also make use of your communication regarding this rather frightening, now, metal wolf.

I intend, in fact, to give a fairly long sequel to “Beauty will be convulsive” and to the “Equation” of “Documents 34” , because of the very singular events which have filled for me these last months and have had in particular for consequence my marriage.

I think you will take some interest in it, because it touches on what we undoubtedly have most in common, which is also (although sometimes, I understand this very well, you seem to doubt it) what I value most. more when I consider myself with some rigor.

I decided to choose to send you the watercolor by Kandinsky that I was telling you about and a red chalk by Derain that I really like. I think that one of these objects may be to the taste of the people you designate for me and that you will like to keep the other.

I was afraid of burdening you with a canvas (of 40) by Picabia, quite wild in execution, and, moreover, the butterflies by Max Ernst that I had spoken to you about participated to a certain point in the collage technique. which, you tell me, would have caused an unnecessary sensation among your friends.

You will do me great pleasure by telling me if I have not made a mistake in this way: it would be enough for you in any case to express any regret to me for me to send you something which seems more desirable to you. My dear friend, I thank you again with all my heart. Please write to me from time to time. Believe in my most affectionate devotion. André Breton. »

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Documents 34 devoted to surrealism was launched in Brussels This publication featured a dialogue between Yves Tanguy and Breton: “B. What is your painting? T. It's a little white smoke. B. What is Brittany? T. It is a fruit eaten by wasps. B. What do you prefer? T. It's a reflection on the water. B. What is physical love? T. That's half the fun. B. What is old age? T. He's a coward. »