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[Just a couple of words...]

Letter from 5 May 1947

Correspondence

Author

Author Marcel Duchamp
Letter to André Breton
People cited Richard Huelsenbeck, Frederick John Kiesler, Aimé Maeght, Joan Miró

Description

Letter from Marcel Duchamp to André Breton dated 5 May 1947 about the exhibition planned for July at the Galerie Maeght.

Seven letters from Marcel Duchamp to André Breton, all related to the preparation of the exhibition Le Surréalisme en 1947 at the Galerie Maeght in Paris, which attest to the inexhaustible resources of this co-organiser and the amount of work he did in federating the entire network of surrealist friends on the other side of the Atlantic - from Miró to Max Ernst through Granell (whom he does not yet know) and many others. The 1947 exhibition at the Galerie Maeght was the result of a genuine team effort, both in the terms of organisation and creation: Duchamp discussed it with Kiesler before sending his suggestions to André Breton, giving all of his creativity to the way the rooms and altars might be organised without ever fixing an idea or imposing a determination. [Atelier André Breton website, 2005]

Exceptional set of 7 handwritten letters signed by Marcel Duchamp and sent to André Breton, all related to the preparation of the exhibition Le Surréalisme en 1947 at the Galerie Maeght in Paris.

Letter, dated 5 May 1947.
- 2 in-4 pages in ink from Duchamp of a letter dated 5 May 1947 (envelope retained):
‘I cabled you last night about Kiesler: all of his models have been drawn...the thousand breasts are ready and going out with the large mailing. Recommendation to the gluer: leave the velvet as free as possible (a few speckles of glue as I send them to you) and only completely glue the white card that supports the whole thing.’ [sale catalogue, 2003]

*This entry was translated from the French by Michael Richardson.

Creation date05/05/1947
Postmarked date05/05/1947
Destination address
Bibliographical materialMs, black ink - 2 pages in-4° signed - Envelope preserved.
From / ProvenanceEnvoi de l'auteur
Place of origin
Library

Bibliothèque Kandinsky, Centre Pompidou, Paris : BRET 1.8

Size23,00 x 27,00 cm
Number of pages2 p.
Reference1768000_18
Breton Auction, 2003Lot 2282
Keywords, , ,
CategoriesArchives, Letters to André Breton
Set[Correspondance] Lettres de Marcel Duchamp à André Breton, [Exhibitions] 1947, Exposition Maeght 1947
Exhibition1947, Le Surréalisme en 1947
Permanent linkhttps://cms.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100999953
Place of origin
Place of destination
Exhibition place