Charles FILIGER, French painter (1863-1928)... - Lot 20 - Goxe - Belaisch - Hôtel des ventes d'Enghien

Charles FILIGER, French painter (1863-1928) correspondence of 14 autograph letters signed to the painter Roderic O'Conor. From 1896 to 1904. 31 p. _ in-8. Yellowed and brittle paper with on some of these letters, small lacks. Exceptional correspondence that it would be appropriate to quote in its entirety revealing the man, his work, his crises of mysticism, his torments and his view on his colleagues, the painters of the school of Pont-Aven.December 1896. He let some time pass to write to him, but since his last trip to Paris, I have always had a thousand worries and I could not turn at once on all sides. I come to you almost last and that is not good. I admit it, but things go like this around the world: friends always come last. He got news from Jourdan, who visited you in Rochefort. And what about our artist from Malestroit? I wrote to him recently, but I think he must not have been very pleased with my letter? What do you want. I don't hope for anything after the little I have and if my brushes were not worth some money, I don't know what I would do here. For a long time I am at the end of my courage and I do not see myself returning to the world at any price and what is the use of talking... . Hamlet of Kersulé, near Pouldu, Tuesday August 1898. He assumes that he is still in Pont-Aven and admits that he has kept a simple but deep memory since he saw him. I live outside of everything: I spend my days working a little- being sick (it is so good to suffer).... and especially to suffer in secret and the long years are not more to me than minutes of eternity. A word if you want to bother, isn't it? You will see or see again the ""Last Judgment"" that I am finally finishing. I always keep at your disposal the Gauguin's cardboard box that once pleased you. Please send me a small study of you in landscape as you did a few years ago - with blue, white, red, as I like it... . Undated, probably around October/November 1900. Lan March, Pouldu. Wishes to know if Filiger is still in Pont-Aven and informs him of his move. I live now on the edge of the coast, in an isolated house. I have had many moral problems, especially since I saw you, and you may be surprised at the change that has taken place in me. He has had some rather sad news from Seguin, but perhaps that is of little interest to you at this moment - at this time? Miss Causland left Le Pouldu at the end of September and I don't know what has become of her since then... [Katherine Mac Causland, painter, known as Miss Mac (1859-1928), came to France with many Irish painters, she was often in Pont-Aven and met the American painter, Guy Maynard (1856-1936) who became her companion]. He questions O'Conor. Are you perhaps happier than I am? Your always frank way of acting towards me + in spite of a certain stiffness from across the Channel + intended rather than felt authorizes me to write to you, since I am myself in a position to please you, if your intentions have remained the same as before... Lan March, Pouldu, December 1900. His break with his patron, the painter and collector Antoine de La Rochefoucauld. Something new has happened in my life," says Filiger, giving him explanations. I was very annoyed when I wrote to you last time and I was not thinking well. You must have noticed it in the disjointedness of my letter. And here is the story: I had taken it into my head to send you "the portrait of a young sailor" which once pleased you... And as a first reason for this determination I must confess to you that I was in a real discomfort at the time of my letter; and then today I have become indifferent to many things... But what made me change my mind was an unforeseen circumstance, which happened while I was hoping for news from you. An amicable break with my patron, Mr. de L. R. To you it can do nothing, is it not that I am delicate or not towards my former benefactor, but I believe I must act otherwise and as the portrait in question is known to him and I have nothing better to offer him for the moment, I will still talk to him about the thing, and I will see if he accepts or not. When I know his answer, I will be able to act freely, and we will talk then, about my little affairs... He recommends to him to keep silent about these explanations, and especially not to our friend Seguin, because I do not believe him to be very discreet in friendship, not by malice, but by vanity or by stupidity, qualities dear to these good Frenchmen! As for me, I have never seen Seguin speak about me seriously nor understand me absolutely although he thinks that he has found me and revealed me to the world. Revealed....perhaps; but I will say to you, that I taste very little for my part these kinds