American realist painter (1882-1967). Autograph letter signed „Edward Hopper“. Truro. 4to. 1 p.
$ 5,146 / 4.500 €
(106454)
To the painter and lithographer Leon Kroll (1884–1974), concerning a recommendation for a grant from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Hopper responds to Kroll's request for suggestions of suitable candidates, recommending the English-born American sculptor Lou Duble (1896–1970) for financial support: “The only one I can think of at the present time worthy of a grant from the Institute of Arts & Letters is a sculptress – LOU DUBLE of 20 or 22 Washington Square North, New York.” He adds that the address should be verified, as he is not entirely certain of it, and concludes: “If I think of someone else in the near future I shall send in their names.
When does the committee meet?” - Leon Kroll, one of America's leading figurative painters and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1930, evidently consulted Hopper in connection with the Academy's grant programme. The present letter documents Hopper's support for fellow artists and his willingness to assist deserving colleagues through his professional standing. Lou Duble, a respected sculptor active in New York, exhibited widely during the first half of the twentieth century and was well known within the city's artistic community. - A fine and uncommon letter illustrating Edward Hopper's engagement with the American art world beyond his own work, offering a glimpse into the collegial networks and patronage mechanisms of mid-twentieth-century American artists..