French sculptor (1861-1944). Autograph letter signed. Marly-le-Roi. Small 8vo. 1 p. on bifolium.
$ 3,860 / 3.500 €
(86138/BN57049)
To the secretary of the Salon d'Automne, accepting an invitation to become a member of the artists' society that organized the famous annual exhibition: "Les membres de la société du salon d'automne m'ayant nommé sociétaire, m'ont demandé si je voulais faire partie de la société. Je vous serai très obligé, Monsieur le secrétaire de vouloir bien leur transmettre mon acceptation avec mes remerciements". - The Salon d'Automne was inaugurated by the Belgian architect and critic Frantz Jourdain in 1903 to offer a progressive counterbalance to the conservative Paris Salon.
Established artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Auguste Rodin exhibited at the first Salon d'Automn, in support of the new exhibition format. Some of the most important contemporary artists such as Cézanne, Matisse, Gauguin, Derain, and Marcel Duchamp were able to exhibit their art at the Salon d'Automne. After seeing the 1905 exhibition, the critic Louis Vauxcelles described Matisse, Derain, and others as "fauves" (wild beasts), coining the term Fauvism. Aristide Maillol exhibited his monumental sculpture "La Méditerranée" in the Salon d'Automne of 1905. He later served as president of the society that he accepted joining in the letter at hand. - With light edge..