Typical handwriting of Cubist sculpture pioneer Jacques Lipchitz writing to a lucky art student.
Letter written and signed by Chaim Jacob Jacques" Lipchitz to Lynn Stragger, an art student from Philadelphia, United States.
Comes with original envelope.
One page.
In English.
20 cm x 21.5 cm.
New York, March 8, 1960.
Good condition of conservation.
Unique piece.
The sculptor Jacob Lipchitz (1891 - 1973), better known as Jacques Lipchitz, was a French-American artist and pioneer of Cubist sculpture. While still very young, he lived in Paris where he met other young artists such as Matisse and Modigliani. In 1913, the Mexican painter Diego Riviera introduced him to Pablo Picasso, a meeting that had a decisive influence on Lipchitz: fascinated by Picasso's style, he began to devote himself to Cubist sculpture.
During the Second World War, as a Jew, he had to flee France, which was occupied by the Nazis. In 1941, he settled in New York, where he produced and exhibited many of his important works. He achieved international acclaim in 1954 with a major exhibition at the MoMa in New York, an exhibition mentioned in this letter. In the 1960s, he returned to Europe and ended his life in Italy, where he died.
In Brazil, there is a sculpture by Jacques Lipchitz called "Man with an Eagle", installed in the building of the Ministry of Education and Health, in Rio de Janeiro. In 1936, the architect Le Corbusier led the team in charge of designing the building and suggested that the sculptor be commissioned to create a piece. Lipchitz sent a reduced-scale prototype to Rio, which was mistakenly applied to the facade of the building. In 1953, the sculpture was made in the correct dimensions for the Philadelphia Museum, in the United States.
What draws attention to this letter, besides the presence of the envelope and the excellent state of conservation of the set, is the sculptor's incredible handwriting.
