Handwritten letter from José Pancetti (1949)

“Many would like to possess you as a woman, attractive that you are, moved simply by the desire for ephemeral possession”.

Unpublished handwritten letter from José Pancetti to Stela, with a drawing. One page. In Portuguese. 20.3 cm x 25.7 cm. January 15, 1949. Excellent condition. Single piece.

Transcription

[?] 1/15/949

STELA

Many would like to have you as a woman
attractive that you are, moved simply by the
I wish for ephemeral possession, to have you as a wife
or lifelong companion, but
always for the same purpose. And it happens,
almost always, with the human totality.
I tell you I wouldn't want to own you
in the same way because I am too
a man. But what more deeply
It moves me and I would like to have you, constant
fearfully, as an inspiring source of my
art : I would always love you
more and like no one ever was
able to adore you. And with that of yours
simple, [?] and strange figure
I would then create a world of colors and
new ways where your [?]
eternity!

Jose Pancetti

In this small excerpt from a brief love letter, José Pancetti (1902 - 1958), a modernist painter considered one of the greatest landscapers in Brazil, declares the beauty of his beloved Stela. This beauty, however, will always remain a secret for us, since Pancetti did not reveal his Stela's face in his paintings. Even so, we know that the feeling that moved the painter was not an ephemeral desire.

They say that every great artist has his great muse. Although we cannot generalize, this fruitful relationship marked the production of many talented creators in human history. In addition to Pancetti and Stela, there is no shortage of other cases, Picasso is also known for his inspiring muses. The women in his life played a key role in his artistic legacy, and he portrayed his models and lovers in his paintings. Gala Éluard Dalí, wife of the great Salvador Dalí, is another example of a muse. This strong woman not only captivated her husband, immersed in the Surrealist Movement, the Russian woman enraptured artists such as Éluard, whom she also married, as well as Max Ernst and André Breton.

The beauty of the bond between the artist and the muse does not depend on the relationship they maintained, it is born from the perpetuity of this union, and goes beyond the face that is revealed on a canvas. Pancetti, in this exceptional statement to his beloved Stela, confessed:
“But what deeply moves me and I would like to, was having you, constantly, as a source of inspiration for my art”.

And so did the artist, transforming his feeling into something perpetual in a world of colors and shapes, and eternalizing his secret and dreamed Stela.