In 1892, Machado de Assis appreciated the verses of another writer and promised to read them to his relatives and neighbors.
Letter from Machado de Assis to an unidentified recipient.
One sheet, two pages.
In Portuguese.
25.4 cm x 20.2 cm.
In good condition conservation, but with two stains, probably from a liquid, one on the bottom and the other on the top, which partially blurred some letters.
Unique piece.
June 21, 1892
Good and dear friend
If anything could make up for your lack and (?) D. Laura would be the beautiful verses that I finish to read, in which the elevation of the concepts meets the the generosity of the application. Best of all would be to have the author and the work: but ca The work remains as a reminder of the day. I will read the verses to the friends who are here think - few are certain - the my relatives, my neighbors and some more. All however (?) what was yours worth? heart and equally, en- you have(?) the absence of works. My respect to Mme Consorte and thanks on time
Old friend and (?)
Axe of Assisi
Some names are particularly rare in the fascinating world of autographed documents and are constantly gaining in value. Machado de Assis, perhaps the greatest name in Brazilian literature, is one of them. It is possible to find, from time to time, some documents signed by him, when he was a civil servant, or dedications in books, but personal letters are even rarer.
This letter is particularly valuable because it deals with literature: it would be a bit like having in your hands a letter from Einstein explaining a concept of physics or one from Santos Dumont reflecting on aviation.
Machado mentions having read "beautiful verses", indicating that the recipient of the letter may have been a poet or writer friend, perhaps a colleague from the Brazilian Academy of Letters. The recipient's wife is called Laura, but this did not help to identify the couple.
Furthermore, Machado's appreciation for the "elevation of concepts" and the "generosity of application" in the verses read shows the writer's deep sensitivity to the moral and aesthetic qualities of literature.
Finally, the letter also reveals how Machado shared literary works with a close circle of friends and family, appearing to value their opinions on the works he read and, possibly, wrote.
In short, we have here a very exceptional piece for a collector focused on Brazilian literature and Machado de Assis.
