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. in good condition, but with two stains, probably from a liquid, one at the bottom and one at the top, which partially blurred some letters.
One-of-a-kind.
June 21, 1892
Dear and good friend
If anything could compensate for their absence and that of (?) D. Laura would be the beautiful verses that I just finished of reading, in which the elevation of the concepts comes together to the generosity of the application. Better than anything 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 they think - few, that's for sure - the my relatives, my neighbors and a few more. All however (?) what was the point of your heart and equally, en- due to the lack of works. My respect to the First Lady. and thank you notes sent on time
Old friend and (?)
Machado de Assis
Some names are particularly rare in the fascinating world of autograph documents and constantly appreciate in value. Machado de Assis, perhaps the greatest name in Brazilian literature, is one of them. It is possible to find, occasionally, 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's name is Laura, but this did not help identify the couple.
Furthermore, Machado's appreciation for the "elevation of concepts" and the "generosity of application" in the verses he read demonstrates the writer's profound sensitivity to the moral and aesthetic qualities of literature.
Finally, the letter also reveals how Machado shared literary works with an intimate circle of friends and family, seemingly valuing their opinions on the works he read and, possibly, the works he wrote.
In short, we have here a truly exceptional piece for a collector focused on Brazilian literature and Machado de Assis.
