The great French writer Emile Zola leaves his business card, with his thanks.
Emile Zola's visiting letter with dedication.
Front and back, with original envelope (the text written on the envelope "autograph by Emile Zola" is obviously not by Emile Zola).
In French.
10.3 cm x 6.2 cm.
No information about location and date.
Excellent condition of conservation.
Unique piece.
With my deepest thanks
Émile Zola (1840 - 1902) was one of the most important writers in French literature. The son of an Italian engineer, he grew up in Aix-en-Provence, where he became friends with the famous painter Paul Cezanne and, later, with the painter Edouard Manet. However, convinced of his talent as a writer, he decided to dedicate himself to literature and began as a journalist, writing columns for newspapers, in which he showed himself to be politically engaged.
His most famous text is the open letter entitled "J'accuse" (I Accuse). Published on the front page of the Parisian newspaper L'Aurore in 1898, Emile Zola accused the French government of anti-Semitism against Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army who had been convicted of treason.
Influenced by Honoré de Balzac's "Comedie humaine", another great reference in French literature, Emile Zola wrote the "Les Rougon-Macquart" series, consisting of 20 novels, the best known being "Germinal" (1885), in which he describes, in very precise detail, the terrible living conditions of workers in a coal mine in France.
This business card with Zola's short thank you message has no identified recipient, but it was found in Brazil. Since there is no record of Zola's trip to South America, we can assume that Zola met a Brazilian in France and that he brought the card back to Brazil.
Autograph documents by classic writers such as Zola have always been highly sought after by collectors who love French literature, especially when they are in perfect condition and with their original envelope, as in this case.
