For the first time in Spain, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza presents a selection of letters and postcards written by painters such as Delacroix, Manet, Degas, Monet, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Juan Gris, Frida Kahlo and Lucian Freud, belonging to the collection of Anne-Marie Springer, in dialogue with works by these and other artists from the permanent collection. An original proposal that allows us to approach the authors of the letters and their creations from an intimate perspective.
The selection of letters and postcards has been carried out in accordance with the criteria that gave rise to this particular collection: the gathering of love letters. But in them we also find the expression of ideas – which the painters sometimes illustrate with small sketches –, insecurities, the defence of their art, the celebration of triumphs, details of the creative process of a work, references to historical events and a wide variety of feelings that bring us closer to the life and personality of the artists in a different way. Special mention should be made of the letters written in times of war by Egon Schiele, Fernand Léger, Gala or Max Pechstein, as well as the happiness, consolation and healing that the authors find in contemplation and artistic practice and that they transmit through their correspondence. From the most everyday topics to the most aesthetic and professional speculations, these letters immerse us in the lives of the protagonists of the history of art of the last two centuries and resonate in the works of the museum, fostering an enriching crossroads of ideas, words, calligraphy and painting that invites us to look at the works in a different way. This publication includes reproductions of 33 letters from artists together with works from the museum and a final appendix with a transcription of the full text of the letters in their original language and a translation of all of them into Spanish (or English, depending on the edition).
Texts: Anne-Marie Springer (foreword) and Clara Marcellán (main text of the book)
Spanish edition.
ISBN: 9788417173678
Dimensions: 16.5 x 24 cm (width x height)
120 pages. Soft cover with flaps, sewn with vegetable thread, complimentary creases and printed cover in 2 colours (red and white) on the front cover, spine and back cover. Individually shrink-wrapped.
