RENOIR PIERRE-AUGUSTE: (1841-1919) French painter. A.L.S., Renoir, two pages (written ...

RENOIR PIERRE-AUGUSTE: (1841-1919) French painter. A.L.S., Renoir, two pages (written to the first and third sides of the feint ruled bifolium). 8vo, Cagnes-sur-Mer, January 1909, to a lady, in French. Renoir writes a charming letter from his retreat on the French Riviera, commencing ‘Coco a recu le chemin de fer electrique dont il est tres fier. Quoiqu'il ne sache pas le faire marcher. Je lui avait predit que electrique etait de trop. Mais emballe par ce mot magique il n'a rien ecoute’ (Translation: ‘Coco received the electric railway of which he is very proud. Although he doesn’t know how to make it work. I told him that electric was too much. But carried away by this magic word he didn’t listen to anything’), further informing his correspondent that his family are all well, and hoping that she will survive the cold weather, and also writing ‘Nous avons un temps superbe qui va tout a fait a mes rhumatismes……Je pense souvent a vous car la solitude a cela de bon c'est que l'on peut par les pensees etre avec ceux qui vous plaisent. Ma femme et moi la brulle vous souhaitons un tas de bonnes choses’ (Translation: ‘We have superb weather which is helping my rheumatism……I often think of you because the good thing about solitude is that you can, through your thoughts, be with those you like. My wife and I wish you a lot of good things’). VG

Claude Renoir (1901-1969) French ceramicist, the third and last son of Renoir. Affectionately named ‘Coco’ within his family, the young Claude was the subject of a number of paintings by his father.