GALLE André (1761-1844).

Lot 26
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Estimation :
800 - 900 EUR
GALLE André (1761-1844).
French sculptor. Set of 4 autograph letters signed to Adrien Vauthier-Galle (his grandson) Paris, from the week of November 30, 1843 to December 28, 1843. 6 pp. ?, folio. Two letters with addresses, postmarks, stamps (tears in the stamps). Amazing and interesting correspondence between André Galle (engraver and inventor of the chain with links and gear) and his maternal grandson, the engraver and medalist André Vauthier-Galle (1818-1889). Like a report of the past week, these letters give a slight overview of the general politics of the time, of the fine arts, and of the family news. The documents as a whole deal with the long-awaited shipment of a bas-relief and the return of André Vauthier-Galle. The first letter, numbered 136, dated from Thursday, November 30 to December 8, begins as follows: "This is, I think, the penultimate letter that I must address to you in Rome, unless circumstances that I cannot foresee force me to start a new ream of paper, that depends on your will and on the proposal in which Mr. Adrien Vauthier is engaged, I presume that the first one that will reach me will indicate to me the conduct that I must hold (...) Our Chamber of Deputies resumes its sittings on the 27th of next month. It seems that the minister will not be changed and that Mr. Laplagne will be kept at the finances, the stamp depends on his ministry it is always a good point for us. (...) " he continues by evoking his return and shows his impatience " here is the first day of the last month when your respective engagements between the Government and you (...) " he announces that the model which he must receive still did not arrive " I always do not understand anything, did it get lost on the way? (...) " he tells his last session at the Institute and insists on the model which is always absent. André Galle insists, he does not understand the silence of his grandson and adds " (...) This promised and expected model has not arrived and now it is almost useless to wait for it. How do you hope to replace this work (...)" On Thursday, December 7, he indicates to him "This letter will leave tomorrow and I presume that it is the second to last one that I address to you, it is well time. Your presence fixes the term of this correspondence. For the present one bears the n° 136 and it is worthwhile and deserves to be rested (...)"; n°137 of December 9, 1843 to Monday December 18, he reproaches her for too short letters and evokes again "the small copy" that he waits for impatiently. He continues then with his activities, the Institute, the vote for the election of a mayor and a deputy, he is going "to go to the stamp to carry a claw", he is "convened to the currency, from there to the institute, or we must name a librarian in the place of this responsible Mr. Feuillet (...)" etc. He continues: "I received a little letter yesterday which tells me that you recently sent me a box containing a small painting and two plaster casts (...)" and worries: "How big is your model? If I have to reduce it by Colas, it will take some time, afterwards it will be necessary to melt this reduction which will take some time (...).) I do not know what your relief is and to send it to you all that will take at least five or six weeks after that the time to engrave (...) "; n° 138 of December 20, 1843 to Monday 25, it is mainly question of this famous case " (...) what would I say to you if not to sing on the same pitch, I wait for the case, I wait for the case (...))"; n° 139 of December 26 to 28, "Finally this small case that we believed lost, was returned to us yesterday evening between eight and nine o'clock (...) now it is necessary to round the field, to make it melt and to reduce it, which will take a fortnight (...)" he concludes by scandalizing "Come back, we are waiting; your small portrait which is very well done, is not enough for us, it is the original which we need. Come back, come back, come back! (...)" The end of the letter is in the hand of J. Oudiné. He asks him a favor: "Mr. Constant Dufeux whom I saw yesterday asks me to ask you if you could bring him a shell to make a brooch (...) I read again what Papa Galle has just written to you about Blondel and Raoul Rochette; don't worry about all that and do what you want; your model is at the foundry we will send it to you as soon as it is ready. Eugene will hurry to reduce it; (...) ".
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