''About the New York Exihibition''- Letter by C. Carrà to L. de Libero - 1937 1920 ca.

The background and the portrayal of the artist: Heir to the 19th Century artistic tradition, Carlo Carrà lived through and participated in all the avant-garde art movements of the 20th Century, from Futurism (the futurist phase lasted 4-6 years) to metaphysical art, and from the Novecento Italiano movement to the Valori Plastici experiment. “For the spirit, there exist no contradictions – only transformations and developments. Changing direction in art does not mean rejecting the past but broadening it so that it melds with another aesthetic concept; it means discovering new and hitherto unknown relationships, and opening one’s eyes wider, the better to grasp a greater number of different realities.” So did the artist explain his “chameleon-like” transformations in 1942, after having, through long experience, found his own, autonomous style, while at the same time keeping up with the most recent trends in European painting and renewing the Italian figurative tradition. In 1928, he exhibited 14 paintings at the Venice Biennale, and in 1931 he had his own room at the first Rome Quadriennale. In 1933, he signed the ''Manifesto della Pittura Murale'' . Between 1934 and 1938 he travelled to Campania, Algeria and Malta, devoting himself to a series of large murals. The correspondence dates from this period, when his fame was growing, thanks in part to the patronage of Countess Pecci-Blunt, who organized an exhibition for him in New York. Details of the letter: L.A.S. (Lettre autographe signée) Autograph Signed Letter by Carlo Carrà to Libero de Libero. Milano, 30 May 1937. One page 22.9x14.1 cm on headed notepaper L’Ambrosiano Giornale quotidiano Via L. Settala n. 22 Milano 118 – Redazione with newspaper banner and Extra Strong watermark in left margin. In Italian. Perfect conditions. The artist informs Libero de Libero (who was Countess Pecci-Blunt’s intermediary) that he has received a letter from the ''Contessa'' agreeing to organize an exhibition at New York’s The Comet Art Gallery. The letter is written on L’Ambrosiano’s headed notepaper. Edited by Giulio Benedetti, the newspaper was always open to innovation and its prominent contributors included Guido Piovene, Alfonso Gatto, Elio Vittorini, Camilla Cederna and Salvatore Quasimodo. Carlo Carrà was the art critic. References: G. DORFLES, A. VETTESE, Il Novecento, Atlas, Milano, 2006, pp 144, 145. This artwork is shipped from Italy. Under existing legislation, any artwork in Italy created over 70 years ago by an artist who has died requires a licence for export regardless of the work’s market price. The shipping may require additional handling days to require the licence according to the final destination of the artwork.