[Tsuguharu FOUJITA (1886-1968)] - Lot 132

Lot n° 132
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[Tsuguharu FOUJITA (1886-1968)] - Lot 132
[Tsuguharu FOUJITA (1886-1968)] Reunion of two (2) handwritten letters addressed by the artist to the architect Pierre-Alain Sabatier in 1965 and 1966. -A Japanese postcard depicting a group of skiers in a snowy landscape addressed on January 5, 1965: "Dear Sir and friend, Thank you, I am very touched by your wishes. I also wish you a happy New Year 65. Thank you again for your report on the chapel, and thank you for your advice [sic]. Yours respectfully . Villiers-le Bâcle. L. Foujita" -A New Year's letter on a loose leaf, dated January 3, 1966. Also enclosed is a copy of a three-page manuscript written by Pierre-Alain Sabatier recounting the adventure of his chapel project for Foujita, illustrated with plans and photographs of the model of the building. DV At the end of 1964, Pierre-Alain Sabatier was put in touch with collector Georges Prade, a close friend of René Lalou, president of Champagnes Mumm and godfather of Léonard Foujita at his christening in Reims cathedral, at the age of 73. Foujita's mystical faith led him to aspire to build a chapel to house his paintings and frescoes. The project, financed by Mumm champagnes, was entrusted to Pierre-Alain Sabatier. After considering a site in Villiers-le-Bâcle, near the artist's home, the city of Reims was finally chosen, with funding from the champagne brand. However, differences soon emerged between the artist's and the architect's ideas. While Sabatier defended a contemporary approach to the building, Foujita aspired to a Romanesque chapel of great simplicity, in order to fully showcase his pictorial work. Despite several attempts at conciliation, Foujita rejected the modern proposals, and the project was abandoned. As a token of his gratitude, he discreetly offered Sabatier a gouache depicting a little girl at prayer. The chapel was built by another architect in accordance with Foujita's wishes, and it was only later, on discovering Giotto's Scrovegni chapel in Padua, that Sabatier grasped the artist's vision: that of a sober edifice at the service of an exceptional painted décor: a "showcase for his works".
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