Antoine CHINTREUIL (1814-1873), landscape painter, linked to the School of Barbizon, precursor of the impressionists. 4 autograph letters signed to a collector and patron. Paris, Igny, Latournelle par Septeuil, 1853-1869. 11 pp. in-8. Superb artistic correspondence. "For a long time, I had the desire to offer you a sketch. I did not dare to do so, I was afraid of your reputation as such a distinguished connoisseur: but the kind letter you sent to Mr. Béranger gives me hope that you will do me the honor of accepting my work, and of being indulgent for a painting that is still new and little appreciated today []. Make me your observations on art, I don't care as you say, nothing is more stupid than a landscape painter and he always learns to listen to fine observers like you, even when he prefers the talent of Chintreuil to the detriment of the great Coro [Corot] or the independent d'Obigny [Daubigny]. I was waiting to reply to you with the promised new drawings, as they do not come and so as not to make you ask every day if the letter carrier has arrived []. We work a lot, my dear friend Desbrosses [Jules-Alfred] makes masterpieces and I am willing to promise you documents on his account for the biography that you can no longer dispense with doing for his glory and yours []. Art doesn't exist anymore, the government only thinks about begging, getting money from the citizens, that's its goal [], but do you want its encouragement, here is the recipe: make comedies exciting people to eat each other, make paintings to amuse the cabinets as they say, that is to say dirty paintings, or official paintings battle, generals, imperial duck, at this point of view, you will be in their eyes a great artist, my dear friend []. Let's chase away the bad weather, here is the blue sky, I have three paintings for the next Salon, a field of Sainfoin (good painting) which will be refused (probably), a morning effect (good) refused for sure and finally an autumn neither good nor bad probably received. As for Desbrosses, I don't want to describe his paintings to force him to write to you []. I am so unwell and so disgusted with life, if I were alone, and if I had no friend, I think I would have already left for the great journey []. I am absorbed by my devil of landscape which does not leave me any rest []. The Ministry of Fine Arts has acquired one of my paintings from the salon entitled the ruins of the setting sun (it is a souvenir from your home), it is the ruins of the old castle of Boves. You see that they brought me luck, besides the painting was good, I must believe that I have a grateful stomach, because we often talk with this good Desbrosses about the excellent soups of your house and about these beautiful and good sweets that Madame knew how to make so well [] The salon is neither good nor bad but there is no outstanding work. Desbrosses has 2 paintings, one of which is very original, it is a village cabaret where there is a very successful chiaroscuro, but it horrifies some members of the Institute. The other painting is entitled the convalescence, it is a good and strong painting [] ".