DEGAS EDGAR: (1834-1917)

DEGAS EDGAR: (1834-1917) French Impressionist Painter. A good A.L.S., ` Degas´, four pages, mourning paper, 8vo, n.p., 16th October, n.y. [1895/1896], to Sophie Niaudet-Berthelot, in French. Degas responds to his correspondent´s letter, and referring to his brother in law, states in part ` Vous avez eu la bonté, et ça ne m´a pas surpris, de m´écrire que vous veniez d´adoucir votre réponse au pauvre Fèvre. Votre lettre a du lui arriver à peu près avec la mienne qui était, je le crains, un peu brutale. Je sens toujours avec émotion que vous avez gardé quelque chose de fidèle et de dévoué à vos vieux amis. C´est qu´ils ont été bien malheureux sans l´avoir jamais mérité.´ (Translation: " You were kind enough, and it didn't surprise me, to write to me that you had just softened your response to poor Fèvre. Your letter must have reached him around the same time as mine which was, I fear, a little brutal. I always feel with emotion that you have kept something faithful and devoted to your old friends. They were very unhappy without ever having deserved it.") Degas further mentions a new business idea of his brother-in-law, and annoyed with this, states ` Fèvre s´est encore épris d´une idée, et m´en écrit depuis quelque temps deux ou trois fois par mois. Il voudrait amener le gouvernement argentin à décréter la fondation d´une banque de crédit aux entrepreneurs... on construit et on veut construire beaucoup a Buenos Ayres. Il compte que les argentins lui tiendront compte de son idée et lui paieront son initiative...´ (Translation: " Fèvre has once again fallen in love with an idea, and has been writing to me about it for some time two or three times a month. He would like to get the Argentine government to decree the founding of a credit bank for entrepreneurs... building is growing and people want to build a lot in Buenos Aires. He expects that the Argentinians will take his idea into account and pay him for his initiative...") Before concluding Degas says ` Inutile d´ajouter qu´il faut toujours croire à l´affection de votre vieil ami Degas...´ (Translation: " Needless to say, you must always believe in the affection of your old friend Degas...") VG Sophie Niaudet-Berthelot (1837-1907) Spouse of Marcellin Berthelot and niece of Louis Breguet. Marguerite Degas (1842-1895) youger daughter of Edgar Degas. She married Henri Fèvre (1828-1900) a French Architect. Due to Fevre´s bad invertments decisions they went through financial difficulties and decided to move to Argentina in 1889. Edgar Degas will not see his sister Marguerite again as she will die in Argentina six years later.