1921 Handwritten Thank You Note from Art Critic and Curator, Henry Lapauze

On offer is a wonderful note written by Henry Lapauze, noted French art critic and curator of Paris’ Palais des Beaux-arts. The note bears the handwritten letterhead “Petit Palais”, the name given to the original building that became the Museum.

The card says simply:

Je vous remercie de plus profund de mon coeur.

[Translation: I thank you from the bottom of my heart.]

Lapauze was born in 1967. He began his career as a typesetter and then a journalist. He became an art critic at Le Gaulois where his work in the arts won him critical recognition. In 1901, the Petit Palais was converted to a museum and Lapauze was appointed assistant director in 1903. In 1905, he became Director, a post he help until his death in 1925. Lapauze played a major role in the development of modern art in France during and after WWI.

For a historian or an admirer of French modern art, this note is a direct connection to one of France’s great contributors to this aspect of French culture.

This note measures 7.25 inches by 5.5 inches. It has a solid half inch black border. The paper is in good condition and the handwriting is quite legible.