MATISSE Henri (1869-1954) Autograph letter signed with original drawings addressed to Henry de MONTHERLANT [Circa 1943], 6 pages and a half in-8 in ink and pencil. Nice letter about his work for the illustrated edition of Pasiphaé: Chant de Minos (Les Crétois) by Montherlant (M. Fabiani, 1944). Matisse draws in pencil two small original captioned drawings representing the Little Dog of the Northern Hemisphere and the Great Dog of the Southern Hemisphere, specifying: "The Great Dog wears on his nose the brightest star of the Sirius sky". For your amusement, I have taken all this from the sky map on little Larousse, which you must know as a faithful reader of the dictionary [...]". "I didn't allow myself to be tickled like this graffiti, but I put my chisel at the height of your style, which did not allow any liberties apart from a certain somewhat solemn form [...]". "She'll have a beautiful dress, your daughter. ...] I followed your text - I played the second violin which answers the first, modestly: brigadier, you are right. I'm not telling you anything about my Minos, it's much more suitable than you can imagine. Only these bulls have a sharp and shiny spice, the couple is also good, but they walk with seriousness and ardour. I have 6 or 7 of them - in different positions. I have chosen the most... the most fervent lovers, the most diligent, the most concentrated [...]". " That's what makes me so light. Don't you have any of those cravings, once something is satisfactorily finished? It seems to me that of all my work I have a vision of its crystalline, sublime whole in my mind. I stop because I am beginning to be unreasonable [...]".