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French painter and sculptor (1901–1985) known for founding the 'Art Brut' movement. Four letters in French signed by Jean Dubuffet, including three ALSs and one TLS, each one page, 8.25 x 10.5, dated from 1978 to 1981. All are to the novelist and playwright Robert Pinget, offering insightful commentary on his work. One letter, in part (translated): "Our conversation of February 3rd continued, for me at least unilaterally, because the 10 volumes of your writings that were on my bedside table at that time are still there now, and I haven't stopped, every night before sleep, taking a little half-hour dip in them. That's a lot of half-hours spent with you. I often think of the mountains of hours of work that each of those half-hours cost you, marveling at the meticulous perfection brought to the writing of each paragraph, with, every five lines, throughout the book, some extremely striking word, some term (or some ellipsis) whose discovery is delightful. But what is even more astonishing is the position, the unusual and effective status, that you have given to the whole of these writings, this position of Brownian motion in which the speaker is not distant from what he observes, but integrated into it; speech is thus given to the object itself. He speaks without seeing it. What I highly admire is the marvelous cohesion, the perfect adequacy of the tone adopted, of all the stylistic flourishes, with the overall status. It's a machine whose precision is impressive, where not a single flaw is found, where the smallest details are functional…and I also sense very well the great pleasure you must derive from writing these texts."
Dubuffet admits to going through a "moderately euphoric" period: "I work sitting down (because standing isn't very good). I make small paintings daily, on tables. They never give me complete satisfaction. Or only fleetingly. But it's better that way; it keeps the field open, the eagerness to make others." The artist, however, denies falling into gloom: "Don't go thinking such a horror. Any sign of gloom is eminently antisocial and discourteous, and I take great care to avoid it!" In overall fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelopes, all addressed in Dubuffet's hand, with three incorporating his surname as part of the return address on the flap.
