Art Student In Paris Under Andre Lhout - Collection Of Letters From Minnie Steele To Her Son Norman Of Waterbury, Connecticut. -

Minnie was an art student in Paris from 1928 to 1929 and studied under the renowned Andre Lhote (1885 - 1962), eminent and influential French painter, critic, and teacher who was known as "the academician of the Cubist." Her trip to Paris was funded by Miss Chase (possibly artist Elsie Rowland Chase [d. 1937] of Waterbury). Included are 21 letters from Minnie and one from her niece Ruth Cairy (?), also an art student in Paris. Ruth's letter includes a sketch of a café in Paris. Besides family and home issues Minnie's letters discuss life in Paris, fashions, automobiles, travel plans, the generosity of her benefactor and feedback on her art from Lhote, etc. In one letter (January 20, 1929) she wrote: "I have noticed M. Lhote looks very tired especially around his eyes & mouth. There is a very weary look & unhappy and one day after criticizing all the students he made the remark "I am desolated" and the way he spoke it in French meant he was tired and sad. I don't know why. He is a very sturdy built man & about 43 yrs. old but some way I feel he is becoming disillusioned; he does not have the great zest he did when I first went into the studio - I think he ought to get away from the whole thing and forget it for awhile and then of course there may be things outside; of course "dame gossips" has to say something & and it is his wife has left him on account of his attachment to some other dame; it displeases her.He is a serious teacher & a good one and very popular yet there is the cloud growing bigger in the once clear sky; how strange life is!