Letter from Walter Pach to Jacques Lipchitz

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Full text in translation.
Title: 'Variantes sur un air connu: Bon voyage cher Dumollet' [Variants on a known tune: Bon voyage dear Dumollet]'

For Jacques Lipchitz
So, you are leaving for Paris, lucky you! You will see the city of love before me! And you are taking with you a treasure, one that you are also leaving us: Hope. Soon, by the look of our recent works, the Parisian connoisseurs will prove me right on my first affirmation, as no one will miss the solid results of your years in New York and that is the best justification for hope and for what will follow in your work.
For us it's a little less simple, of course, the fact that these artworks have been made in America proves that this environment is not unfavorable to the production of artists. But this goes further, because while continuing the momentum that you already had when you came here, there is, with or without your knowledge, something in your current sculptures that was not there before. I dare to claim it for this country where you have spent these last five years. Could it be because of this monumental opportunity of creating a sculpture for Brazil? Could it be your relationship with the British that you have been taking such [check the word] portraits of? Is it because you are coming from a world where the events were making your efforts impossible? Is it because you found museums that welcomed and exhibited your work to a public that could appreciate it?
I believe that the last suggestion puts us on the right direction regarding your recent works. Because the artist, even if solitary and following only his consciousness, always remains a man - and maybe the most sensitive to the opinions around him. The architecture that you can see out of your window? The vigorous air that bathed these modern towers in between greens at all time? Of course, there is all of that in your blossoming art. But more than that, I see the affirmation of the solidarity between the old and the new world. Your travels earned you this discovery: that if the old Romans could say: arsuna the modern men are led to say mundus unu. See, when you were in Paris you loved, between many things, the work of Barye and the work of the Aztec, here you have acquired some (and what beautiful copies!) by visiting the antique dealers from time to time. You would be the last to say that these glorious sculptures had no effects on your thoughts. So once again, another example showing how Europe and America merged their inspirations for the modern man. All of this to say that even if you are taking some hope you are also leaving some. Therefore, it seems to me that you owe us another visit. In this case we are doing another variant of the invitation made to M. Dumollet - 'Come back if the country pleases you' to say 'since the country pleases you, in fact over-pleases you, since your stay was so successful for you, for us and for the understanding of the current world'. Never in history has our need to understand been so important and never were the artists asked about their testimony. Always the most truthful of them all.
Walter Pach.
PS: My typewriter is being fixed but you can easily copy this, Valentin can help you with it'.

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