Zola, Émile

commenting on the death of Cézanne's mother, commiserating with the artist and agreeing with his correspondent's description of him as a big child, admitting that he [Cézanne] will have known joy however, because he was a visionary, reacting with pleasure to the success of Les Héritiers Rabourdin in Holland, giving permission gladly for the work to be performed in London, mentioning the collapse of the journal Le Sémaphore de Marseille, discussing his novel Paris, noting that it has worn him out a little and that he foresees a big uproar when it appears, expressing the hope that he will be able to apply himself to serious work the following month, referring to his wife and raising other matters

...J'ai su également la mort de la mère de Cézanne par Alexis, qui va rentrer prochainement à Paris. Ce pauvre Cézanne! Un grand enfant, comme vous le dites si bien. Mais il aura en su joies tout de même, car il a été un voyant... 



4 pages, 8vo, Paris, 11 November 1892 and 7 November 1897, a few tiny stains

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Zola and Cézanne had been close since their schooldays, but their friendship had ceased after the publication of Zola's L'Oeuvre (1886), the fourteenth highly autobiographical novel of the Rougon-Macquart series, in which the character of Claude Lantier was modelled partly on Cézanne.