Walter Firpo (1903-2002) The White House

He arrived in France in 1914. After taking part in the First World War as an American soldier^[1], he found a job as a bank clerk in Nice. In 1929, he met Albert Gleizes^[2] and moved to the south of France in 1930^[3]. Albert Gleizes would write of this meeting, "Our friendship, based on spirit, was immediate"^[2].

In 1930, he met Henri Matisse and Giorgio de Chirico, with whom he became friends^[2]. In July of the same year, he moved in for a few days with Georges Manevy at Moly-Sabata.

In 1931, Firpo stayed at the Moly-Sabata community, founded by Gleizes in 1927. In 1939, Matisse bought a work by Firpo depicting the Esteinc chapel at auction in Nice^[4],[5]. After a few years of independence, he renewed his relationship with Gleizes for good in 1946^[2].

In 1946, he exhibited drawings and oils on canvas in the salons of the Ministère de l'Information (on the 2nd^e floor of 25 rue Longue-des-Capucins)^[1].

In 1947, Firpo held a joint exhibition with Albert Gleizes and Max Papart entitled 30 non-figurative paintings. In 1950, Edgar Mélik responded with the exhibition Ponts coupés. 30 inobjective realist paintings. Firpo had visited Mélik in the late summer of 1947 with American friends^[6]. He had then come to the private exhibition organized by Mélik in Cabriès on Saturday, October 25, 1947^[7].

From 1950 to 1953, he moved to a Protestant community, which constituted a period of sacred art (La création du monde; La lutte de Jacob; Le signe de Jonas). In 1952, he exhibited with Matisse, who wrote to him on the occasion: "I am certain that your harmoniously expressive works will make a pretty and much appreciated room. I see your beautiful values on the walls warmed by the Marseille sun"^[5].

In 1968, on the subject of the daily life of a port, Firpo wrote: "I considered the port and its activity as a polarized, oscillatory vibrating system that could relate to the very genesis of forms"^[5].