Viewing page 109 of 176

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

August 11, 1951

Dear John: 

If your letters are always pleasant to receive, without any trace of humility, I will admit that yours of the 7th was indeed welcome. You will recall that almost its first paragraph refers to a very personal matter, completely divorced from business and business acumen, I mean my offspring, "The Book".  I would never have dared broach the subject to you anew and certainly not at this present moment when so many hours of your time have been taken up withSeligman activities in one form or another.  This better than anything will explain to you how appreciative I am of the steps you havetaken and, why not say so, how flattered I am to know that it has so far, at least, retained the attention of Mr. Cudahy.

Now as long as you are yourself taking such a personal interest in the matter, I know you will be glad to have whatever elements I may be able to give you to help the cause.  Thus to start with, I do not recall whether I mentioned to you previously, for it was then but a promise, I have now received a preface, and quite a lovely one, from Rene Huyghe, of the Louvre and of the College de France, giving thus an "official" endorsement to some of my views.  Not wishing to delay these lines, I am not including the translation of it which Ethlyne is perfecting at present, but you will receive a copy bye and bye.

Also, though I seem to be blowing my ownhorn and do excuse this if it seems so, it might be of weight with Mr. Cudahy to know that I have already published two other books, both with Bucholz, one on the little known but great French artist, Roger de la Fresnay (who died in 1925) and the other on the drawings of Seurat.  Also, here and there, and article in the "Art Quarterly" of Detroit, prefaces and notices for catalogues, etc.  While I am writing all this it sounds more like an obituary that someone else should be writing.  Let me say, also, that I am about to finish down here a book of reminiscences of the great collectors, bases on my father's as well as my own experiences in the art world, which should have, between you and me, a much wider appeal than the rather esoteric one on Objectivity in Art.  This is just in case you would think it wise to tell Mr. C. that should he be willing to publish Objectivity, you would try to obtain from me the promise to give hime first refusal on the reminiscences, the title of which will be "Our Business was their Pleasure". To finish this rather personal subject, I am gathering about forty or fifty photographs for illustrations for Objectivity.