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CASTELLANA HILTON
Po. CASTELLANA, 55
MADRID ∙ ESPAÑA
TELÉFONO: 37 22 00
CABLE: HILTELS MADRID

October 16th., 1954

Dear Germain:

Further developments on the General.  Mme. L. has a friend who has told her that there appeared in a large spread in a Spanish paper, reproductions of three paintings, including a Greco, with a blast against an American firm....guess which....Wildenstein! as having smuggled out the paintings.

This man, Miranda, is a friend of Labat and knows all about his troubles. He has told Mme. L. that Wildenstein was the buyer for the Panteleoni, that he paid 60,000 pesetas for the option, but that Labat has to return this sum to W. as there was a cunning clause in the option saying that if NO PERMIT could be obtained, Labat must repay. Naturally as the Government insists on W. paying the back taxes and W. wont pay, no permit is being issued. This would perhaps be the reason why Labat wants his money from you before shipping....since he figures W. would then attach the painting and claim from him or the purchaser the amount, or else!

Miranda went with Mme. L. to see Labat before the latter went off to Santander today. During the conversation between the two men in Spanish, Mme. L. got the firm impression that the price to Wildenstein was not 3,000,000 pts. but 2,500,000 Ptas. Miranda urged Labat not to be a fool and to find some way in which he could arrange with government to accept payment on delivery in New York.  Altogether, it's a situation not to be involved in, since Mme. L. says even the Goya was mentioned in that newspaper article. later -- she is not sure of this. I shall try to get a copy of the paper, but at present don't know which or what date.

We went again to look at the Petrus Christus and saw the certificate of Friedlander, (very satisfactory) under date of 1946.  The owner, who recently died, was Raimundo Ruiz Ruiz and his widow and daughter plus three sons, own it now. Ruiz was a frequent visitor to New York and you probably remember him. Rorimer (the daughter says) is in the Ritz, here, and has been to see them and condole on their loss. A frequent visitor to Ruiz and evidently has bought many sculptures, etc. from Ruiz. Rorimer told her that Rousseau is arriving and to show him the painting. I would say there isn't a chance of the Met. buying it, but maybe they dont mind some re-painting. The picture is listed in the catalogue of the Exhibition "Les Primitifs Flamande," Brussels, 1953, illustrated Catalog prepared by J. Lavalleye, Prof.de l'Universite de Louvain  and published (in boards) by De Sikkel, Anvers. 1953 at Frick Library?

A Hilton Hotel

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