Viewing page 52 of 154

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

CASTELLANA HILTON

2.

Mlle. Ruiz promised to send me a photo and photo of the certificate.  Oddly enough, it is written in English which I questioned, but Mme. L. says she knows F.'s handwriting and this is it. I suppose there will be the same trouble in securing an export permit, although the Prado has a similar (though not exactly the same) Madonna and Child by Petrus C. I suggested to Mlle. Ruiz that she get an X-Ray and Infra-Red and Ultra-violet photos. But as this is Spain, and they are all afraid of the Prado, we will believe that this is done when we see it. It is particularly interesting to have found out that Rorimer and Rousseau are Spanish-minded. I am not communicating with Rorimer!

Mme. Leboeuf has made an arrangement to visit the collection of the Duke of Alba on monday morning, she says.  The daughter, [[underlined]] Duchess of Alba (but married to some one of another name) is going to do over the palace; wants French XVIII cent. furniture and paintings, will sell the ones she doesnt like which Mme L. thinks will be primitives.

I will finish this in the morning, after receiving your reply to my query in nightletter of the 15th.

Sunday Oct 17th 1954
Evening

No reply as yet to my nightletter of 15th which I copy herewith:

Long talks get no further stop will write concerning remote possibility of new approach Jack proposes to follow up stop Hans Matsch has airmailed me NYork Wilhelm's agreeable letter saying not thinking presently of selling stop Hans planning social contact with owner soon stop Wants me visit Altdorfers stop says one twenty to abbot and that Madam Drey American interested stop also could visit Gerards stop Planning go Geneva Sunday stop cable your views Saturaday.


I have met today the friend of Gregory Thomas who is an official at the Instituto del Libro Espanol. He lunched with me here and has volunteered to arrange my seeing the Chinchon portrait by Goya, which has been rumored as either for sale or sold to the Bilbao Museum for 2,000,000. Pts. The Duke who owns it is in Lisbon to attnd a ball given by THE KING OF SPAIN!!! (yes, he is called that although his father abdicated). The son is at the house where the full length portrait hangs now and we shall probably go there tomorrow morning. Don Miguel Herrara Garcia says it is a magnificent work, especially the painting of the white dress. I recall it only from illustrations. He says two million pesetas is a fortune to any Spaniard. (We were discussing nearly three million with Labat.) He thinks an exit permit could be obtained by the powerful Duke. They are friends. 

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-05-08 21:47:31.