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[[underlined]] BY HAND. [[/underlined]]

April 20th., 1945.

Dear Mr. Elfers:

At your request, I hasten to give you the information about the handling of the GEORGES BERNHEIM paintings:

As we discussed over the telephone, I really dont understand this whole fuss, except that these good people evidently have forgotten by now the frame of mind in which they were in those days - when they spoke to my brother in France and at which time they evidently were anxious to have funds over here, and therefore to sell their pictures. Today, the situation having changed completely, they would like to retrace their steps. As you so correctly told me, being with you on consignment for sale, you could have sold the whole group to me or any other party, so this sudden outburst really doesn't make any sense. Too, the funds having to be blocked, they are safe, and whether they are blocked in the Durand-Ruel account or in my firm's account, is immaterial. 

Georges Bernheim has, of course, been credited at the consignment prices, which you communicated to me, as you can verify. The situation today is as follows - 

There is in a blocked account called "Jacques Seligmann & Co., Inc., for the account of Georges Bernheim, Paris, France", at the Fifth Avenue Bank of New York, the sum of Eleven Thousand Six Hundred and Ten Dollars ($11,610.), resulting from the sale of -

Painting by Picasso "Nature Morte"  $4,050.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Courbet "Portrait de Femme"  1,620.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Matisse "Figure dans intérieur"  1,620.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Modigliani "Portrait de Femme"  1,620.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Boudin "Entrée de port"  540. 
Pastel " [[ditto for by]] Renoir "Buste de Femme"  2,160.

There thus remain for sale today, the following paintings - 

Painting by Chavannes "Les Bienfaits de la Paix"  2,700.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Courbet "Femme dans les fleurs"  5,400.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Monet "Crysanthèmes"  3,375.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Monet "Le jardin de Monet"  4,050.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Monet "La debacle"  4,050.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Renoir "Nu"  4,050.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Renoir "Buste de femme"  5,400.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Lautrec "Portrait de Gauzy"  2,160.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Boudin "Marine"  540.
" "[[ditto for Painting by]] Manet "Douki"  4,050.

t.s.v.p..............

^[[4/27 
11,610-
9450 
--------
21,060
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