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February 15th., 1944

Dear Léger,

We discussed last night the possibility of holding an exhibition in my galleries of your work, comprising a certain number of paintings, watercolors, gouaches and drawings, centered around your large compositions called "Les Plongeurs".

For this exhibition you would make available for me the large canvas "Plongeurs Noirs", two oil sketches - one for the "Plongeurs Noirs", the other for the "Plongeurs" belonging to Roger Vivier - both sketches from private collections. Further, three paintings:

"Plongeurs Circulaires"
"Plongeurs Polychromes"
"Plongeurs rouge et bleus"

two drawings priced at $200. each...$400
four gouaches "moyennes" priced at $200., $250., $250., $200.,...$900
four large gouaches priced at $300., $300., $350., 400.,...[[underlined]]$1,550.[[underlined]]
these making a total of...$2,650

If we are to go through with this scheme, you will expect me to purchase these gouaches and drawings, which you would sell me at half of the prices mentioned above - in other words, they would become my property for a sum of $1,325. The three paintings for which so far you have not indicated any price to me, as well as your large canvas "Les Plongeurs Noirs" at the price of $5,000., would remain consigned to me for a reasonable length of time, according to the inquiries I might have, and in case of sale I would receive one-third of the selling prices.

Now also, should it be possible, according to wall space available, you would let me have for the exhibition, two "études" for "Les Saltimbanques", priced at, gouache $400., drawing $250. At my choice you would allow me to buy either the gouache or the drawing, or both, instead of some of the drawings and gouaches mentioned above, and this at half the indicated value, as long as the amount you would receive from me would come to the sum of $1,325.

If possible, I would place in the entrance hall your large gouache temporarily on paper but which you intend having put on canvas, which is a study for the "Perroquets" and for which you mentioned a figure of $2,500. This work to remain consigned to me as the other four paintings previously referred to.

I trust you will find that this represents accurately the gist of our talk, and within the coming two or three days I shall let you have my answer.

t.s.v.p....