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(22)

February 1st., 1946.

Dear Mr. Arensberg:

How very nice to have seen your handwriting again, and I thank you ever so much for your letter of January 19th. You will find herein a photograph of my great DELAUNAY - as bad or as good as it may be, it doesn't give any idea of the gaiety and brilliancy of pure colors, of course, nor, what is more important, as with your imagination you can supply the color element, the order and method reigning throughout the painting. For instance, the reproduction shows surfaces at the top, on the right of the rainbow, and at the lower left next to the discs, which do not conflict in reality with the superb quality of the discs and spheres. My explanation is that these colors are all so very pure and delicate that just a higher or lower tone gives the impression of another tint, whereas this is not the case. Be that as it may, it is better I think, than the very small reproduction in Barr's book.

You will see at the bottom, the full signature and the date "1912", as I wrote you previously.

The main colors are asfollows: The sun is white and the first ellippse is in shades of green, the background is blue and the second ellipse is treated as a sort of rainbow; then again blue, the darker spot at the top is a deeper shade of blue, and the discs and spheres moving in a nebulous cosmos, has as dominating colors, pure orange and yellow, which towards the bottom turn towards pure red. In the center we have oppositions of the complementaries, with green, blue, yellow, red, and throughout that part of the canvas here and there, purple in different tones. The indistinct surfaces at the bottom towards the left, contain strong reds in opposition to blues and light green.

Now as regards the price, I feel that a selling figure of $5,000., is a very reasonable one in view of the merits and importance of the canvas. However, as I have always written to you, it means so much to me to be represented in your collection by paintings of such quality, that any offer you would feel like making and that would leave me some sort of a margin, I would accept.

I should add, nevertheless that in the price of $5,000., I have included the expenses for putting the painting on a new stretcher, with keys, which this one has not, and for relining, as in places the canvas is very thin - work why my restorer estimated at roughly $250., or $300., and which he cannot undertake until the end of March. Do bear this in mind should you feel like acquiring it, which of course would please me immensely.

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