Viewing page 7 of 18

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

August 12th., 1938.

Dear Nikky:

I lunched with Len yesterday, and he told me that he was going to see you in London, that the plans for the week-end were changed and that you were not coming to Paris until Tuesday. I am quite upset as I won't see you here - I have to run down to Cap Ferrat and Antibes, and have only one week to do this before sailing on the "Normandie" August 24th.

I am sorry to have seen so little of you and inasmuch as I understand that you are going directly to Venice from here, I am afraid I shall not see you before New York.

I also want to thank you for your introduction to the Baroness Erlanger, whom I saw once. She told me after our first meeting that she was going south and would communicate with me on her return, but I never heard from her. 

The one meeting we had was a little complicated. She showed me a Picasso picture at her apartment, but this picture was shown to me by the Comte de Segonzac, who seemed to be not exactly pleased to have me appear. The Picasso painting itself was a nice painting, though of the very early period - children playing at a fountain. For your very confidential information - and I ask you to keep this strictly to yourself - I want to point out to you that we did not guideeget into this matter for two reasons: First, the price of the picture was too high. Secondly, it came from a collection in Germany and apparently had not had the export permission. It had been smuggled out of Germany and re-placed by a copy. You can, therefore, understand that it might become, for a firm such as our's, a very dangerous affair, as we cannot deal in paintings "under cover". But I beg of you to keep this absolutely to yourself. 

However, this first little disappointment doesn't necessarily mean that we can't try again. You don't by any chance know of a nice Manet or van Gogh? If so, drop me a line here to the office, if you have a chance, and I shall follow it up on my return on the 22nd.

By the bye, I saw Len yesterday at luncheon, as I mentioned above, and afterwards showed him once more the lovely Degas pastel of the two pink dancers, from the Lerolle Collection and which, if I remember correctly, you liked very much yourself. Len seemed to be enchanted