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[[marginalia]] Delestre [[/marginalia]]

October 6, 1954

Dear Mr. Delestre:

Remembering my promise to send you photographs of my two recently acquired paintings by Gros, as well as paintings by Courbet which I have had in the course of years, you will find herein a whole group of them. The two painting by Gros: a. Sketch of Murat for the Battaille d'Aboukir; b. The Three Heads, sketch for the Reddition of Madrid - are well known to you. The Three Heads have come out beautifully after a very light cleaning.

The Courbet group includes:

a. Charcoal drawing, "L'Homme à la Pipe."
b. "La Cascade" (probably a site in the Vallée de la Loue). Fromerly W. R. Hearst collection. Signed lower left.
c. "Portrait de Femme," signed and dated 1859 lower right.
d. "La Mer Orageuse." Formerly James W. Barney collection. Signed lower left.
e. Two flower pots of "Hydrangeas." Formerly from the famous H. O. Havemeyer collection. Signed lower left. This is the most beautiful painting I ever had by Courbet, and I am only sorry that the photograph gives such a limited idea of its exceptional quality and merit.

On the back of the photographs you will also find the dimensions. I hope you will be pleased with these documents to be added to the many you already have.

May I also take advantage of this letter to inquire whether you have heard anything further about the two great Gros paintings from the Coubertin collection, and I am wondering whether you had an opportunity of talking to Mr. Daulte when you last went to Switzerland, as you told me you intended to do, for I found strange his silence. You will recall that upon your suggestion I spoke to young Strölin about these two paintings but this was just a couple of days before my leaving Paris, and I could hardly have heard from him since. May I also count upon you to let me know should you hear of some other important paintings by Gros which would be available? Looking forward to hearing from you, and with my very best compliments,

Sincerely yours,

Germaine Seligman

Mr. Gaston Delestre
24, rue Marbeau
Paris 16, France

t.s.v.p.

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