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July 13th, 1942

Dear Mrs Penrose:
Mr. Percy Hagerman has recently written me revealing that it was for you he requested I send our beautiful RENOIR "Au bord de la Riviere," pres Argenteuil" (also known as "La Femme a l'Ombrelle") to Colorado Springs, and now, that you have decided to purchase it. 

I am of course, extremely pleased to have this opportunity of communicating with you again, and furthermore, wish to express the great pride I feel in knowing this sensitive "chef d'oeuvre" has become a part of your collection. You will find the invoice enclosed herewith. 

As I have written Mr. Hagerman, this canvas, executed between 1875 and 1878, is an exceptional example of Impressionist painting and illustrates the technique used in, may I say, "capturing" the vibration of light. It was carried out during the foremost period of theartist, when he also painted the magnificent "Dejeuner des Canotiers" of the Duncan Phillips Collection and the stunning "Le Bal" of the Boston museum, which, incidentally, was also sold by my firm. 

The well known art critic and writer, Professor Lionello Venturi, to whom I showed this painting whenI first acquired it, had asked permission to include it in a "catalogue raisonne" of Renoir's work, which he is preparing. Thinking you might like to have his reaction to it, I have requested him to express his opinion, and take pleasure in quoting him on the invoice. 

Mr. Hagerman, whom I found such a delightful gentleman, has no doubt told you that this painting remained in an American private collection from the turn of the century until I acquired it, and it thus has the additional charm of freshness "inedit". 

Yours very sincerely,

(Germain Seligmann)


Mrs. Spencer Penrose
Broadmoor, 
Colorado Springs, Colorado.