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August 26, 1973

Dear Professor Sheon:

Though I am still convalescing and will not be at my galleries before sometime in September, I am anxious to acknowledge receipt of your interesting letter of June 5th, which I have pondered carefully. 

Meanwhile, you have received, I assume, Mrs. Seligman's note, as well as the glossy photograph of my MONTICELLI portrait, which, by the way, you have my permission, of course, to reproduce. In this connection, may I say that I would prefer having it mentioned as 

Collection of Germain Seligman, New York.

I am indeed pleased to read your description of the portrait. However, before referring to the proposed comments on the portrait itself, let me answer first the last paragraph of your letter. 

I realize that there is a misapprehension in your conclusion that I believe in the "noble Italian origin" of Monticelli. Not in the least, though I must say that I am considerably intrigued by the affrontery, not to say gall, of Louis Monticelli, in this exhibiting three portraits in so well publicized an exhibition as the Salon d'Automne under these rather prestigious titles. For there was (and perhaps still is) a Duc de Spolete, who in the early years of the century seems to have been of some social prominence. In checking the periodical literature for references to the Spoletes, we came across photographs in two separate issues of the French magazine ILLUSTRATION, one of October 8, 1927, the other of November 12, 1927. The first shows the Duc de Spolete, in the white uniform of a"capitaine de corvette" walking beside the "prince heritier" on the occasion of an aviation exhibition in Venice. The second depicts the Duc in full dress uniform escorting the Duchesse de Guise and preceded by the Duchesse d'Aoste on the arm of the Duc de Guise. In the view of this, one does wonder how Louis Monticelli got away with it - Paris being a somewhat nobility minded city. We have rather bad photostats of both events, of it would amuse you to see them, I would be glad to send them on. 

Under the circumstances, I quite realize that it is undoubtedly wiser to call the painting simply "Portrait of a Lady". However, I truly