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ILEANA SONNABEND
39 Quai Des Grands Augustins  Paris VI

F.

10 January 1966

Miss Nina KAIDEN
Director of Fine Arts
Ruder and Finn, inc.
130 East 59 Street
New York, New York

Dear Nina,

I have been both amazed and distressed by your letter of January 4. When Rosa Esman came to Paris last summer and first spoke to me about the Philip Morris show, I told her I would like to work for the project as the sole representative of the show in Europe. She agreed to the conditions, and I received a letter from you with your agreement.

Since I did not sollicit the Philip Morris exhibition but was approached by you, I assumed you knew who I am and what I have been doing here in Europe. I am certainly shocked by the idea of Philip Morris wanting to investigate me at this point–or at any point for that matter. Most of the artists in the album have had one-man shows in my gallery, and I have organized exhibitions for them in the best museums and galleries throughout Europe.

In your letter you say you are now committed to Heiner Friedrich. Have you investigated him? In any case I am not any more prepared now than I was in the beginning to work with someone else on this project.

I am sure you are aware of the conditions under which I have been working for this show, since it was impossible to obtain proofs of prints, photographs, or any kind of advance publicity. I have been amazingly successful under the circumstances, but all the shows I have arranged were accepted simply on the faith of my name, reputation, and word on the quality of the exhibition. Since I have spent so much time and money making arrangements for the show so far, with no material gain whatsoever, I should now like to have some remuneration for my work.

Please explain what the tobacco monopoly in Italy has to do with the Philip Morris show. I have offered the exhibition to a national museum in Italy, and they had no objections to accepting it. There are excellent and definite possibilities for Sweden, Holland, and England, but before making any commitments, I should like to hear from you.

I am coming to New York in a week or so, but in the meantime I should like to receive the enclosures mentioned in your previous letter as well as further word from you.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,