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April 24th, 1950.

Dear Mr. Rich:

Your lines of the 19th., regarding Rico LEBRUN's "Centurion's Horse" selected by Mr. Ludgin, arrived just a few hour's after I had written to Mr. Ludgin on the topic, and Mr. Seligman has asked me to confirm to you that the painting was marked "Reserved" from the moment after the choice was made.

The painting is therefore at the disposal of the Art Institute whenever it is wished, and will be turned over to Budworth in accordance with your letter.

The price of the painting is $2,000., but as the Art Institute paid the artist such a great honor several years ago, and as Mr. Ludgin explained his society's fund was below that figure, we agreed to accept a price of Fifteen Hundred Dollars ($1500.) should "Centurion's Horse" be acquired either by the Society for Contemporary American Art or the Art Institute itself. Fifteen Hundred would then be net.

However, should it not find a permanent home at the Art Institute the price which we would appreciate your quoting is $2,000., on which we would [[strikethrough]] be[[/strikethrough]]of course allow a fifteen percent commission to your Institute.

You no doubt will find Dr. Valentiner's words of introduction for our catalogue (copy enclosed) of great interest.

Have you already heard that Lebrun will be among the six or seven artists who will represent the United States by a group of paintings at the forthcoming "Biennale" in Venice?

Several visitors have brought in reports about your current LEBRUN drawings and lithographs exhibition, and we thank you for the courtesy thus extended through Mr. Schniewind.

Mr. Seligman sends his best wishes, to which I would like to add a word of regret that you too did not see the complete group of Lebruns.

Yours very sincerely,
Mrs. T.D. Parker
Contemporary American Department.

Mr. Daniel Catton Rich, Director
Art Institute of Chicago,
Chicago, Ill.
P.S. We will keep "Centurion's Horse" covered by our policy.
TDP.