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June 16th., 1943.

Dear Mr. Francis:
It is of course with a great deal of interest that I have read your studies on the top paintings in your last Museum Bulletin, and it is in connection with a statement you make about little "Romaine Lacaux" that I am writing you - it being a complete revelation to me. 

I am referring to the two lines on page 97 where you write: ".. it emerged from the relative obscurity of the Barret-Decap Collection in Blarrits and appeared in a sale in Paris in 1929...."

I have absolutely no recollection of this - the explanation could be of course that I was in the States when the auction actually took place. But I am further confused by the fact that I bought it from the Barret-Decap and that the sale you refer to is also the Barret-Decap.

What could have been the purpose of this sale? Was that auction perhaps caused by a death in the family and the French laws about "indivision", or perhaps due to minors being among the heirs, which also according to French laws might have forced them to hold a public auction? 

I hope I am not imposing too much upon you, but I am of course interested in this, were it just for the fact that you might have expected me to post you about it, but as I say above, this was absolutely unknown to me. 

t.s.v.p..............