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PHILLIPS MEMORIAL GALLERY
1600 TWENTY-FIRST STREET
WASHINGTON, D. C.

DUNCAN PHILLIPS, Director
C. LAW WATKINS, Associate Director
ELMIRA BIER, Manager of Publications

May 25, 1933

Mr. Arthur G. Dove,
Halesite
New York.

Dear Arthur Dove:

Thank you for your good letter. It will help me a lot whenever I attempt an article. I am deeply sorry that you are having such a trying time and I wish I could help you. Although my situation has not changed for the better and I have not sold any pictures nor in any way raised any funds for purchase of American paintings, nevertheless I have decided to take three of your new canvases, namely "Harbour Docks", "Tree and Covered Boat" and "Sun Drawing Water," on condition that I be allowed to pay for them at the very slow rate of fifty dollars a month, and at the price of two hundred dollars each which Stieglitz gave me. If this is acceptable to you would you arrange it with Stieglitz and let me know whether the monthly check should be sent to Stieglitz and by him to you or paid to you directly. That idea would seem to me a more intelligent procedure but it should be arranged in a way that suits both you and your impresario.

I am sorry that, in spite of the two photography, & what I say about the perfection of the color balance in the smaller version you are unwilling that I should make an upright landscape out of the "Bessie of New York". I would like to hold it here and make a copy of the part I like as I think I could learn a lot about color from this experience. I treat myself to a little spree of painting about once a year and have a wonderful time dabbling in pigments. Would you mind telling me how that particular canvas was prepared as I know I could not get those surfaces without a little coaching from their creator. Should you relent about the division of this picture into two parts I might wish to revise the above arrangement and take this picture at three hundred instead of one of the others at two hundred.

By the way my wife and I were delighted [[strikethrough]] by [[/strikethrough]] with the paintings by Mrs. Dove and I meant to write to you about that in my first letter. I wish that we had had time to go back again to see them. With best wishes to you and Mrs. Dove,

Sincerely Yours
Duncan Phillips
DP.E