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CT ES    October 10, 1929

Dr. W. R. Valentiner, 
Detroit Institute of Arts,
Detroit, Mich.

Dear Dr. Valentiner, 

I am just in receipt of your telegram and have wired you as follows:

"PAINTING IS ENTITLED THE MANDOLIN PLAYER BY JUDITH LEYSTER FORMERLY IN THE BARON DE BEURNONVILLE COLLECTION DISPOSED OF IN PARIS IN EIGHTTEEN EIGHTY ONE THEN ATTRIBUTED TO FRANS HALS STOP EXHIBITED IN THE RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION OF GHENT NINETEEN THIRTEEN STOP CERTIFICATE FROM FRIEDLANDER DECLARING IT TO BE A VERY CLOSE WORK TO FRANS HALS STOP VERY SIMILAR TO PAINTING IN REICHSMUSEUM AMSTERDAM STOP ON PANEL TWENTY INCHES HIGH FIFTEEN INCHES WIDE STOP PAINTING BEING SHIPPED TODAY"

This will give you all the information you would need for your catalogue. You will find pasted on the back of the picture a cutting from the old Beurnonville Catalogue when it was attributed to Frans HALS. You know this picture, as it was one of the paintings we brought out to Detroit two years ago when we had our exhibition there.

I am sorry that we have nothing else of that school to lend you, but hope that your exhibition will be a success.

In the meanwhile, with my kindest regards, believe me to be

Yours sincerely, 

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-09-19 21:24:32 .