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October 1, 1958


Dear Mr. Richardson,
While we were still in Europe, Mrs. Seligman and I received a copy of the "Art Quarterly" containing our article on the small portraits of Chantilly, and as you will readily imagine, it gave us a great deal of satisfaction to see this study so carefully and painstakingly published in your magazine.

You told me at the time, I recall, that it created a problem in view of its length and the number of reproductions it comprised. I doubly appreciate therefore the effort you were kind enough to make in order to fulfill our hopes.

I have but one deep regret, namely that our dear friend, Dr. W.R. Valentiner, could not have seen it for I must admit it was thanks to his renewed encouragements that we persevered in our research on this theme, and I would have liked him to be able to share in the thanks I am conveying to you today. He will be sorely missed by all those who as you and I, have been so close to him for so many years and who were truly able to gauge his many qualities and his high standards.

In fact, having heard from Mr. Pope Hennessy of some of the plans you have for the exhibition of Italian Sculpture you contemplate, I was wondering whether this exhibition undertaking could not be considered a memorial to our dear late friend, for if I am not mistaken, the field of Italian Sculpture with the one of Dutch paintings were the two in which he excelled in especially and to which his memory will remain particularly linked.

Mr. Grigaut had been good enough to communicate with me earlier this year in this connection and I am sorry that circumstances did not allow us to meet, for you know how much this province of endeavor has meant to me right along.

Be this as it may, I feel certain that like all your other artistic manifestations, it will prove to be a marked success.

With personal regards, 

Sincerely Yours,
Germain Seligman
Mr. E. P. Richardson
The Art Quarterly 
The Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit 2, Michigan

GS

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