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The Wallace Collection, 
Manchester Square, 
London, W.1.

21st July, 1965.

Dear Mr. Seligman, 

I do not know whether you have been able to see a copy of the June issue of Apollo for this year, which was devoted to articles on various aspects of the Wallace Collection, and particularly on the part of it which never came to the nation. I think it makes quite interesting reading and I am venturing to send you a copy under separate cover.  In my article on the French XVIIIth century sculpture formerly in the Collection, you will see that I say that the full-length bronze Diana, now at San Marino, was sold by Sir John Murray Scott to your father before 1902 when it was bought by Yerkes. I took this from the late Louis Réau's new book on Houdon, because I thought that it was probably the latest and correct information.  It turns out that it is probably wrong, because we have had a letter from Mr. Fowles of Duvet Brothers saying that it was they, and not your father, who bought the Diana from Murray Scott, and sold it to Yerkes in 1901.  I imagine that you would confirm this, and I see that the Diana is not mentioned in your own book as being an object which passed through your father's hands.  It is very difficult for us to be absolutely accurate in matters of this kind, as you well know, and I shall probably publish a correction in due course, as Mr. Fowles asks us to do this. 

The article otherwise is intended merely as a selection of pieces, and there are bound to be others which come to mind from time to time, for instance the Clodion Bacchante made for Mme. Elizabeth, and now in Washington, which I overlooked, and the chimney-piece in the Fragonard Room at the Frick Collection, which I did not know about.  I hope you will not find too many additional mistakes, but if you do, I would be most grateful if you would let me know.  The article as it stands certainly, I think, proves my main point, namely, that the collection of French sculpture here is only a ghost of what it was. 

With kindest regards, 
Yours sincerely, 
Robert A. Cecil

Mr. Germain Seligman