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New York 22, New York

October 20, 2959

Dear Mr. Watson:

Contrary to my hopes I did not succeed in going back to London after your return from the States, and was thus deprived of seeing you as I had expected.

In the meantime, however, I enjoyed reading some of the studies you wrote on the James de Rothschild Collection which from your description must be a truly beautiful and impressive ensemble. Of course a good many of the sumptuous works of art were inherited from his father, Baron Edmond, and among them must be a few from the Paris Wallace-Bagatelle group.

In this connection I would like to ask you, as I saw the name of Lemoyne mentioned, whether among them is a marble figure described as "Madame de Pompadour," unclad, dated 1744. Namely there was such a sculpture at Bagatelle and opposite which notation I had indicated Baron Edmond de Rothschild with a question mark. If my recollection is correct and should it not be at Waddesdon Manor, could it have gone to Baron Maurice?

Also, following our conversation in New York, another point weighing on my mind is whether you succeeded in seeing the great painting by Francois Boucher at the Metropolitan Museum, 2formerly Wallace-Bagatelle, and which inspite [[in spite]] of comments made, I still consider by this artist. In my opinion it remained unfinished, but there was no other painter at that time who carried out such majestic decorations with that gusto and with his technique and palette. however, it is your opinion that I am anxious to have.

From certain research I had undertaken, if I am not mistaken several of the paintings by Boucher that you have in London were traced back to the inventory of 1766 establishes by the "peintre-expert, Pierre Remy" for auction of the late Marise de Pompadour; and I have always been under the impression that the Marquis of Hartford or Richard Wallace must have bought together this whole group of Boucher panels. Here again I am wondering

tsvp

[[right margin]] London-Wallace Call [[/right margin]] 

TP