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WELbeck { 0687
0688

THE WALLACE COLLECTION
MANCHESTER SQUARE
LONDON, W.1.

1st May 1950

My dear Monsieur Seligman, 
Thank you very much indeed for your letter of the 27th April.  It was very kind of you to write, and even kinder of you to be so generous in giving me permission to reproduce your Houdon bust of Cagliostro and the Tocqué portrait of the Doc de Chartres.  I will explain to you exactly why I am seeking permission. 

As you may know, in June this year the Wallace Collection ni celebrating the Fiftieth Anniversary of its opening by the Prince of Wales.  The Burlington Magazine is devoting a complete number to publications bearing on objects in the Collection, and I have been asked to contribute an article based on recent research into the question, on the works of art which used to be in Lord Hertford's and Sir Richard Wallace's possession, but were not included in Lady Wallace's bequest to the nation in 1897. This corresponds with what you thought. The article will take the form of a short introduction giving the circumstances of the Murray Scott will, and Lady Sackvilles private sale to your father, and this will have attached to it lists of various pictures, sculpture, furniture etc. which we have been able to trace, either through your help, or through sale histories and other pieces of information. The whole question is of considerable interest, and shows, of course, that Lord Hertford's and Sir Richard Wallace's collections were at one time probably as much as twice as large as the display now to be seen here. 

I am very restricted as regards illustrations, but I am very anxious, naturally, to reproduce the Houdon bust of Cagliostro, and have had a copy made of the excellent photograph of it which appears in Giacometti's monograph.  I would also very much like to reproduce the Tocqué, but have no adequate photograph, and am rather pressed for time by The Burlington. Would it be too much to ask you go