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NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS
17 EAST 80TH STREET
NEW YORK 21, N.Y.

September 10, 1953

TELEPHONE: BUTTERFIELD 8-2810

Dear Mr. Seligman:

I am writing you following your suggestion made in our conversation last February, that you might be able to help with our fellowship program for the present academic year, beginning at the end of next week. We are still somewhat short of our goal, and I hope very much that you might want to contribute money for a fellowship for Robert Rosenblum, a brilliant student who is writing his dissertation on a period in French painting in which you are interested, around 1800.

Rosenblum comes to us from Yale where he was a teaching assistant as well as a graduate student last year. He has had a Fulbright grant for study in France. Two years ago, he came to us for a year before going back to Yale, and ultimately decided to return here to write his thesis under Walter Friedlaender, since Dr. Friedlaender was so much interested in him. We are delighted to have him, especially since he is stimulating to other students by his wealth of ideas on the history of painting from the 16th century on, particularly in France. For his dissertation, he has started with the genesis of Classicism in the late 18th century in France, and gone outward to study similar contemporary phenomena in other European countries for comparison.

Our cash fellowships are in general for $750, $1000 or $1500, and are awarded to the outstanding advanced students who are in need.

We should appreciate it very much if you find that you can contribute toward a fellowship for Rosenblum. We have no need here which we consider greater than the helping of such advanced students to rid themselves of the burden of outside employment, which is an essential condition of developing real scholars.

Sincerely yours,
Craig Hugh Smyth
CRAIG HUGH SMYTH
Director, Institute of Fine Arts

Mr. Germain Seligman,
5 East 57th St.,
New York City

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