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3 East 51st. Street,
New York, New York.
February 15th., 1939.

Dear César:

I returned yesterday from my very short cruise, which I am glad to say removed the clinging grippe germs, and find your letters and cables, for which I thank you.

DUBRU: Your cable leaving things open until March 15th., is, of course, rather disappointing, but I gather that there is nothing else to do. However, it is a terrific paralysis, as we cannot buy anything else until we know whether and what we shall get from him.

GACHET: Your letter was very wise, and as you say, his letter for the first time is rather encouraging.

PICASSO - GERTRUDE STEIN: I have cabled today, to inquire whether it is the one which is reproduced in her 1938 book on Picasso, published by Floury, reproduced in color, as the Bouteille de Maraschin. If so, I shall be delighted to have 2/3rds. interest in the painting, but otherwise, I will have to wait until I get some sort of a notion as to what the painting is. I personally so much prefer the monochrome cubists to the colored ones.

CANONNE: I cabled today about the Cezanne. From the photo I am certainly interested but I realize more and more how impossible it is to make up one's mind from a reproduction, and that is why I cabled as I did.

CEZANNE FILS: From my fiche, Keller quoted us, when they had the painting here, $60,000. Whether they actually were asking that price, I don't know. That might have been one of those Paul Rosenberg tricks. On another fiche I find that Paul Cezanne quoted us $40,000. I personally consider such a landscape today could stand a $60,000., or $65,000. price, and perhaps even more if shown in its proper surroundings and setting. I know you have never been keen about it but personally I don't seem to change my mind.

Now as regards the purchase value of a painting like that, I must say that it is shear lunacy, but I suppose that I would see a figure around $30,000., or $35,000.

Should we obtain Paul Cezanne's "Estaque" on consignment, please have it done with a written agreement - that is, for a given period of time. Otherwise I don't want it.

MOLYNEUX: I don't mind telling you that I was rather heart-broken at the sight of Hans, and personally upset too, with the news that he had bought some more paintings in the amount of $85,000.!!

You are, from a psychological point of view, a really most interesting case in connection with this man and I am wondering whether subconsciously, of course, you are not just waiting for him to come to you. I think your method is wrong in these days when our business, I am sorry to say, has become mostly a commission

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