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gs file

5 East 57th Street
New York 22, N.Y.


July 14, 1947

Dear Germain:

The "Bather" by Renoir left the house for one and one-half hours and was taken on consignment at that time by Fine Arts Associates = Gerson and Thalhaimer. As they had said that they would keep it less than two hours, they brought it back within that time. The customer to whom they showed it was intensely interested and has the intention of buying only one painting. If their plan goes on schedule, in September, their customer will be home again, and they will want to try the painting on the wall. It is agreed that they will come to you and ask for it.

They know that the painting belongs to a customer of ours who ordered us to ask $55,000.- for it and that we can sell it fro the lowest price of $25,000.- I know by experience that they will try to bargain those $25,000.- down, but it is understood that the bargaining can be extremely limited. You will find a copy of this letter in your files for your return.

Dutch Exhibition at the Metropolitan - Very few really interesting paintings: mostly be secondary masters. I do not understand the fuss that has been made about that whole exhibition. The Rembrandt which is shown in it does not seem to me to be by the master.

Nathan of St. Gall - I was sorry to read that you did not see him because if you saw him and his paintings, I feel that you would do something with him. For instance, maybe even obtain his big Renoir landscape from the Nathan Collection on consignment, or God knows what else. I mentioned that Renoir because when I think about it, in 1938-39 our friend Mrs. Nathan to whom that painting had belonged did not own it anymore. I conclude that as Nathan of St. Gall gave me to understand he had bought the paintings directlyfrom our friends, he must own that picture for an extremely long time without having succeeded in selling it. Should you decide to see him on your way back, it might be advisable to make an appointment a long time beforehand in order to avoid missing him again. I suppose it is useless to remind you that phone communications in Switzerland are as good as in the United States. Maybe, that when you will have seen the photograph of the Renoir of Basle, you will feel like having a look at it and have him negotiate the consignment of that painting.

Koenigsberg - Your wire just arrived concerning the Koenigsberg business. If as I stated some time before I was not disciplined, I would have tried to get $5,750.- from them, but as your order was definite to take $5,000.- without bargaining, I was extremely sorry to let it go at this.

Commode - I called Mrs. Constantino. She is in Europe. In her absence nobody is entitled to add to the stock. She will be back the first of September. Our relations with Miss Howell are quite good although rather negative on her part. To my feeling Mrs. Constantino would be a much better dealer, as I wrote to you before I saw Madame Balzan in her shop wandering around leisurely. So I would much rather give the commode to Mrs. Constantino than to Miss Howell. What about keeping the commode in our place until your return and your contacting Mrs. Constantino at that time?

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