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3
5 East 57th Street
New York 22, N.Y.
May 16, 1949
Dear Germain:
Thinking over the visit of Nathan, he asked me for Flemish paintings. I thought of showing him the Roger van der Weyden, but on looking in the book I could not find a price or a description of the painting. For that reason I did not show the painting. Is there any reason for this being so? What price should I ask in case I could show him the painting?
VENTURI came in. Thanked us for the photographs and catalogs sent before your departure. He does not need the Bellini portrait over for the time being. He wants to go to work with the photograph. I said: "The price of $18,000.- is extremely short to arrive at. $25,000.- as a price to arrive at would be much more welcome."
I am sending you a project of letters to Venturi concerning the certificates and pedigree herein. In the files I find three Berenson letters which really are certificates, if one wants to consider them as such; hereunder a copy of these. One could very easily make use of these. I am expecting your opinion and ideas on the matter:
Hotel Vesuve, Naples
June 22, 1939
Dear Mr. Seligmann: I have just received word from Mr. Harold Parons of the Kansas City Museum asking for my opinion about a portrait of a youth you ascribe to Giov. Bellini.
As I am away fromhome, and shall be for a bit, please send by return post to above address a photo of the portrait, and a copy of what I wrote to you about it when I advised you to purchase it.
If you write...................
Sincerely yours,
B. Berenson
**************
July 15, 1939
Dear Mr. Seligmann: Many thanks for your from New York of the 5th, as well as for the enclosed photo. That enables me to reconstitute the whole affair and I am writing to Mr. Parsons accordingly. I am going tomorrow to Geneva................
Sincerely yours, 
B. Berenson
**************
August 7, 1939
Dear Mr. Seligmann: I know no more about the Bellini portrait that you have offered to Mr. Parsons than you do. It was first bought to my notice by Lorentz of Zurich. Then Kleinberger consulted me about it. In both cases I had not yet decided that it was by Bellini: That is positively all I know Let me add that I have never paid much attention to matters of provenance. and I do not know. They are more often than not mere nonsense or swindle.
Faithfully yours, B. Berenson.
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