Viewing page 49 of 129

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

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

February 5, 1952

Dear F.G.:

Thanks for your letter of February 1.

As per your indication I have just opened the letter received for you and am truly unable to give you any opinion as to its wording. You must bear in mind that I was never posted about the details of the items mentioned, and furthermore do not know the purpose of this letter.

In fact it should not be called a letter as it is more in the form of a summary or memorandum without any signature.

I assume it must be clear to those who are aware of the genesis of this question.

I am sorry to read that the date of your trip to the States is still so very uncertain.

Thank you for mentioning me to Edouard Jonas. Though I see him off and on when he leaves his oilfields, I have never been able to do any business with him, as he has never come to me with a simple proposition. They are always very involved and furthermore the prices he quotes belong truly to another world, at least as far as I am concerned.

I am also much obliged to you for calling my attention to the Vuillard portrait, but I do not follow your reasoning for not having requested a photograph, but offhand a painting of 1914 by this artist is too late, as I have always taken the attitude that 1905 and 1906 was as far as one should go in praising his work. But, I repeat, without a photograph I can hardly have an opinion.

You can tell the Bacris that I still have their two tapestries, but no longer the Tapis de Table. As regards the latter I explained to them a great many years ago that it had been cut up and sold piecemeal for which they received payment at the time.

Should they have any indications to give me as to a new destination for the two tapestries I will be very glad to turn them over to whomever they indicate.

With much love,

Monsieur Francois Gerard Seligmann
Seligmann & Cie.
23 Place Vendome
Paris
France