DLA019-0234  Transcription  

[In another hand in the top margin of page 1] Oakley Williams / (wrote article about Mr. de Laszlo)

21 Sussex Gardens,

W.2

28-11-1932

Dear Mr de Laszlo,

Many thanks for your sympathetic and understanding letter of 26th inst;^[1] it is a great relief to my mind, because one of things [sic] I dreaded most was that you should think that I was parting from it (the portrait) [7741] if I had any chance of keeping it. But if I don’t sell it, some one who has no idea of its value, probably will, and I want to prevent this. This is the reason why I am against sending it to Christie’s as my solicitor wants me to.

I shall write to Mr John Robertson of Dundee^[2] and shall not take any further steps until I hear from him in the hope that he may know of some public gallery or collection in this country. You may remember the Bristol Art Gallery (I think) wrote to you tentatively about the picture when it was exhibited there in 1913.

I am always being advised that there is no chance of selling it nowadays except in America, but I hate the idea of sending it

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there. So I shall not go to Knoedlers if I can help it. Apart from the fact that it would mean I should never see it again, the idea of the Yankees being in a position to get all our best work does not appeal to me

If things go well, I am cherishing the hope of asking you for the name of one of the painters whom you allow to do replicas of your work, but I am not counting on that. I suppose I can “von Glück sagen” [happily say] that I have had the enjoyment of it (the original) for nearly twenty years.

With renewed thanks for your understanding

Yours sincerely

Oakley Williams.

I think the name of the Firma you asked me about in the autumn must be Sellis, Services & C. I dont know anything about them but seen they have produced one or two books on art. Ob Kapitalkräffig bleibt dahin=Gestellt [Whether it is well-funded, remains to be seen] and you must remember that all members of the fraternity are having a very difficult time at present.

SMDL

02/07/2018