DLA019-0109  Transcription

CORPORATION OF DUBLIN.

MUNICIPAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART

17 HARCOURT STREET,

DUBLIN

JOHN J. REYNOLDS,

CURATOR.

10 September 1930

Philip A. De Laszlo, Eq

Le Grand Hotel

Bagnoles-de-L’orne

France

Dear Mr De Laszlo,

I was very glad to get your letter of the 5th inst. and to note the interesting particulars it contained. If I may say so you should badly need a rest after so much hard work – but you have the satisfaction of adding to the things beautiful of the world, and also of making so many historical records of permanent value to the nations – the portraits of their great men and women. I have always considered a good portrait the best memorial. It is certainly a greater and more pleasant memorial than even a grand tome, and certainly many more people see it. It recalls vividly something of life itself – the personality and psychology which touches

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ourselves and our daily life. I have in my scrap-books now quite a collection of reproductions of your various works which of late years I have culled from various journals and newspapers. But a few days ago I noticed a very good coloured reproduction of your beautiful portrait of “The Marchesa del Merito” [13322] in a shop-window a few doors from our gallery in Harcourt Street. It appears in the London Journal (coverplate) “Britannia and Eve” (Sept. 1930).^[1] It also has found a place in my scrap-book. It is good to know that your fine portrait of Maréchal Lyautey [6118] found its proper home in the Versailles Historical Collection. I must look out for it when in Paris next Summer (D.V.)

Please accept my very best thanks for so kindly thinking of inviting me to your banquet of 30 Oct. to the R.B.A. It will be quite a symposium of Art and I shall look forward to reading the account of the function. I am rather a hermit often as regards social events, and also not being a free agent I fear I might not be able to attend; but I thank you I am sure in the same spirit in which the kind invitation was

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sent by you – quite cordially.

I am sure it will interest you to know that Irish art has fallen in for a bequest which I think will do a deal of good, an old Irish artist died recently leaving quite a considerable sum of money which will bring in about £700 per year for ever. It is to be devoted to the purchase, commissioning etc. each year of paintings by “Irish Artists resident in Ireland”. It will be I am sure if properly applied a great help to promising young Irish artists. It has the rather curious provision that the works shall be confined to “historical, fancy subjects and an occasional landscape of a very high order.” “Fancy” has been interpreted as “genre”, “story”, or “episocial” or “anecdotal” subject. So that it may lead to a minor revival in Dublin of the much neglected “story” pictures of years ago. It is called the “Thomas Haverty Trust”. Mr Thomas Bodkin, Director of the Nat. Gal. Ireland,^[2] Mr Dermod O’Brien, P.R.H.A.,^[3] and myself are the Three Trustees.

Yrs very [sincere]ly

John Reynolds

Curator

SMDL

05/06/2018