DLA019-0037  Transcription

LONDON,

10th May, 1930.

I have been wanting to write to you weeks ago to thank you for your last letters of December 24th^[1] and March 14th, but have been prevented from doing so by various unexpected events which have kept me extremely busy lately.

While in the South of France in the early Spring from where we went on to Barcelona to visit the International Art Exhibition there I received the news that I had been elected President of The Royal Society of British Artists here in London which new office necessitated my immediate return home to deal with an accumulation of extra work. At the Barcelona Exhibition I was awarded the Grand Prix for my two works exhibited there. My election as President of the R.B.A. was indeed a compliment to me, and it was this event which prevented my coming to America this Spring. In this connection I wish to tell you that my Society has been invited to send about seventy water-colours of a small size to Washington by the Federation of Arts of which, as you know, our friend Miss Mechlin is the permanent Secretary.^[2] My Society considers this a great compliment, and I am sure that as it is in the hands of a capable Secretary it will be a success. The Society possesses an exceptional number of water-colours which are worthy of the old English tradition, and I should like to ask of you a great favour. Would you very kindly communicate with Miss Mechlin regarding this matter with a view to arrange an Exhibition for a few of the pictures at the Corcoran Art Gallery; I feel this would add so much to the success of the pictures.

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I have now definitely decided to go to the States at the beginning of November and hope to stay in Washington about three weeks. It would be so nice if I myself, as the Society’s President, could officially open the Exhibition during my stay there, when all my friends and senators could be invited. I should be so grateful if you could help me in this matter, and perhaps you would let me know as soon as possible what you think of it.

You will no doubt have read of the present Exhibition in the Paris Salon.^[3] It gives me great pleasure to let you know that I have been very successful there with my portrait of Marshal Lyautey [6118], a reproduction of which you will have already received, and also with one of a beautiful Spanish lady [6875];^[4] a reproduction of the latter will appear in the “Figaro Illustre”, and I will arrange for one of this also to reach you.

I have just finished portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Ochs (of the New York Times) [6480][6486] to whom we gave a reception yesterday, and I am sure the reproductions of these portraits will interest you.

I am kept very busy, as usual, and to-morrow I am going over to Paris to my Studio for a fortnight. I have to be back here on the 22nd when I am holding a reception in the Galleries of The Royal Society of British Artists.

Reproductions of my portraits of King Fuad and Prince Farouk will be forwarded to you direct from Munich where they have been made. I painted these in Egypt a year ago.^[5]

I must not forget to tell you how pleased I was to hear that you exhibited the portrait of Mr. Cooper Procter of Cincinnati [111048], who

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is the founder of the Museum there.^[6] I have to paint the portrait of its President later. I am glad you think the one of Mr. Procter is one of my best portraits; I feel the same about it, although I must say I had in him a splendid sitter.

Now, dear friend, I must say “au revoir” for the present. Please remember me most kindly to all my friends in Washington and tell them I shall be with them in December. We both send you our kindest greetings and much look forward to our visit to you next Winter. I shall look forward to receiving good news from you which I can convey to my Society.

Yours sincerely,

Editorial Note:

Cuthbert Powell Minnigerode (1876-1951), Director of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. from 1906 to 1947; for biographical notes, see [111275].

SMDL

27/05/2018