DLA019-0110  Transcription

CORPORATION OF DUBLIN.

MUNICIPAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART,

17 HARCOURT STREET,

DUBLIN

JOHN J. REYNOLDS,

Curator.

3 September 1930

Philip A. De Laszlo, Esq

Le Grand Hotel

Bagnoles-de-l’Orne

France

Dear Mr De Laszlo,

I was glad indeed to get your kind letter of the 27th inst. It is pleasant to know that you have not forgotten us, and I venture to hope that your kind interest in our gallery will continue.

The plans for the new gallery are now complete and I expect that within a few weeks the site will be in the hands of the builders. It is reported that it will be completed in about 12 months; when, I hope, you will honour us with your presence. You may be sure that when the gallery approaches completion I shall be very glad to remind you of the fact (D.V.)

The gallery will have we venture to think, the latest and most approved system of lighting

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which, of course, is a sine qua non.

I do not know of any other picture in our Collection which has attracted more general interest and approbation than your “Vay de Vaya” [5617]. It is an acquisition of which we are very proud.

I beg to enclose with my best compliments, three of the card reproductions in photogravure of your picture. We propose getting the next set of picture postal cards done as real photographic prints on photographic bromide cards. As you know these can now be had at an economic price which permits of their sale in the gallery stalls: with them, I should say, fewer of the original half-tones of the painting are lost in the reproduction. I also enclose a picture postal card of our recently acquired marble bust of Oliver Plunket [sic] by a Dublin artist – Albert G. Power.^[1] Strange to say it may be described as a portrait bust as Mr Power was allowed to make dried studies from the actual head of Oliver Plunket which is preserved in a church in Drogheda. It is in this sense a real “likeness”. I also enclose a card of study by Augustus John – his late wife, I understand.^[2]

Whenever I find myself in London I shall give myself the great pleasure of dropping in to see you were it only for a few minutes conversation.

Your truly

John Reynolds

Curator

SMDL

05/06/2018