DLA116-0079  Transcription

WOLMER WOOD,

MARLOW COMMON,

MARLOW, BUCKS.

Nov. 12th 1923

My dear friend

I was glad to get your card from Paris and to hear that you had a pleasant crossing – you just escaped the stormy weather by delaying your departure. I shall be curious to hear your account of the wedding as you must have met a good many friends of yours there, judging by the list of guests which appeared in the papers.^[1] It seems to have been a fairly lively affair and I daresay it was rather picturesque. I have never seen the chapel but I have been in parts of St. James’s Palace and it struck me as being effective in rather a heavy way – there was a sort of faded splendour about it. The Royal people at the wedding, according

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to the papers, seem to have behaved in rather a frivolous way.

I wonder if you have got into warmer weather at Rome; it has turned quite cold here, sharp frosts and brisk east winds, too cold for sketching out of doors so I am doubtful whether I shall get a chance of doing any autumn subjects. The leaves have blown off a good deal during the last few days, but there are still enough to give a lot of colour to the woods round here.

I am glad you approve of the note on critics in the Arts League Journal; the League is taking up the question of fair

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criticism and wants to collect all the examples it can of unfair comment in newspapers, so if you find among your press cuttings any that are unfair or silly send them Rundall to add to the collection. The only way to get editors to appreciate what fair criticism means is of constantly protesting when unfair notices appear, and protests officially from the secretary of the League have much more effect than complaints sent by the artists themselves to the editors. A letter from an artist is generally handed by the editor to the man who wrote the notice, and he naturally either suppresses it or uses it as material for more silly remarks.

Did you finish the Buchanan girls [3637] before you left? I hope to see the picture again when you are back as it was going well and promised to be one of your best – but no doubt the sitters inspired you.

I notice that in the letter you wrote me before you left you said that you intended to arrange your work differently in the future. I think I have heard you say this before – several times – I wonder if it will really come off. It is never too late to improve and a little reduction of your 

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excessive energy could certainly be an improvement. I really think that I shall have to come and live permanently at n.3 and take charge of the studio key, so that I can lock you out of it when I consider that you have done a sufficient day’s work. It is no good taking a holiday if you come back from it and work harder than ever to make up for the time you have spent away.        

My wife has been in town for a few days and had tea with the Kendricks: she found Sidney [sic] Kendrick very busy with the Page portrait [111838] and enjoying his job. I was amused to hear that it was the copy [111839] you took to his studio – at any rate it shows that Cullen’s copy was a good one.^[2] 

My best wishes and remembrances to you both: I hope you are enjoying yourselves greatly.

Always yours,

A.L. Baldry

Editorial Note:

Alfred Lys Baldry (1858-1939), British artist and art critic who authored several articles on de László and who was a close family friend; for biographical notes, see [3562].

CC

26/10/2006