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Royall Tyler to Robert Woods Bliss, July 6, 1934 [3]

Grand HotelCézar Ritz opened the Grand Hotel near the Spanish Steps in Rome in 1894.—Roma

6 July 1934

Dear Robert

I’ve just had a long session with Sangiorgi:

  1. the Bosch.Hieronymus Bosch (ca. 1450–1516), a Dutch Early Renaissance painter. Kenneth Clark,Baron Kenneth McKenzie Clark (1903–1983), a British art historian, author, and director of the National Gallery in London beginning in 1933. the new director of the Nt Gal London, saw it & took it off to London.Hieronymous Bosch, Christ Mocked (The Crowning with Thorns), ca. 1490–1500, oil on panel, The National Gallery, London, NG4744, acquired from the Galleria Sangiorgi, Rome, in 1934.  The Trustees are to decide about it this week. If they don’t take it, Sangi. will arrange for me to see it in London when I go there for Bill’s wedding (31 inst). Incidentally, I heard the other day that Duveen has it in for Kenneth, and is trying tooth & nail to get his fellow Trustees to turn down anything he puts up. That’s what comes of putting a dealer on the Nt Gal Board. So perhaps the Bosch may be left.
  2. The Lion tamer stuff.BZ.1934.1. I feasted my eyes on it again. It is a grand thing, very fresh in colour, & 95 cm. high (!) After very long talk with Sangi., who started off with L. 300,000, & then stuck a while at 250, I got him to authorize me to tell you that he’ll let you have it for Lire 200,000. I induced him to come down to that figure by giving him my assurance that if you took it at all, you would not offer him less than 200,000. Lire. Now, I think that at that price the thing is highly desirable, and should be jumped at, and I’d advise you to cable Sangi. at once telling him you’ll take it. If you don’t, I think it’s not impossible that Hayford would, but I won’t mention to him until you’ve decided. He told me that Werner AbbegWerner Abegg (1903–1984), a Swiss textile industrialist, collector of textiles, and founder of the Abegg Foundation in Riggisberg. of Turin (a client of Kelek’s) is nibbling at it, but Sangi. would rather sell to you, because Werner has treated him rough on other occasions.

In great haste, & much love to you both.

Yrs

R. T.

 
Associated Places: Rome (Italy)
Associated Artworks: BZ.1934.1