Letter from Charles S. Carstairs to Henry Clay Frick, 29 July 1913

File
9/10/13
NEW YORK,
556 & 558, FIFTH AVENUE.
PARIS,
23, PLACE VENDOME.
CABLE ADDRESSES
KNOEDLER, LONDON.
KNOEDLER, NEW YORK.
KNOEDLER, PARIS.
TELEPHONE 2514 MAYFAIR.
15, OLD BOND STREET,
LONDON, W.
Per S. S. Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse.
29th July 1913.
H. C. Frick, Esq.,
Eagle Rock,
Pride's Crossing,
MASS., U. S. A.
Dear Mr. Frick,
Paris wrote me that Tom had cabled you wanted information of the Holbein "Man pointing to a Skull." Did you by chance mean the portrait of Sir Brian Tuke in the Munich Gallery, page 211 in the Klassiker der Kunst "Holbein" by Paul Ganz? This picture was considered for a long time to be a genuine Holbein but for some time has been known to be merely a copy and is under the heading of "Copies" in the Ganz work. The genuine picture, without the skeleton and the hour glass, was originally in the Methuen Collection at Corsham House, was purchased from him by the Duke of Westminster, and recently purchased by us from Lady Theodore Guest, who was a Westminster and inherited the picture. I have sent you a photograph of it by Dr. De Wild, who sailed last Friday and is due in New York Tuesday, the 5th August. He takes August and September as his vacation and is going to be at Montclare, and could see you any time in New York if you would appoint a time and place; or, if you desired, would go to Pride's Crossing one night and see you the next morning. He
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H. C. Frick, Esq., 29.7.13.
2.
would not mind doing this at all, as he has never been to Boston and he could spend the balance of the day there and then return to New York.
This picture is a very beautiful and important one, size 15 3/8 x 19 1/2 panel, in a beautiful state of preservation and fine quality, and was painted about the same time as your "Sir Thomas More". It is No. 79 in Ganz's book. It is the most important thing I have purchased since coming to Europe and I consider it a picture that you should have, as Holbein is a very rare master and under no circumstances can more than a very few ever come in the market. The price of it is 200,000 dollars.
In your new house you will have a number of small panels where pictures of extraordinary draughtsmanship and quality and strength will be wanted.
I spent an hour with Allom at the factory on Saturday and I think that everything is working out most satisfactorily.
Last Tuesday I spent at Wilton, one of the most beautiful places in England, and Sunday I spent at Petworth, the seat of Lord Leconfield, another of the great places of England, with some very fine pictures. I particularly enjoy seeing these places now, as often one gets some ideas for the decoration of building which may help in deciding questions relating to your house. The more I see of the plans of your house the more I feel it is going to be the most beautiful place in America from the standpoint of comfort, and I am sure it will have all the
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H. C. Frick, Esq., 29.7.13.
3.
feeling of a home. You ought to derive a very great amount of pleasure in gradually pulling it together by the acquisition of beautiful works of art.
I send you an article by Sir Claude Phillips on our exhibition, which we closed Saturday last. It seems to have been greatly admired.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
C. S. Carstairs
Enc.
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