Letter from Paul Rosenberg, New York, to Jos Hessel, 1942 June 15 : carbon copy of a typescript.

Rosenberg is feeling calm and is hoping that the war will come to an end. He expresses his solidarity with the French people, as well as all Americans'. He speaks about two long paintings (probably by Vuillard) painted early in the painter's career (not "femme dans le jardin") for which Hessel has quoted a price. He has a potential buyer but cannot sell without Hessel's consent. He thinks that the prices for which paintings are being sold (in Paris) are out of line, and that the market for them is nonexistent. He says that the paintings in question will not disappear and will some day return to their real owner. Business is bad in New York.There is not the same spirit or level of interest in New York as in Europe, partly because taxes are so high that they leave people without enough money to purchase art. Rosenberg is living in his thoughts, doing some business but not much else. Rosenberg is not surprised by what Hessel told him about the sale of a Canonne. He is amused to see this painter associated with that of (Andre) Schoeller. He says that the number of art dealers seems to growing as quickly as the prices of their paintings.