Letter from Henri Matisse, Nice, to Paul Rosenberg, 1940 January 20 : autograph manuscript signed.

He's been waiting for a month for a visit from Madame [Marguerite] Duthuit.Since she contacted his lawyer on December 20 to see him, she hasn't said a word and hasn't come. She did send him two letters informing that she was coming. He's lost patience, assuming that this cessation of the lawsuit has to do with unhappiness on Madame [Amélie] Matisse's part because Matisse requested the first choice of his works [in the sharing of them]. Counting on Rosenberg's devotion, and since he's Matisse's expert appraiser, he's asking him to convey to Madame Matisse his offer to abandon this first choice. He hopes that this offer will satisfy his wife, since she protested when Matisse was going to have the first choice. And this would also avoid appraisal of his works, which would be difficult because there are so many, as opposed to an appraisal of the works from the 19th century, which exist more or less in only single versions and cannot be evaluated in large groups like his works, but instead only one at a time. He's including a copy of the letter his lawyer received and which both he and Matisse don't understand. Matisse and his lawyer have had no news since October except that his wife wanted the final judgment for January and Mme Duthuit was supposed to come at the beginning of December. Then the date was put off to December 20. He says that Rosenberg should read the letter: he has no knowledge that [a lawyer] named Bellier came to Nice or in what capacity. Matisse says that in Nice, there is only a Greek torso and some bronzes by him, a copy of which is in Paris [of the Greek torso]. The furniture can be shared. Why is this Bellier coming to Nice, and why was he or his lawyer not informed? He says the tone of the letter he has sent Rosenberg is forcing him to take back his offer, which Rosenberg had made for him. That's what his lawyer advises, although it seemed so simple to him to share his paintings half to his wife and half to himself and other works in the same way. He says, though, that Rosenberg did not think this was a good idea because Rosenberg foresaw all sorts of complications from the point of view of the stability of the market. He says whatever happens, his wife will always feel that she's been robbed. However, he'd like to be done with the whole matter, and since his offer inspired mistrust, he wants to take it back. He apologizes for the action Rosenberg has taken with Madame Duthuit and which turned out so badly. (in postscript) He adds that he hasn't sold any buildings but did sell what he had a right to, having consulted a notary first. He has given paintings that he has the right to to no one but Rosenberg. These works (except the small painting of 2 women) were painted before the subpoena, so they belong to him.