PAUL DELVAUX, AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ("PAUL"), TO ALEX [SALKIN?], 1 MAY 1948, WITH A DRAWING OF A LADY

in French, apologising for his late response, expressing his regret about the end of their contract for a commission of paintings but understanding his decision given the current circumstances ("...Mais je comprends votre decision, car la situation est actuellement tres mauvaise et les affaires sont a peu pres nulls...") and the bans of US customs, mentioning their mutual friend Claude [Spaak] and a commission for the décor for a ballet by Roland Petit which he had won following his exhibition in Paris 2 pages (273 x 212mm.), including a large drawing in ink of a young lady on verso, Brussels, 1 May 1948

Alex Salkin, Modern Painting in Belgium (New York, 1948); Jean Genet, Performance and Politics (Basingstoke and New York, 2006)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Alex Salkin, the presumed recipient of the letter, was a Belgian lawyer and art collector who promoted Belgian art upon his emigration to the United States in 1940. In 1948 he published the pamphlet Modern Painting in Belgium in which he called Delvaux "a great visionary" (p. 62), "whose real worth must inevitably find worldwide recognition" (p. 59). Claude Spaak was a leading member of the artistic scene in Brussels and it was through his auspices that Paul Delvaux became acquainted with the predominant artistic trends of the 1920s and 1930s and in particular the Surrealist art of René Magritte which eventually impressed him greatly. Delvaux developed the set design for the ballet Madame Miroir which premiered in May 1948 at the Théâtre Marigny, with choreography by Janine Charrat and Roland Petit in a leading role. "In its first production... the staging and performance... reveals a clear debt to the Parisian ballet tradition, and in particular to the Surrealist ballets developed by Cocteau with Diaghilev and Nijinsky" (Genet, p. 61).