1945 Letter from Art Collector Samuel Courtauld to Artist and Rabbi Frederick Solomonski Regarding the Piece "In the Forest"

On offer is a typed letter, signed by Samuel Courtauld (1876-1947), written to Fredrick "Fritz" Solomonski (1899-1980).

This letter is dated July 16, 1945 on 12 North Audley Street, W1 (London) letterhead. Addressed to Mr. Solomonski, Courtauld writes to Solomonski requesting the delivery of a painting of the artist's which he has purchased titled "In the Forest" Courtauld asks that the painting be delivered to his address following the closure of Solomonski's exhibition and states he will send a cheque to Solomonski "in due course". Courtauld signs the letter in ink.

BIO NOTES:

Fritz (Fredrick) Solomonski, a German refugee, living and exhibiting in Britian. Refers to the potential viewing of Solomonski’s work “In the Forest”. Very Good condition. Dr. Frederick K. “Fritz” Solomon (née Solomonski) (1899-1980), painter, was born in Berlin, Germany in 1899. In 1938, when the synagogue he was serving at was torched by Nazis and he was subsequently summoned by the Gestapo, he left Germany with his wife, Margot, and emigrated to England. Solomonski was interned in the Isle of Man in Hutchinson Square camp in the early 1940’s as a prisoner of war along with many other artists.

Samuel Courtauld was an English industrialist (great-nephew of textile magnate Samuel Courtauld) who is best remembered as an art collector. He founded the Courtauld Institute of Art in London in 1932 and, after a series of gifts during the 1930s, bequeathed his collection to it upon his death. By the early 20th century, the Courtauld family business had become a major international company, having successfully developed and marketed rayon, an artificial fibre and inexpensive silk substitute. Samuel Courtauld took charge of the firm from 1908 as general manager and as chairman from 1921 to 1946.

The letter measures 4-1/2 x 7 inches and is a typed signed note.