UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

System Number: 05493
Date: [10/20 March 1888]^[1]
Author: JW
Place: London
Recipient: Octave Maus^[2]
Place: [Brussels]
Repository: Glasgow University Library
Call Number: MS Whistler S138
Document Type: ALS

'Whistler^[3]
Oct. Maus'

[logo with crowned lion:] R. B. A.
THE / ROYAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH ARTISTS.

SUFFOLK STREET, PALL MALL,
LONDON

188__

Il y a fatalité mon cher Maus! -

mais rien ne m'arrive de Bruxelles, depuis votre aimable lettre^[4]! -

Ni Catalogue^[5]! ni journaux - ni conte rendu! - rien -

Le petit extrait de l'Independence Belge^[6] est tout ce que j'ai vu -

J'aurais bien été vous voir mais [p. 2] le terrible temps qu'il a fait tout cet hiver rendait tout espèce de voyage ridicule! -

Nous nous rencontrons j'espère à Paris bientôt -

Mes compliments à tous ces Messieurs -
Always sincerely

[butterfly signature]

This document is protected by copyright.

Translation:

There is fate my dear Maus! -

but nothing arrives to me from Brussels, since your pleasant letter! -

Neither Catalogue! nor newspapers - nor report! - nothing -

The small extract of l'Independence Belge is all that I have seen -

I would have indeed been to see you but [ p 2 ] the terrible weather there has been all this winter has made any kind of journey ridiculous! -

We meet I hope in Paris soon -

My compliments to all these Messrs -.

Notes:

1.  [10/20 March 1888]
Dated from O. Maus to JW, #05495 and JW to O. Maus, #05494.

2.  Octave Maus
Octave Maus (1856-1919), advocate, writer and art critic [more]. This relates to the [Exhibition], Société des XX (Vingts), Brussels, 1888, to which JW sent eight works. They included Arrangement in Black and Brown: The Fur Jacket (YMSM 181), Nocturne: Black and Gold - The Fire Wheel (YMSM 169), and St.James's Place, Houndsditch (K.290). See related letters from O. Maus to JW, #05491, and JW to O. Maus, #09243; and other correspondence dating from January and February 1888, JW to O. Maus, #09237, #09242, #09243, #05493 and Maus to JW, #05489, #05490).

3.  'Whistler ... Oct. Maus'
Written in another hand in the upper left-hand corner of the sheet.

4.  lettre
Possibly O. Maus to JW, #05491.

5.  Catalogue
A reference to the catalogue of the Brussels exhibition. All the artists were asked to design the page on which their entries appeared. A facsimile of this appeared in the catalogue.

6.  l'Independence Belge
Belgian newspaper. The extract is untraced.