Ca. 1912

Mandag.
Bakkegaarden
Bistrup
Birkerød

Kære Hr. Willumsen,
Da jeg forleden kom hjem fra en Udlandsrejse fandt jeg paa mit Bord et Brev fra The Burlington Magazines Redaktion med Forespørgsel om jeg kendte Deres Billede og hvilken min Mening i saa Fald var, idet Redaktionen, efter Fotografiet at dømme, næppe kunde slutte sig til el Greco Theorien. Jeg var ked over Henvendelsen, men fandt, at

det var min Pligt at svare – ligeledes forekom det mig at være rigtigst ikke at hemmeligholde dette Svar – hvad Redaktionen tilbød sig. Jeg sender Dem derfor en Afskrift af mit Brev, som jeg beder Dem om ved Lejlighed at vise Docent P. Johansen.
Mange venlige Hilsener til Dem og Deres Frue fra Asta og Deres hngivne
Mario Krohn

Dear Sir,
With reference to your letter of july 18^th, I hope you will excuse my not having answered it before, as I have been abroad for the last month
I saw the picture you mention a few months ago and am of the opinion that it cannot be ascribed to el Greco. I suggest that it is more probably from the hand of some Italian painter, who has been under the influence of the Roman and Venetian schools.
Its colouring does not remind me of the splendid blues and greens of those of el Grecos early masterpieces

which I have studied (London, Vienna etc.) – you can yourself judge of the drawing from the photographs you have received.
But I should like to call your attention to the fact that I have unfortunately never been in Spain and can therefore not be considered at all an authority on el Grecos pictures. So far as I know real authorities on the subject who have seen the photographs have definitely pronounced that it is due to el Greco. I have previously given my opinion in this matter to Herr Willumsen and Johansen who are personally known to me; and I shall

also inform them of the contents of this letter. At the same time I must thank you for your kind offer to keep the matter confidential which under the circumstances does not seem necessary.
Will you please give my best compliments to Roger E. Fry of whom I have often heard through our common friends Professor Lirén and Dr. Borenius but whom I have never got had the pleasure of meeting
Yours faithfully
Mario Krohn.