Letter to Samuel P. Avery with a drawing of a military figure

Written in black ink by the artist below the drawing: "Cher Monsieur Avery voici un méchant croquis d'un des figures de mon bon tableau, Le Renseignement que vous avez tiré d'Allemagne pour mon ami Mr. Vanderbilt. J'aurais voulu le faire meillieur, mais tel qu'il est je le laisse dans votre livre un souvenir du plaisir que j'ai eu d'avoir le tableau [...] le savoir entre les mains d'un amateur aussi distingué. / à vous bien cordialement / 1880 21 Juillet Meissonier"

Translation: "Dear Mr. Avery here is a rough sketch of one of the figures in my beloved picture 'Le Renseignement', which you took from Germany for my friend Mr. Vanderbilt. I would have liked to have done it better, but such as it is, I leave it in your book as a souvenir of my pleasure in having seen the picture again, and of knowing it is in the hands of so distinguished an amateur, very cordially yours, 1880 21 July Meissonier"

This letter was reproduced in The Century Magazine in 1897 (p. 234) in an article recounting the return of Meissonier's "Le Renseignement" to France from Dresden. Meissonier painted "Le Renseignement", which portrays Marshal Saxe accompanied by troops of soldiers interrogating a peasant, for the 1867 Exposition. The painting was purchased at the Exposition by French art dealer Georges Petit (1856–1920) from whom William T. Walters of Baltimore attempted to buy the work, but was outbid by a German banker living in Paris, Mr. M. Mayer. At the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war in 1870, Mayer fled Paris, bringing the painting with him to Dresden, where it remained until Mr. Vanderbilt bought the work back with the help of Samuel P. Avery. Petit had tried without success to purchase the work back, as Meissonier was upset to see it leave France. Avery visited the painting numerous times in Mayer's home in Dresden. While Meissonier was completing a portrait of Vanderbilt, Avery and Vanderbilt decided to make another attempt to purchase the work back for the artist. Avery wrote to Mayer, specifying that it was a friend who wished to buy the painting, assuring the collector that it would be for the friend to keep, not to buy and sell. Mayer, according to Avery, agreed explaining that at his old age (then 80 years old) he should think of his heirs and their inheritance. Avery telegraphed Vanderbilt and he quickly purchased the painting which was received by post directly to Avery's hotel room. Avery and Vanderbilt surprised Meissonier with the canvas upon his completion of Vanderbilt's portrait. According to Avery, he exclaimed "mon bon tableau! mon bon tableau!" and fell to his knees with joy.