Philippe Reibelt to Thomas Jefferson, 7 July 1805
From Philippe Reibelt
Baltimore le 7 Juill. 1805.
Monsieur le President!
Venant d’apprendre qu’on est a renouveller l’Ameublement du Palais Presidential—j’ose Vous prier, d’y recevoir de mon Magazin (parceque çe seroit la meilleure exhibition) quelques echantillons d’une nouvelle invention d’un peintre çelebre a Bâsle, de copier les principaux Ouvrages des Anciens d’une manière aussi parfaite, qu’il est même aux Connaisseurs difficile, de distinguer ces Copies de leurs Originaux. Je Vous en recomanderais 4 paires, dont les originaux sont de Van Berghem, C. Lorrain, Loutherbourg, Dujardin et Both (le Sujet Commune desquels est la Matinèe et la Soirèe) qui se vendent en Europe a 250 Gourdes ensemble, et l’encadrement desquels, executè ici, revient tout près a 80 Gourdes. Je Vous les enverrais d’abord a l’examen prealable, et si Vous les jugez dignes de la reception, Vous choisirez, si elles ne Vous conviennent pas toutes, çelles auxquelles Vous donnerez la preference, et Vous en fixerez le prix Vous même.—Daignez entrevoir, que mon but principal est l’exhibition favorable au debit ulterieur.
Mr. Du Catel, duquel je Vous ai deja parlè a l’occasion du petit Mais, desire fortement de pouvoir Vous presenter ses hommages personellement a Federal City;—m’ayant invitè, de l’y accompagner—Je Vous en demande la permission pour lui et pour Moi.
Veuillez agreer mes tout profonds respects.
Reibelt.
Editors’ Translation
Baltimore, 7 July 1805
Mister President!
Having just learned that the presidential palace is about to be renovated, I dare beg you to accept some samples from my store, since this is the best way to display them. They are a new design from a famous Basel painter who copies the principal classical works so perfectly that even experts have trouble distinguishing the copies from the originals. I recommend four pairs, whose originals are by Berghem, Claude Lorrain, Loutherbourg, Dujardin, and Both. Their common theme is morning and evening. The set sells for $250 in Europe while the framing, done here, comes to about $80. I could send them for your examination, and if you found them acceptable you could decide. If all were not suitable, you could select the ones you preferred and set the price yourself. Please understand that my principal goal is to show them to you in view of a later delivery.
Mr. Ducatel, whom I have previously mentioned in reference to corn, would very much like to present his regards in person in the federal city. He invited me to accompany him, and I ask your permission for both of us.
Please accept my deepest respect.
Reibelt.
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 8 July and so recorded in SJL.
peintre çelebre a Bâsle: possibly Peter Birmann, a Basel-based landscape artist who also worked as an art dealer and publisher (Jane Turner, ed., The Dictionary of Art, 34 vols. [New York, 1996], 4:84).