[R. J. Burn [Rodney Joseph Burn], English painter.] Three Autograph Letters Signed and one unsigned, to ‘Mr Lawrence’, regarding his work, his studio and ‘Mr Daniel’ [Sir Augustus Moore Daniel], the new Director of the National Gallery.

After serving in the Great War, Burn (son of Sir Joseph Burn) studied at the Slade between 1918 and 1922, winning six prizes. After teaching in London at the Royal College, and in Boston, he offered his services to the war effort. After the war he went back to the Royal College, as a senior tutor. The four ot the items here are in fair condition, lightly worn and discoloured. Each is folded once for postage. Although only one is dated, the others appear to date from around the same time. ONE (‘Monday’): 1p, 4to. Unsigned. Arranging for Lawrence to visit his studio: ‘We will show you what we have got in the way of oil sketches but I rather doubt if there is any thing very suitable, however come and see.’ TWO (21 July [1928?]): 2pp, 12mo. He has written to ‘Guthrie’, to say that Lawrence is going to visit. ‘I will keep the sketch that I am working on for you at £10. I am sure it will be a masterpiece.’ In a postscript he announces that he is ‘going away to morrow with my Father for a week and I will tell him about your nephue [sic] then.’ THREE (10 September 1928): 2pp, 4to. He has finished working from Lawrence’s sketch and will be sending the painting. ‘You said at the N.E.A.C. when I saw you last that you would be interested to see the larger picture of the same subject’. He renews his invitation to the sudio, as it would be safer for Lawrence to ‘take the sketch away’. He has ‘got quite a number of new things’ to show Lawrence, and is ‘now the proud possessor of a morris Car’. Regarding the future Sir Augustus Moore Daniel (1866-1950) he writes: ‘What good news about Mr Daniel being made director of the National Gallery? We must all prepare lists of pictures to be taken from the walls & lists of pictures to take their places. I wrote to him with the suggestion but he replied that he had no intention of being a new broom.’ FOUR (5 February [1929?]): 2pp, 12mo. He begins by thanking him for the cheque for ten pounds. He did not go ‘to the sale of Marchants pictures’: ‘fortunately he had not got any of mine as I expect they would have gone for a penny or so’. He ends with news of his wife’s health. (Burn was married to the sculptor Dorothy Sharwood Smith.)