Baltimore 19 December, 1957
I received your letter, my dear Hahn, and I beg you to excuse my long silence as I have been out of action for at least a month. I had a tumor of the bladder and underwent operations twice, with a ten-day interval, to be ridded of it! I know of nothing more odious than being in the hospital and added to this, I really suffered with a drain applied to the kidney - But all seems to be going well now.
I was very happy to receive your newspapers, it is all too rarely that I'm kept informed about the Medium and I believe it is quite right to make all this noise - Interest will end up by becoming awakened and there is a need to get away from abstractionism -
Bravo to have been able to obtain for yourself a secure position That matters, and to be able to paint, one has to have a minimum of peace of mind! I do hope all this will continue. Don't let yourself be influenced by differences of opinion concerning the Medium!!!
The only true Medium being that into which you pour the Mastic or the wax while the black oil is still hot - In this way the lead remains incorporated and it dries! In addition to this, onto the last coat of jellified weak glue of your preparations you must spread a coat of the Medium and allow it to dry well before painting - The Medium must be added to all your colours.
W paints with the Medium, the lead of which has been deposited! Why, when I wrote to him since September that it is essential the lead remains incorporated!?? I know this question better than anyone else and I know that one cannot transgress these facts! Why does each one destroy the Medium in order to make his own Medium?? All this won't go very far!! No further than will secret formulas!!! Don't you fret over this!
The canvasses of Velasquez are prepared similarly to those of Rubens and finished with a coat of his Medium - His Medium is like the Italian Medium but he uses vert-de-gris in place of the litharge -
But I am unable to obtain the true vert-de-gris now and therefore cannot make this Medium!! (See my book and ask W-perhaps you'll have more luck in France than I have here).
I am slowly getting back to work. I only weigh 115 American pounds and I have little strength...But I'11 recover!!!
I believe that I have discovered a new principle for the Medium... As soon as this is resolved the book will be complete and there will not be any further discussion possible.
On the 18th I gave a lecture to the painters of the University of Washington. Success! The next morning two of them came to my studio! They hadn't slept - all will go well...but I am obliged for the moment to go rather slowly...The movement is growing, beyond question I am glad that you are ending the year better than I am, Let us hope that 1958 will see the success of the Medium.
Very cordially yours,
J. Maroger