Sir, - Thanks to you and Brian Fallon for the review on Willem de Kooning, whose death you announced (March 22nd). It may not be known in Dublin that de Kooning was a lifelong friend of the late Bernard Romein, Professor of Industrial Design at the National College of Art.
They were both natives of Rotterdam and were early members of de Stijl. They had a mutual friend in van Dongen, who was also a member of that group. I am aware that, after his departure to America, de Kooning maintained regular correspondence with his friend in Dublin until Romein's death. - Yours, etc.,
The Maltings Forty, Bray,
Co Wicklow.