WILDE, OSCAR. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED TO VIOLET FANE. ND.

Autograph letter signed ("Oscar Wilde"), 4pp, bifolium (6 3/8 x 4 7/8 in.; 162 x 126 mm) on his Tite St. letterhead, London, nd, to Violet Fane; horizontal crease; minimal wear.

Condition as described in catalogue entry.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In praise of Violet Fane. In this undated letter, Wilde writes to author and literary celebrity Violet Fane (pseud. of Lady Mary Montgomerie Currie, 1843–1905). "I am so glad you like my little notice of your book. It is quite one of the best novels I have read for sometime. You must now write a little prose comedy in one act, (not for acting) — no one could do it better than yourself. Let it be this: a very pretty woman writes a successful novel. This alarms her admirers who seek refuge in those who are peacefully brainless: the authoress is left to the mercy of the dull, the well-informed, the publishers, the intellectual and the ugly: she regrets her novel. All this to pass at a rout. How well you could do this. It needs your brilliant touch," Not in Complete Letters and presumably unpublished.