Sauniere came to Paris to buy a copy of Bergers d'Arcadie.

In the infamous BBC TV documentary/programme History of a Mystery [1996] the filmmakers claimed to have contacted the Louvre Museum for information/proof as to whether Sauniere went to Paris to buy a copy of Bergers d'Arcadie. They reported in the documentary that 'in fact the Louvre does keep records of reproductions they sold, and these show that the Museum sold no copies of the Poussin until 1901'. Ten years too late they exclaim! Over the audio in the film they show a letter [albeit not that clear] which I presume is the letter they received from the Louvre.  

I translated the text as much as I could despite the difficulties and came up with this;

"Thank you for your letter of 24th May, regarding purchases of reproductions by Abbe Sauniere. 

At the time, there were no catalogues of this type at the Museum [or 'there were no detailed documents of this type at the time - showing sales of this type at the Museum' or 'There were no detailed sales records of this type at the time']. 

We simply note that there was an engraving in the catalogue [macrography?] in 1901 by Lamotte'[or 'We simply quote from the 1901 chalcography catalogue an engraving by Lamotte of Bergers d'Arcadie after Poussin']. 

I did not find in the catalogues of this school any mention of the other two works that you cite".

[If anyone can translate better please do let me know!]

It is clear from the Louvre reply that the Museum is saying that no sales catalogues [or for that matter any other catalogues] were available at this time simply because the Museum did not have them or make records at this time. This calls in to question the statement by the filmmakers, if I have translated right, because there were no records so how can the filmmakers state that these show that the Museum sold no copies of the Poussin until 1901. 

Not only therefore can the Museum not say whether a Poussin print was sold or not [because they did not keep these kinds of records at the time of Sauniere] the Museum appears also quite clear in their second part of the letter that they have in a catalogue the mention of an engraving listed in a catalogue of 1901 after the Poussin painting.

This is very different from the BBC documentary which suggest a copy of the painting was sold in 1901 when they only appear to refer to an engraving in their record, not even the sale of it. 

The Louvre Museum details this engraver as Alphonse Lamotte - and his engraving of Poussin's Bergers d'Arcadie was a work acquired by commission from the artist in 1889 and deposited at the Chalcographie du Louvre since November 9, 1895.

I merely post this to 

1] ask how we can believe the documentary if they take liberties such as this? &

2] read in conjunction with THIS. 

I would also like to add the following;

1] I personally dont care whether Sauniere went to Paris or not. For me it is irrelevant.

2] One gets a much better perspective and all the answers when you read the magnificent work by Simon Miles, the Map and the Manuscript. 

Above - the letter shown in History of a Mystery about Sauniere's painting trip. If anyone can supply a more accurate translation I would be grateful. 

Above - the letterhead of said letter. 

Above - the History of a Mystery, the BBC documentary setting out to demolish Andrews and Schellenberger. 

See here for the information on LAMOTTE held at the Louvre.