New-York tribune., 1875-05-15

Cheap-that is if genuine
At to-day's sale there greater crowd Of peo-
pie, a greater number of really admirable English
pictures, and degree of excitement which made
Christies rooms q dangerous place for people who
wentto buy, and who had not set themselves limit
for each picture. / must pass over many incidents
which deserve mention. Those who care for COM
plete record of the sale will doubtless find il in the
London papers of Monday, There were five Lin
nells-not including William OF j. T. Linnell The
Rustic Bridge, 1Sx23 in, sold at GOO guineas The
Midday Rest, 37x55 in., 1900 guineas-bought by
White whose exhibition of Linnells now open, de-
scribed some weeks ago; The Tramps, 2sx39 in.,
LOGO guineas; Journey to Emmaus, three figures,
22x31 ln., GO guineas Oxfordshire, 1sx25 in,
72O guineas. Mr.. Agnew bought three if not four of
the five BY c. D. Leslie there were three works all
fine; small replica of his Willow Willow, 1Ox1S
in, 22O guneas The Rendezvous, 43x29 in, 100
guineas; The Elopement, 47xS9 in., 1100
guineas. Mr.. Elmore's Katherine and Petru-
chic, 43i2x35 in, was started at 500
gulneas, and sold for the same sum. Precisely the
same fate befell j. T. Iinnelrs Opening the Gate,
29x44 ill.,, and a similar accident happened to Mr..
f. NJ. Wards Last Scene in the Life of Montrose,
5sx66 in which was sold to Mr.. Agnews single bid
of 500 guineas. He had just before bought The
Last Sleep of Argyle, by the same painter, al the
same price. Both these had been engraved, and
both think, repeated for different purchasers sew
era times over Peter Graham was represented by
two large landscapes the Hills, 44x7O in,
which was sold for 1850 guineas, and DER Moor
and Moss, in less familiar STYLE 44x7O n., which
was started at 1000 guineas and bought by Agnew
for 1850 Two Academy pictures by Calderon were
swept into the same net the Virgins Bower, 7Ox
As in, at $50, and Home After Victory 4SxS1 in
at 900 guineas. Both these went TO Mr. Agnew,
who shortly after acquired the same artists Qlnone
53x40, at go guineas. I. c. Hooks single picture
The Lobster Catcher, 29x42 IN, was bought by
Agnew for 1,410 guineas. Z. W. Cookies Scheer-
ington Trawer exhibited in the same year, 1868 at
the Academy, was allowed TO become NJ Colnaghi's
for $50 guneas.
You will note that all these are living men, but
with living men we have not yet begun to touch
high-water mark. We approach il with Alilais
three of whose large works We're sold. First, the
Swallow Flying from the Golden Woods, 40x20
in, commonplace in composition and in color dis
cOrdant that Millaiss name produced AT first only
reluctant bid of 400 guineas, which rose slowly to
1000, for which sum dr Agnew finally bought the
picture He has plenty Of customers in Manchester
and elsewhere who buy names, and who like to get
all the scarlet and purple and mauve they can for
their money. The next was more worthy of Milais
Jephthah, his well known Academy picture of 1867
the canvas crowded with figures, strongly and
sOberly painted. It was greeted with applause
when II was shown. Mr.. Agnew began with 1000
grGneas, aud bought it for 8, 500, after short and
spirited contest. Chill October, by the same
painter 55x73 in., one of the attractions of the
Academy in 1871, started likewise with bid of
1000 guineas from Mr. Agnew and passed to him at
3, 100. +. LeightOns Venetian Lady, 34x2J in. in
a wonderful brocade dress went for $50 guineas to
the same purchaser.
Then came one of the two chief sensations of the
sale-Frith's Before Dinner at Boswells Lodgings
3Sx63, with portraits of johnson, Gar1ick Colds
NTH, Reynolds and others. Mr. Woods made Us
little speech about the artistic and historical value
of the picture, and the pfopriety OF its being bought
by or for the National Gallery after which Mr..
Agnew began the bidding with hs oft-repeated
1000 guineas. 1t went by long jumps TO 5000, then
more slowly to 00O and was sold for 1850 guineas
10 Mr.. Agnew. II is stated, and believe truly, that
picture by living English artist had ever before
been sold for so much money at public auction.
Posterity will probably reflect with some ahazement
on the influences which have succeeded in associat-
ing such a fact as this with the name Of W. p Firth,
of the most prosaio of painters. ONeiPs Last
Moments of Ratfaelle which followed next, brought
1,0J0 gIineas the most Jealous efforts OF Mr..
Woods failing 10 carry it further. Two Faeds,
only herself, OOXOt anu II cOupdlllOu, n
Wee Bit Fractions. found different purchasers at
1850 and 300 guneas. -Four Old CrOmcs went at
low figures. One other, a large landscape, 71xj5
in., was distinguished from all the pictures of the
sale by having price put on it. This. the
auctOneer told me, because the authenticity OF
the picture had been questioned. 1t had even been
said that the living artist who painted It could be
named, but he on being applied to, declared he
had never touched il seen IL. To preventive PIC
ture discredted rs ii might be by al this gossip,
from being sacrificed and TO attest his own nm
shaken conviction Of its genuineness. Mr.. Mendel
had resolved not to let il 20 under the sum II cost
him. which was / go guineas and that bid was ac-
cordinglv made in his behalf. Ii appeared other
people were of not less faith, for it ran quickly
up and was sold for 800 to Mr BristOw. Doubt
fnl GainsbOrOugh fetched 460, so-called Reynolds
13O fine early Turner, View on the River Mas,
22x36 in. $500 guineas; a Landseer, The Deer
Family 54x3s in, 1900; and that brings us to the
last and greatest event of the sale.
One of the most lovely pictures in the world; one
of the finest examples of of the greatest fami-
lies who ever lived-ths and many other things may
be said of Turner's Grand Canal, Venice, 36x4S
inches. 1t must be known in America by Mlllers
engraving, if by chance a few good proofs have
found their way across But the picture itself ought,
as MI Wood said, to pass into public gallery where
the world might have chance 10 see ITS glories NO
Turner in the National Gallery surpasses II in color
The Fighting Temeraire itself can hardly have been
more brilliant before its decay. Turner painted the
Grand Canal for Mr. Munro at 800 guineas. II was
sold with the Monroe collection at Christes in 1850
for .. 400 grineas and afterward AT still higher
price passed into Mr.. Mcndefs hands When the ap-
plause which greeted its appearance had died away,
Mr. Agnew's voice heard with first bid of 1000
guneas. With scarcely seconds delay the bidding
was by 5OO's TO 1000 guineas Lord Dudley, who had
inst bought the Landseer, stopped at 5000, and at