New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-28
ART IN ENGLAND.
SALE OF wATER-COLOR DRAWINGS.

Tnxnox. Aprn l3.-The third day Of the QMiter
sale OF wacrcolor drawings proved scarcely e'S IT,
mari. able than the first days. There was no'hnH
u il true To match the top pree oi me OoNoS' "''
thcTe were pent,' OF drawings sold at hsnroS tn"'
five wears ago would have been called fabulous D'S
of sonia Sketches by Luke ClonneH etcheh II l" ~
ouneas Apencil sketch by Gainsbofough' 9 IS 3D.
which seems cheap soon after came fred' iayl'Is
Tyening stroll c31 Others ofhis brought less prices
INT or living mon be is one Of the most fashion
oblc Iusc the word fashionable because fashion has
vast deal 10 do with the selling prices OF W"iAS q"
ali We're CoN's drawings intrnsically less beaHl'-
ful or valuable when he rcicced 30 get +JO iof Ieul
from a dealer than last week when they soil
for nifty times that sunni Why did FfanFmS MhIiot
die poor except that It took French conn"iN7e'us
tb;rtv wears to discover that be was great painter
In the last years Of his lie he was mgniy paul. p",
he was then burlcned with debit his studio crowded
with unfinished canyases promised years before al
rates which then ruled Constable, the father
Of fine best modern French andscapr-for ms genius
yasrs discovered France and his influence there
far greater than in his country-'hed Win
house full Of unsOld landscapes. He 1T was to whom
we owe that bitter but only too just, comment Cd
public taste: "My art 0attcrs nobody by imitation
il courts nobody by smoothneSs, hcklcS nobody by
pcttencss-it is without either fadc-l oIhddio-de-
dec; how then can hope to be popular y Inc
popular artists Of to-day contemplating i'IBe
balances at their bankers may thank their s'ars that
they come in for some Of the benefit which over
flows upon them from the mOneyed popularity OF
their dead brethren. | know Of one amateur IN
IonloD a man of large wealth, who took it into his
head some thirty years ago to lay out $4,000 III
pictures He bought directly from the cascls Of the
living English artists then best known. In no case
did NE pay moro than 800 for any ono picture;
often not more than $50 for important works Not
long since a dealer, looking through his gallery,
offered him 10000 for any six of the pictures on one
wall Of It, and ne accepted the Offer; sensible man
that he was But lei the iudciOus amateur visit the
studios of the artists most famous and Try to
pick up paintings at elO0 apiece. He may think
himself happy if he can lay hands on Kit-cat by
Hook at CT 900 or a portrait by Milllis at 2OOO
cnincas. At which prices the most respectful
admrer of cotcmpOrary talent may doubt whether
his purchases would prove rcmuneratiye invest
ments-thiTy years hence. II he has commercial
views Of art, he must know something more IMAM
what is fashionable now. He must venture TO Try
the work of men who are yet unknown but IN whom
he thinks be can detect the spark of genius by and
by 10 flame ont into brilliant renown. No doubt
there are such men, but in his search among the
three OIL four thousand competitors for place In the
Academy Exhibition Of this year, ho viii find CON
aiderable opportunities Of going astray.
James Holland was another man whom the art
public long refused TO recognize The works OF lns
most sought for since his death in 1870 are per
haps his views of Venice, but on Saturday draw
ing Of roses by him brought f2SS. Two figure
pieces by Sir John Gilbert sold well-the Duke OF
Gloucester and the Murderers being run mp to 800,
and To BE OF Not To BE, Gl3O. r. w. TOpLains
Little Nelly in The Churchyari went az f325, while
five BoningtOns OF thom in scpia, ana none
larger than 6xS sold at from f2G to 911O. The De
Wins were the first real sensation of the day. His
Farmyard and Buildings, 14X1S, brought 95O4. Lii
was reoontly sold in the same rooms for $50. Ian
esstes, 9~ao went upt~ 1850; >outhali Motifs Same
size. e. 49,. These two were part of a set Of six
painted on Mr. Vokin's commission at So guineas
each very shortly before De Winfs DEATH and when,
ifeysr. he may be supposed to have been able 81
command good prices. r. +. Poole's Peasant Girl.
2Oxl4. brought E577; Rustic Worker and Child,
same size f52J; prices whchhis fellow L. 4, j. L.
Lewis formerly President of the Water Color so
cety far exceeded. Lewiss School at Cairo. 14x20,
generally considered. we are told, masterpiece Of
this artist was put up at 500 guineas-Agnewsb bid,
with whom Mr.. AddingtOn. well-knOwn amateur,
contested 1t up to zoo guineas, when MIR. Agnew
retired and another dealer, Mr. Eley, went into and
finally carried Off the picture at Gl239. Is cost Mr..
Quilter 400 guncas. Lium Auratum bought at
the same price by Mr.. Quilter went to Mr.. Elcy at
f1.O6O The Prayer of Faith shall Heal the Sick,
for which Mr.. Quiller paid c1,o50, produced the
E1.l7G to Mr.. VOkins. The total of the days sale
was 91G42O and tho three days together amounted
to f7l.O0O.
Asa whole tho prices obtained Of this sale were
far in advance of any previous figures. But was
wrong in saying in my last letter that the $3.50
for Cox exceeded the highest price given hereto
fore for o Turner. Marlborough Castle by Turner
in tho elliott sale fetched f3 307; two Others Of
his very best works. Heidelberg and Ehrenbretstein,
bringing each 60, 1872. ] dare say obliging
critic will already have the correction for
Upon the whole collection Ar. Quilter is said to
have realized profit of 300 per cent and draw
ing sold for fifty five times Is cost This is the
moro remarkable as Mr. Cutters gallery was
formed in comparatively recent times, and some Of
his pulchaseSas may be inferred from the cost prices
mentioned above. were very recent indeed. His
name, like Mr. Gllotts. and many another, will 81
down 10 a long pOsteTity of picture dealers and
buyers linked inseparably with Of the great
est names in art, and with some Of their greatest
works. not so much because he fortunate
enough to possess them, bot because they passed
from his possession at such extraordinary prices.
There remains only the question how long works Of
AIT on such pershablc substance as paper can be
expected to survive.
Al interesting episode IS supplied by Lord Charles
Thynne's letter 10 the papers respecting DE Nlnts
Farmyard aud Buildings This drawing. says Lord
Charles, was in his possession from 1880 until he
sold il at Christio's in 1873. The sky had then
almost persisted, but has since been entirely re-
painted and the whole Of the picture has been
touched up and frcshened. This is pleasing for
the purchaser the so. bo paid EJ03 for the
which in ifs OpuuiDe tate urOduced ONLY