The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-09
PICTURE BUYING IN PARIS.
the LAURENT men Urn rOLLECTTON IT
THE HOIEL or THE HUE DROUOT.


PARIS, May ~. Going going. grncl from
the Hotel IL the Rue prouot. ~ gss "5D frames
the 22l pictures Of the last Laurent Ia IrharI col-
lection. The gongs went on through the altor-
moons OF last Thursday. Friday. aud Saturday.
They were tho great ittc days Of this season at
the Hotel. The knockings down. considering the
Intrinsic value of the canvascs brought to the
hammer. those afternoons, were ut moderate
rntcs; though you are To keep In mind TINT
when YOU. purchaser. having had work OF art
or other object knocked kown 1T your bidding
for say 10000 francs. 20 20 take up that OH
jcct and carry 1t away. it is weighted with an
additional lvo per cent. This is one Of the hu-
mors OF the Hotel. Slightly pcccant. but inge-
NOUS. this five per cent. on for cash. All sales
there are for cash. 1t IL such Il triilc in COM
parison with the main sum taken out Of you in
tho moment OF your triumph at having won the
piece you had set your collectors heart on and
which you won so cheaply-rca.ly gut it, you
may say. five per cent less than you pay for it
aud II amounts to over million in the course
OF tho year. 1t is the pour boi,e Of the ancient
md honorable company Of Paris auctionecrs.
which is choice company "a quito select society
almost select and hard t. gct into as your
best in New York that. say. OF the blue Lloodod
Astors and Livingstons" themselves
AwOrd about the Hotel of the Rue Drouot may
bc in placc here. Henri Rochcfort while yet Il
fregucntcr OF It's halls and only wit. wrote a
book. now grown rare. on its mysteries.
Champneury. the cx-novclist and general it,
teraieur. also an habitu6 Of it's rooms-as
intensely interesting 90 the true coNe,i,0nci0.
~ were whilom those OF nelghburing Frasrati
TO the fascinated ganester-Champhcury. too.
wrote u book ON the Hotel. Even the poor
penman Of this column did also shed ink on
tile same theme for the Household Words and
for once prominent American periodical some
years Gso, when he was slightly touched with
the collecting" passion. Which. to regard 1t
only IN the cthic aspect, is q commcndablc and
II not intrinsically, Il simultaneously virtuous
passion. for il takes up and entertains with in
nocent livelness various other passions that lie
rooted in our nature. and which. cultivated in
Wall street. at the green table or other gold
bearing regions. in the social or political field.
or even in the secret chambers OF the soul. do
bear evil fruits-ill-gotten gains. anJ worse
Losses. guilty Gilt. and glittering prizes Of am
biuon that are not golden. apples Of Sodomiser-
able bitterness.
LET me hang up in these brack cts the picture
OF ono happy day-from which learn all OF the
collectors iul iilled days md nights. He springs
from bed with nope immortal that this time he
will. he surely may. fall upon the picture en-
craving Raphael or postage s,amr-thc Eliot
Bible. broadside. Benvenuto. shoe-buckle or
what not. hat his collecting soul longs for
Here is the aleaiorY charm Of The gan4estrr's
life. The stormiest commissions in Pacific
stocks. the uueslonablest. biggest VI I'M
measurable 3onanzas. are no more efficient
charmers. He fnds il. and adds il 10
his cabinet Here IL. apart from qualification
OF the artistic sense, the msers exquisite
delight OF accumulation added 10 his pile. 10
say nothing of thai 81 which 80 much might be-
SAID aud II ieit. the high graiii ntlon quito
\ al fIN strtF
ness IN eNultlng view OF the Otncr fellow
collector vino has not found il. | speak Of
what know. Ii was three years ago last Ist
q April-bougl.t It for thirty i've frames and
Miikinson came up ten minutes aNcrward. 10
oe PRESIDENT ny an accident Tor ten times the
money would not haye So tckled me. And
meantime VIII inson and rest good friends an
tins same. which - uu advantage We have over
ths hvnuchiiY alhnll9us rival. Ana II Il" does
no, nnd ~ To-Day Almost AL the better. the
lnOieakauie BANK 81 none. always r"udy To
nvnVi hls ennlrs- ura.t On ms great deposit OF
iaith them through all tomorrow. Meantime
he secures al day the hunter 5. fishers miners
being. Il Is the always 10 be- b!est that is tho
blessing. And too, here In Paris ure ever open
Il ot s'n the warm high no'Di'"OIo halls Of the
/, Is situate one block back from the Boule-
ward DIES ltnlirns. still resting. through mIerial
and republican changes. the centre OF PARIS
the kues Drouot and Ils-ini sometime
IDLY designated - the addition OF either oi
nose streets names, inscribed IN It's front.
Hotel DIES Cqmmissdrcs Prlseurs as who
should say; House OF the Brethren 81 the
Red Flag. or OF tho Hammer. Curious.
this thrust through. knock-down hos
tie symbolism. appropriate and prevalent
through the ages 10 auction sales H. all Pa
rislans. especially To- all pdrisiHn collectors.
connolsseurs amateurs. dealers OF ana IN scc-
ohu-hnhd ana occnslonal artsucAn other iner-
ehandlse. thls high head central uuctIon.trIns
mart Is known and iamiliary designated as
The Hotel. las mot more Devoted sr.tAri.s
IN other lollowlngs say al Koran. the Bible. the
SSta r cr inere Is not a9oiher IN e?mIarson
place, The Hotel hath been eminent in France;
" late years hath become prominent even over
EUROPE, hs an art exchange ana place ~ sale
Tor sporadic specimens and large assemhlagcs
OF works OF art. In quite late years. am sorry.
and; seeing the nature OF the French law OF
libel, shy to say that the important art sales
are dlvisibe-have at least been divided 10y sus-
picious and more or less we'll advised on
lockers into two classes-ihose where the
pictures were sold honestly. aud tnose
where the pensive public were sold. For
Instance. there was. | recOllect II well,
the widely adS -rt.std edlioriHlly and otherwise
pulled. going OF of Monsieur y. US truly ad-
i@ry This was in ISL The prices '' ran htsh.
on an average for many OF the lndlsputbly
even 10 lovers 81 those masters. cNtrHvulunt
elpheis. Oddly enough, many OF these were
nittrMhfi 70 Do seen on sale at the rooms Of
dealer IN the Rue Blank. You - into H. IS shop.
an hdmlrcr OF. Tor rAHfAplc. Mlilrt (which means
you are from Boston, not N"~ YORK, in 1872,
anu admlrng, rs you We'll may needs must. Il
your culture IL up 10 it.n little CANVAS. al inn
print wan pnrr nl%h sentiment ana the last rini
OF technic sklil in expressing u. tine little bit 81
canvas l.. ~ the great Thought too dear al 5000
francs. You ask the current price ui the same;
You arc met with 40 900 francs pou7e. And
tnon, 10 calm yOdr protestant surprise, you are
SHOWN the nsure at which II was sold nj such
an auction such a dHy before Ii Is To- be
feared that the EalieW-owner, the Hrt-deHling
buyer. the auctonerr liii H. am the recorded
knolk-dOWA prlrc were, 10 IoHV LWnphiH says.
All IN concatcnHtion HrcorilugN All the
same. apropos OF that gem OF MiNet'S its lowest
market prire to-day would quite outgo 10000
irancs-ii that IS any comfort 10 the prudent
ana economic sense vi the distinguished Bys-
ton diluttun,e, I. Al
10 rrturn or finally come To the sale Of tho
last Laurent Richard collection. which, seem
70 think was what primarily nieant this letter
should be written about. And here. sccouIarlly.
Will remark that farther away than from
about II my pen hath not wandered hath kept
Iulte intimately rather within It's euyirons.
within which shall ba enclosed, not unity. u
word or two hereto the address Of the sand Lnu-
rent krhard. Primarily a man OF worth and
hthrss, and then tailor man hy profession and
proltubi" pratlcc, as the li!drd sigu oi HIM IN
itIEr lettla sil htt'tis anu may De read of M
MayhIcrs along the Boulevard dos ltuirns, VI.
Ilchart, having laid NJ good stock OF golden
.--s' thry ten me, sold As goose and rrurcd
ron NO board long ago. Fortune. who Is no
bhreW 10 III" shr"Wd, stlil kept by him n inc pur-