New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-09
LONDON GOSSIP.
AN ENGLIsHMAN's NOTES ON ENGLISH
TOPICS,
lrnoM An OCCASIONAL ooEnEsrospEsro THE TRIsUNIE.l


poniment the ducal vendor. His friends and gossips
wen the legion Of arcraEy folks had talked mp inc
value OF the collection until one was deafened win nom
sensical prophecies The balloon was rudey pierced
when the great Ruhens. Daniel IN the Lions Den,'
went for less than 5000 guneas 1t was said at one
time that IL would fetch 10000 and severe potea
communist was grooming TO beforehand over the pre-
sumed intended atrocty OF devoting so much pubic
money 10 its purchase for the National Gallery but
when IL came il did, betting the price the pic
ture would fetch. the bodcst bettors did nos TAX OF
more than $4,000 R12,0OO. and many q" ponies
were betted that it did not fetch 10000 5000. 5000
and 900 guineas Below 5000 the bears" or betOrs
in the short" interest, would not 90; but al won
with q lot in hand" similar hasco occurred in the
case Of the Marie Antonette furniture The Duke oil
Hamilton expected as much as 100000 for the table
alone, the being that somebody had told MIN the
story OF the marvellous Marie Anoinete cabinet inaid
with plaques OF the finest Old sevres pate endre which,
after being valued for probate at $1,000 fetched after
dozen years 10000. Bus the Duke forgot that ola
Sevres entered into the composition OF the cannet aOre
said and a of three chimney ornaments of rose
Dubarry fetched 10000 guineas at Chnste's Inc
beautiful Riesener work only marqueterie OF the best
kind, with ormou mounts by Gouthiere, whose finest
work in this country is the private apartments In
Windsor Castle So the three Marie Antoinette articles
did not fetch $4,000 guiness between them, or only
treequarters the price expected for Yet every
body thinks the prices extrayaganty high. The Duke
himself knows nothing OF such matters and perhaps be-
eves what he is told. The estimate OF million for the
total including the library has now sunk to half that
amount and people shrug their shoulders at the pictures
by the old masters
The truth is that owing 10 the raak Of their owner
the historic associations Of Hamilton Palace and other
Things the pictures have become, as eminent
toner once wrote about that had been brcked
up in cellar Invested with romantic interest," But
a picture which looks well the walls Of an historic
palace does appear equal advantage in an auction
ROOM There is very little sale for religious subjects
unless they are genuine masterpieces OF the painter and
almost the same may be said Of NEUROLOGICAL subjects
some time ago asked smart dealer in old masters
what was intended in picture representing one nude
man deprving her of his last and closest covering
t. wit his skin Sir" said the that depends on
the taste fancy Of the purchaser II he apens 10
be rcI gous gent he call it The MartyTdom OF lint
Bartholomew. but II so be he is friend Of Mr. swim
burue and goes in the noble, the nude and han
tique It viii do Just well Tor Apollo and Marsyas
TINS man made a false quantity in pronouncing MaTsyas
but he will get on IN the world nevertheless
The high price OF modern has tOed the knoll
OF old ones except when the specimen happens 10 be
very well preserved and very fue in it, H. Among
really fine pictures in the country houses Of ENGLAND
il an enormous amount rubbish collected by the ances
tors the present generation when they made what was
called the grant tour" some OF nv own GrandiatheTs
collecting fetched the hammer little o. ten per cent
Of The price originally paid The fact that the
objects Of pictorial decoration have changed, and thai
except few fanatics nobody for 81. Lawrence
on The gridron, BarthOlo new when half hayed
alive No doubt such pictures reoieed the soul Of the
Duke o. Ava ana persons Of ms type but now the only
old whose work etches fabulous prices Greuze
The sweety innocent face Of his especially dePrayed
wife paint ed by the dong artist always bri e its thou
sands sterling in Paris London. or the modern
masters MeissOnner, Mllas and Munkacsy, OF the hv
ing bring a. good price Landseer and Millet among
the dead Az pointed some time ago, all but the
finest specimens fetch prices than they did haf
a dozea years ago The reason Is simply that fairly
good art il plentiful and grows more abundant every
day Twenfy<y enrs ago, ready money was greatly in
excess OF art Production but thu balance has been at
least partially redressed
Artistic folk have been complaining, for the last three
sv of the narrow space of the Court OF Exchequer IN
which Baron Hudileton has been trying the case OF al
legged libel AGAINST Mr. Belt, the sculptor Long reports
VIII come by this mail OF extremely interesting trial,
not only from its intrinsic but its relative value as
showing the way in which the art Of sculpture is re-
cardel The alleged libel was published IN EdHdy FGr
and was written, It seems, by Mr. Lawes brother
scaipor OF Mr. Belts and maintained that Mr. Belt was
not uptor at all, but mere uadeSnan who passed
himself of OF an artist AMI OYei others WAC were
really artists TO him. To understand thor
ouhly low difficult il repel such accusation
one must know how the art Of sculpture s carried
The majority Of scuptOrs do not claim 10 the
se themselves. but only 10 make the clay model from
.vhie
toned II Is not pretended that they
ever touch the marbe-the idea the master-h nj
gives the finishing touches being purely popular and
ike many other popular beliefs and traditions erro
neous Painters laugh at sculpture art. alleging
that 1t is process OF manufacture which is i'm
be to tell where the master leaves of and the be
gins and must confess that from my own knowledge
/ am inclined 10 agree With the painters. l have the
run Of every studio worth seeing, and while often
the painters paint very rarely the chief scuiptors
model There are always several hgh-cllss wOrkme1
about VINO are alleged TO be helping ia building up
score IN preparing for castings and other mechanical
operations But have seen these men, who paid
~ or per week. hard at work modelling busts in
clav lam not iusnuatng mat the sculptor who signs
the work could not DO this himself This would BE- ab
snrd a. tir Boehm T. A. il famous as mOdeler from
the life and actually took his clay down to Lord Rose
bery's place, Dalmeny, in order to model
bust Of Mr.. Gladstone wmle lie
STAYING there. Mr.. Birch ard Mr. Thorhey
croft may also be seen work modelling rom The life
al any time the other hand it IS said openly that
Lord Ronald Covers sculpture done entirely BY his
Italian WOrkmen, and that Count Gleich r. the queens
nephew has very clever German assistant To a GER
tain extent this assistance is Ayowedthe real secret
that between the horse aud his rider, being between
master aud servant The question: in whom is the ar
tstlc mind il that issue between Mr.. Belt and
ms detractos. who alege that he is mere workman,
ho by his own impu and the Influence OF friends,
has been enabled TO sculptor and acquire CON
siderable reputation
MR.. Cayendish Bentinok and other ladies OF great
social influence have endeavored to excite sympathy for
Mr. Belt Oh the ground that be young and setaught
man. struggling against every kind of prejudice. These
lady advocates 20 a great deal too far Whatever may
be thought of the aristocratc prudces OF English so
cety 1t is perfectly liberal and democratic
in one respect-it never inquiries into the
pedigree OF an artist when his work ap-
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