Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-04-11
ART NOTES.

Toby Rosenthal's "Elaine," which has been
| owned In San Francisco for number OF years
past has been bought by New Yorker. for
$4,000, and is to be brought east Its cost To
| It's late owner was $1,000.
The Trustees of Cornell University have de-
cided TO place in that institution a statue in
marble of Mr.. Ezra Cornell, its founder. The
work Is to be executed by Mr.. W W. Story, the
American sculptor residing in Rome.
Mr.. David Neal the popular American
artist SO long resident IN Munich. is now tenn
porarily occupying a studio I'm New York,
Where he Is engaged on a portrait Of Mrs.
whitney, wife of the Secretary Of the Navy.
- Mr.. Abram Frey has recently finished a
very attractive portrait in crayon OF Mrs. Judge
RiNford. The subject is an excellent one for the
pencil of an artist, ard the likeness is pro-
| the original.
| - Mr.. W. V. Birney has recently sold one OF
| his paintings entitled 1.-The Num-" Ia a clergy
man OF the Episcopal church, for S150. Ii rep
resentS Its subject holding PRAYER book, but
CHANGING upward with a somewhat arch look,
ana Is a very pleasing work.
| The following named Washington artists
are represented in the present exhibition of the
National Academy of Design: f. +. Andrews
f frank q; Doubleday A g. Heaton, VIM; Ma
ana Heaton are each represented by three can
vases.
| - Mrs. Fassett's fine and attractive painting
| 'The Electoral Commission" is still on exhibi-
:ton at Brulatour & Dyers-the old Barrow Gal
! lery,-where it attracts much attention. and
ELECTS many favorable comments. II is a work
| OF both interest and merit, and there can be
bought by the government il ii portrayed "A
more popular event in the history OF our poiiti-
| cal affairs.
- Mr.. Harper Pennington. OF Baltimore who
exhibited couple OF rather bizarre and
Japanesque looking portraits in the Corcoran
n
| quite hit with certain set in London, where
he is now located. AT last accounts he was at
work on portraits of Mrs. CORVALLIS West Oscar
Wilde ana others. and expects 10 be one OF the
talked OF exhibitors Mt the Grosvenor Gallery
with hopes oil getting into the Royal Academy,
also.
- Exhibitions of pictures by single artist
have become quite feature in Paris, and they
are made sources of considerable profit as well
as objects of public interest. The recent display
of Mei~Sonier : canvaseS, which the painter had
| lent for charitable purposes, produced the sum
OF 1910, an enormous amount. when fl is
considered that the pictures hardly Tiled one
small room. But the expenses swallowed Sl4.-
oOo OF This, the principal item being insurance,
| at the rate OF 500 to the So uare inch.
- Mr.. Robert Garrett, president of the Balti-
! more and Ohio railroad, has purchased the col
| lection of prints belonging TO the estate of the
| late James w. Claghoru, OF Philadelphia. The
pictures number between 10000 and 10000.
| and the price paid was Si5o,0o0, although
oo,0oo was the figure originally asked. The
collection is perhaps the largest and finest in
TINS country, and one OF the largest and best
private collections in the world. Ii will be
| made the feature of Mr.. CARROTS splendid new
| residence on Mt. Vernon Square. now being
| completed.
| The. spring exhibition OF the National
Academy of Design opened on Monday, and
| will close on the 10th of May. The catalogue
| covers 665 numbers includin 2 sculpture. etc.
and it is said that the average standard of ex-
cellence is higher than it has been for several
years past. The highest-priced picture in the
catalogue is marked $4,000. Following this
| there are one at $4,000, two at 50 800 three AT
Sa,ooo' I'VE at 81 800 tour at 81 200, and four
| sold at the private view held the day before the
exhibition OF the collection to the public.
Mr.. T. E. Waggaman, the weii-known real
/ estate factor, was the only private buyer from
Washington at the sale of the Seney collection
of pictures in New York last week He is re-
| ported to have made four purchases. as follows:
| by the Shore, by Alfred Stevens, 1925; His
Portrait" by Rogelo de. Egusquiza, $500:
"Marguerite,' by Jaques Bertrand s 900: and
New Weir on the wye" by J. NJ. W. Turner,
$3.50 The cost of these paintings 10 Mr.. Seney
IS said to have been $1,000, $500, S2,Ioo and
$4,000, respectively. In addition To the above
| Mr.. Waggaman is understood TO have acquired
several other important paintings while in
New lork, among them an excellent example
| of Schreyer.
The sale of the Seney collection of paintings
proved to be, as We some time ago predicted It
/ would, the most important event of its kind
! that has ever taken place in this country. Not
| only was the number of works the largest that
| has yet been offered on one occasion, but the
| aggregate sum produced was also the greatest,
while single picture brought the highest price
/ yet reached at auction in the United States.
The catalogue included 2s5 numbers, which re-
allied the gross sum of S4o6, 600, or an average
of 81 SO for each picture sold. In the mat,
| ter OF high average alone has the Seney sale
lor Johnston, in 1876, where l9I oil paintings
produced an average OF S1.575. The highest
price paid tor single painting in the Seney
| j. T. Mitchell. of Milwaukee, son of ex-Repre-
sentative Mitchell, for Jules Braton's Evening
| in the Hamlet of Fnisterre,"-a work Which,
| ought to have come to the Corcoran Gallery. Mr.
| Mitchell was also the buyer of many other
high-priced and valuable pictures, and was,
perhaps, the heaviest individual purchaser at
| the sale, SO far as prices We're concerned
| Up to this sale the highest price realized for
painting at auction in this country was So 500,
which was paid by the Corcoran Gallery for
Church's Niagara at the Johnston sale above
referred to. The cost of the Seney collection to
| Its late owner has been variously estimated at
| from 100000 to SSO0.OOO, but it is believed
by those qualified to judge that the true figure
| Is not far from 5000, But even with the
Shrinkage from that sum- it turns out that of
all Mr.. Seney's investments made in the high
days of his prosperity his pictures came nearer
property which he owned at the time of his
failure. Had they been bought with less haste
and consequently better Judgment, they would
Tying and significant feature of the sale was the
fact that, while the foreign pictures sold as a
rule for less than their cost, those by American
artists generally brought full studio prices and
in several cases touched figures largely beyond
There is in this circumstance a suggestion at
once patriotic and profitable for future collec-
tors.
The two paintings bought out Of the Seney
collection by the Corcoran Gallery will make
marked addition to the possessions of
that institution. The principal canvas of
the pair, Emile Renoufs "Helping Hands,"
familiar to many readers from engravings and
other forms of reproduction, is important in
size, as well as attractive in subject and very
pleasing in treatment, and is certain to become
And deservedly SO. Although painted only
four years ago. it has already quite an interest
ing history. twas the artists Salon picture for
1881, and at the close gained for him the medal
OF that year. Unknown to fame, although il
was not his first appearance there, the modest
price named for il by the painter was s., 0oO
1t was taken by Mr.. Schaus, the New York inn
the doors of the Salon were opened to the public
AS soon as the canvas was exposed to view it
attracted great attention, and really became
the sensation of the year. The French govern
ment desired to secure it for its own collection
but IT was too late in preferring its claim, and
Mr. Shaus refused TO yield his rights. Then
came a tempting offer from Russia which the
to bring the picture 10 this country where he
was satisfied its merits would be fully appre-
ciated, and where, likewise, he was sure to lind
as liberal a purchaser as anywhere else in the
world. Mr.. Schaus was not disappointed in
either respect. When exhibited it proved to be
as popular in New York as it had been in Paris;
and though its owner did not realize the full
y,rino ho Clxod for ho -