New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-15
rHE sEoRErAv COLLECTION.
.rxoxs RxeARD1Ne rTs DrsPERsAI.-M. woLFT
ON COLLECTOR AND ooLLEOTIoN.

-
ON COLLECTOR AND coLLEOrIoN.
Gossip regarding the secretsn collection continues
- noe other reports Il has been said that the bank
~ n asian copper hing received ofer Of 81. Soo, 900
w. ~. ", cornelius Vanderbilt But this is simply
ssoonnrmed gossip.
- .o,,sc.,on is discussed by NJ. Albert Wolf
ia u.se,t number Of "Tigaro.s In 1870, when
a.etsn began collecting, or at least when he came
-. r,s,,nepce as collector the passion for pictures
- q ia height The two chief clients OF Georges
{ 80, vere De Foer Boy and secretan. The latter
snsrer stopped: he bought persistently ana always.
~. as always sure of meeting him IN the aernoon as
! - Rue st. Georges OF medium he'snt win nno
- -. 49, and mustache upturned, he rcsembled an
go :, fbe cavalry With his cold regard. M. So
80. dn nat attract me- but followed him never
$40 nth curiosity One does not often meet on
- s.s,s hou,sysrds an enriched man OF business who
= ga vesrs spends 10 100000 francs on the hne
Was II a special taste, fanauca oevot'on 10
,e.uth,l things, or only result Oh no ieien'i,s
x.h,onf do not know to-day, for u was no' easy
s.,rs that lev surface and know the man tnofOusn'
= sscrstan had bought the hotel fiiie'-Win W. .o
ss.srrr Soon the great salons were insuiC'ene ioF
-, ,.sr..s,no COLLECTION The amateur then ount
s.r.rv Ike the gallery OF a museum, decora'eu WIN
go. s,r,pliclty in discreet luxury and the Dos. 'as'
rss gallery was filled with pictures anu Ss, ts
he rest of the house 1t was Certainly Inc
sor works OF art in al Paris IN tu0 "o'| 49,
art mingled with pictures Of this century nu' n'lo
the choice Of NJ secretan limited nsch " y,
a. ain ruished reputation. The colecuon eoh'Aneo
,.. 600 ,ces. many blbelcts, various objects OF
.t ana curiosity and example OF sculpture, 'no
1900, ,,.ysls of Falguiere's Diana sky pictures
-. .,cn., bv old masters, the Flemish SCHOOL pre-
vssne ne pearl Of this part OF the cohecuon rs one
~ the tpe masterpieces of Hetsr DC Hoosh. wncn M
secretan disputed with Dc Foer Bey at the Nsnsnone
sale. The Boy haa ~. DO W. St " ,so 600
80 tha consultation was adtudged TO
s,ns Woia tells again the story Of Millers " An
,,,,.ss sold ut the Wilson sale In 1881. seeretan
s.nght a for 100000 francs, or go, 900. After
,s,,s Ma enthusiasm abated and he sold 1t TO NJ.
Patti who offered It TO DO Foer Bey, but since
ssetsn no longer wished It, De Foer Bey did not care
= bpy IT, sBut one day there came to Paris letter
hox,y America addressed TO the owner Of the :" An
..,us postofnce clerk remembered that Secrctan
sad bought the picture, and the letter was snt %
him what did he dol Had he changed his mind,
az a. he desire to possess masterpiece which gave
ash distinction to o gallery that Monsieur the owner
mort anY E. Bought back the picture for
e. $50 COZ 900 francs The sAef dosuvro Of Mict IS
ss hsssnE Z saoSs 70 the n visitor sS
ss artists Of 1850 There ' are three es ten
froyons, eight Rousseaus, among them the Hut OF
Is Chsreoa burners two paintings by Delacroix,
end others by Decanps, Dupre and Corot, with a
hstdo1en by Eromentin, and no less than twenty-five
M Messoner. Fur tho last master, Secretan had an
finished works and number Of his most beautiful
pictures Public opinion has fixed q colossal price
on this part OF the collection, but believe that 1t
would be necessary for the Messoners to stop at an
soS.ant painting which figured At the Exposition Of
1875 IL represents o regiment OF cuirassiers In line
with surprisingly varied study of movement
90 not know what NJ Crabbe, the Brussels collector
paid for this picture, but know that Secretan
bought u for $4,000 francs, or $4,000 some years
sver paid for Meissoniers
Wolf speaks with some reserve, al do not believe
DO says that the collection formed in the epoch Of
furious folly during the years 1879, 80 and '51
III ever bring the purchase money in public sale.
on paintings at the same time that America let Itself
loose upon the French masters. The fete had begun
ned and that the PsSsians Would '' EXCHANGE al
their finest possessions for bit of bread The whole
world preciptsted itself upon prey reputed 10 be
NY and the first result was sonsderable rise in
Of pure folly. do not know what NJ. secretan's
eight Rousseans cost but know the price paid for
The Hut Of the Charcoal Burners which
9 S bis eleven or Twelve seis Milton
,rarcs low much would he get back II he decided
e. - IN my opinion, not moro than seven or
Of art cannot readily be sold for many miiiions
But there is deficit. NJ. secretan console him
self with the thought that he possessed for ten years
away from Paris one Of it's sunptous features
10 safe TO that there will be forced sale.
AZ aresdy state, the pictures are being sold al
rial nsgnate practically controls the collection aud
win allow no sacrifices