Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-08-15
VALUE OF OLD MASTERS.
FIGURES OF INTEREST 70 THOSE
WHO LOVE FINE PICTURES


r,,,o.s Range from sis To sts0.ooo.
The value Of pictures has been very
considerably disturbed 10y the revelations
recently made. II has thrown suspicion
upon the method OF sale by auction
which has heretofore been so popular
and suggests the possibility that more
than one of the great picture sales OF re-
cent years have been in a measure
cooked" affairs, in which prices nave
been made to rise to height by no
means In accord with the actual state OF
the market
Americans have not shown quite the
same taste for "old masters" as have the
people of other countries. Once they
reverenced them on account OF their age
and gave high prices for their pictures
But they were innocent then. and wnen
they awoke to the fact that most OF the
old masters which they owned were bo-
gus, they made haste to rid themselves
of the same.
Since then Americans have had little
to do with this class of pictures. Now,
however. they are beginning again to
buy them.
BIG AND LITTLE GEMS.
Following are some extreme and some
average prices Of the pictures OF men
whose names are mentioned:
Jan Van Eyck-An alteration Of tie
magi In the Northwick sale In 1859
fetched SO, 1860 Van Eyck's works are
scarce and much sought after. The pict-
ure mentioned must have been an excel
lent example, for another picture of the
same subject was sold in Cologne in 1859
for little more than $500. Only the
best of his pictures have sold for more
than 5000 or $500.
Guercino-His finest works in the Lou
vre are valued at $4,000. $1,000 and
$4,000, the Martyr of st. Peter at Mo
dena" being considered worth $4,000.
Nearly every gallery in Europe has
some specimen of his work. During the
last century the highest price obtained
at auction has been $4,000 Small heads
and less significant works have sold as
low az $40 A few single figure paintings
have been sold at from $50 to $3.50.
Hans Holbein-His works are abund-
antly represented in foreign galleries.
Though one Of the greatest German
painters his pictures have never brought
large prices at public sale. A portrait of
lady was sold in 1850 for about 50, 600;
other portraits in recent years have
rarely exceeded 5000.
Guido ReEi-His Rape of Helen" in
the Louvre has been assessed at $4,000
His works are in all the European gal
leries They have seldom sold for more
than $4,000 A "St. John" was sold in
1858 for $1,000.
David Teniers-More of his pictures
than those of any other painter have
been sold publicly. He is extensively
copied and initiated, but of list of about
$50 different sales of his pictures the
highest price ever brought for any one
was $1,000 paid in the Van Sassengen
sale, in 1859, for painting called 1.-The
Five Senses"
MURILLO AND RUBENS.
Murillo-The greatest of the Spanish
school in point of value. There are nine
Of his pictures in the Louvre. The most
celebrated of these is the Immaculate
Conception" for which the French gov
eminent paid $4,000. This is far in
excess of all the others. which are rated
as worth everywhere from 81 900 to $12,
600, at which figure the Holy Family
has been appraised. His pictures figure
in all the principal museums of Europe,
and have often sold at auction at very
high prices. There were no less than
fourteen of his pictures in the famous
Soult collection, to which the Louvre's
Immaculate Conception" belonged The
Flight into Egypt brought Sl0.0 900; the
Jesus and st. John as Children" $l2,-
600; the ''St. Peter Bound" $40, 900; the
miracle of San Diego" $4,000; a
"Brigand Stopping a Monk" $1,000.
The rest Of the pictures of the collection
sold for from 81, 900 to $4,000 The price
brought by the Immaculate Concep-
ton" was the largest ever paid for a
picture at the time. 1t is doubtful wheth-
er it would now realize an equal sum,
as Murillo's work has not increased in
estimation, while new standards of tastes
have taken possession of picture buyers
large painting of the very same subject
In the Eardley collection was put up at
auction in 1860, but was withdrawn in de-
fault of bid Of $45, 900. Since the Soult
sale many of his works have been publicly
sold. The Empress Eugene gave the
largest price brought by any of his other
pictures. She paid s., 900 for a "Sleep of
the Infant Jesus" at the Patureau sale in
1857. Many of his works were sold in
the Aguado collection in 1S43. They
ranged from Sls to S., 900, at which sum
one OF his Annunciations was disposed
or One of his pictures figured in the
Aspinwall sale here few years ago, but
was without a buyer. 1t was subse-
| quently taken to London, where. after
long negotiations, it was sold, presume
Oily at no very great price
hubens, being the prince of painters.
ms pictures have naturally commanded
very great prices. The fact that he
| worked much through his assistants has.
however, made great difference in
tneir value. His works In the Louvre
are estimated at $4,000. $50, 900 and
S4o,OoO, some Of the famous series In the
ife OF Mary of Medicis being valued at
seo'ooo. His single portraits are worth
about $4,000 to $4,000 The famous
'Chapeau de Paille," one of the most
beautiful portraits ever painted, was sold
In 1923 for about $4,000 Few Of his
pest works have sold during the present
century. The highest price brought at
Puoho sale at any time was for an in.
.eiior Win portrait of the family Of Bal