New-York tribune., 1890-05-28
NOTES FROM LONDON.
PRICES OF LANDSEERS-NIESSR GILBERT
AND SULLIVAN-MR. WHISTLER AND HIS
ENEMIES-MR. GEORGE BULLEN.

III The market IOf SOlnf years, ana perhaps Prices
will never again rise to the hcght of $50 But
it is true Of these works as OF most other objects
coveted at any time BY the collector. The best
will always bring their value. The second best
often 90 for songs. The None but the Brave de-
serve the Fair sold on Saturday for S22, 900,
was a fine Landseer if any Landseer can be called
really fine. =" The Honeymoon reached tie very
high figure of $4,000. and Not Caught YETI
was thought by Mr.. Agnew to be worth $4,000
TO sell again. Another IN black and white
crayon drawing brought 81 q, 900, and a, Llndseer
had no eye for color, black and white is his best
state. Mr. Woods, the present head OF ChrlSties,
estimated the days sale at S250,OCc. Ibe actual
sum bid was $3s5, 900 another proof of an unfore-
seen rise in the Eandseer market. Turner's
Sheerness Harbour broIght the largest sum of
all, 1850 guineas, noble picture indeed. The
redoubtable Mr.. Agnew bought il and sold 1t
again almost at once to Lord Vantage for
modest 10 per cent advance upon the auction
price, and it now hangs in the library of his
house in Carlton Gardens.
A picture of Landseer modelling his big lion
was put up by Mr.. Woods with the remark that
some patriot ought to buy it for the Nation.
II bid 30 guineas to present it TO the National
Gallery called out SIr Aynew. There was APP
plause followed by silence and the picture fell to
five times the sum- The papers comment in their
solemn way the good feeling of the company
present. who refrained from competition that the
National Gallery might have the picture. They
do not acem 70 consider that. in these circum-
stances, the real donor is Mr.. Wells. the former
possessor Of it donor in spite Of himself, while
Mr. Agnew gets the credit and gets it very cheap
But Mr.. Agnew is not the man to let slip good
bargain, whether in pictures or in generosity
And lie has son or nephew in tie arm of auc-
toneers who sell nearly all the important pictures
disposed of in London under the hammer nearly
all Of which Mr.. Agnew buys.
Not less curious was the purchase of Sir Francis
Grants portrait of Landscer by VI. Rochefort
as a gift to the naton-the British Nation, not
the French. Why does NJ. Rochefort give this
picture, or give anything else to the British
Nation? He is the declared enemy of England
and of everything English. His paper in Paris.
l.. Intransigean,,' has for years reeked with
calumnies on this country: with abuse OF the
Queen, for example, whom most people respect
even when they respect nothing else. Not SO
VI. Rochcfort. A woman is 10 him no more re-
spectable than a man But of all this the English
seem happily ignorant. If they are not ignorant
they are Indifferent. The provcrbially thick
skin OF these islanders serves them well against
the stngs of wasps and gnats as against the
thrusts of nobler weapons. Not a voice Is raised
against W. Rochelolt; nobody remembers his mis-
deeds in time past. He gets just much praise
and thanks for his gift as il rhe giver had been
a lifelong friend. All which is as it should be.
II happens. moreover, that portrait OF VI.
Rochefort by VI. Van Beers is one OF the attFac-
tons of the present exhibition at the Royal
Academy. Lord Salisbury's reference 70 IL ID
the portrait of Liberal leader made II famous.
The quality would have made 1t, II not famous
well known. 1t is very subtle and brilliant
piece of painting; as full OF sheer cleverness as
the tiny canvas can hold. M Andrew Lang
SAYS il looks like an anarchc cockatoo, but that
is not NJ Van Beers's fault. The discovery Is
bappy one. Aforetime there was, imagine, no
means of knowing what was the true appearance
of an anarchic cockatoo. Now We have only To
gaze upon NJ. Van Beers's portrait Of NJ. Roche
fort and the secret is revealed. We shau know
presently whether the Royal Society-whioh Is not
10 be confounded with the Royal Academy-awards
the next gold medal 10 Mr.. Lang for services to
science There can be few discoveries in that
branch Of science known natural history more
novel than his.
So Nessrs Gilbert and Sullivan are 10 part
company There is great public which VIII
hear of the separation with genuine regret. HOW
many hundreds of thousands have they not amused
in this innocent and laudable partnership, WHICH
has existed for-how many years is it, lhey
were well matched, and worked together WITH
harmony which is said BY the expert 20 be rare
indeed in any combination into which music enters'
They had the English genius for compromise for
give and take and either would give way TO 'he
other Words were altered. music was al'ereu'
ANYTHING 10 bring about the desired results ana
promote the success OF the joint work OF men
who may without much eXaggeraton ne descrloeo
men Of genius.
They had, at any rate, genius for Ash couio
opera they may even he SAID To nave ln'eu'eu
a new kind Of opera. They ana MI D'NN N"t'o
formed the most successful trio ever known Mr..
Cart. was the ideal manager; with immense
courage resource knowledge OF his business. ana
keen pcrception OF what the public wanted. tame
and fortune waited OF them all: II would ne
impertineut 10 name the figure which rumor assigns
70 them as yearly gain equally divided among
the three But it is very large; 50 large that
few of the leaders IN any of the other proleSsious
are supposed to have attained to IL.
And now this firm breaks up-breaks up. too, IN
,ba bevday of its success and prosperity The
Gondoliers, which you would not have In New
York is more popular in London than any OF the
rrevions operas: more SO than The Mikado itself,
.or than Pinafore and the booking Is heavier;
thc iarcon of the ticket-oflicc may be reproduced
in print There is no sign of exhaustion In either
of the two authors. Why. then do they dissolve
their honorable and profitable connection? Al
sorts of reasons are given. Sir Arthur sullivan
has long been ambitious of a more serious fame In
music than these light operas give him. lie has.
in a measure won il; his Golden Legend and other
serious works are not less highly esteemed by the
critic than the Savoy scores. But he wishes 10
soar higher still; nothing less than grand opera
is his aim That is one of the reasons Due
there steps in the gossip of the Sreenroom WIN
n different account or many different accounts.
all of which | omit, for they may all be summed
IN in the familiar formula of the divorce court,
incompatibility OF temper NO blame on eithet
side. but the two men no longer get on together
Mr.. Whistler has had the wit TO accept ana