New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-05
OLD MASTERS IN NETWORK AND PARIS.

With its customary frankness in the reporting
of news our esteemed contemporary The
Herald has published peculiarly interesting
account of the sale Of old masters belong
ing TO the Duo de Durcal who essayed to sell
his pictures in this city last spring. The sale
was held on Monday, In Paris, at the Hotel
Drouot, which, as we need hardly say, is uni
versally recognized as approaching the rank
Of final tribunal more closely than any other
place Of sales in the world, with the exception
Of Chrstic's, in London. When the Durcal
pictures were brought 10 this city 1t was IN
timated that their appearance here was to be re-
garded as favor, and that were it not for a
benevolent desire to encourage the aesthetic in
stincts nascent in America, these odd masters
could be sold for extraordinary sums In Paris
They have been sold in Paris, and the melancholy
news comes under the ocean that more than
two-thirds of the pictures went for less than
$500 each.'
1t will be remembered that the appearance of
the Durcal pictures in this city was preceded
and accompanied by accounts Of their priceless
worth, which made an exact estimate OF their
value appear like an impertinencc. Neverthe-
less, il was said, apparently with authority, that
the collection was valued at about $1,OO0000.
The sale showed that American amateurs failed
to agree with this estimate, since there was no
bidding of consequence upon twO-thirds Of the
paintings. IL was reported that thirty-siX paint
ings were actually sold for $685., the average
being SEGA If we bear In mind that several
Of the most valuable paintings were practically
removed from the New-York sale by the high
upset prices, it will be seen that the average
Of 1878 at the Paris SALE where only one picture
was withdrawn, really indicates a remarkable
agreement between the opinions OF the experts
Of the Hotel Drouot and the opinions Of ludicious
amateurs in New.York. OF even greater interest
is the compa rson between the prices placed upon
these old masters when they were offered to
the American public and the prices actually
obtained at the Hotel Drouot. In New-York an
upset price of 81 900 was placed upon picture
assigned to Teniers which brought 81 900 in Paris
The New-York price OF painting by Breughel
was $4,000. afterward, believe, reduced 10
s3. 900. At the Hotel Drouot the price was
further reduced to $3.50. The New-York price
of Murillo's virgin OF the Carmelites" was
$50, 900. This picture was withdrawn from the
Paris sale for want of satisfactory bids" A
painting by Tripolo, which we take to be the
one appraised as worth $1,000 in New-York, was
sold for $3.50 in Paris. The Instructive "Adora-
ton of the Magi," variously assigned to Van der
Wcyden, Van der Goes and Van Eyck, brought
3,400 in Paris. Its price in this city was
$4,000. Another Of the best pictures, which
is believed to be by Metsys, was sold for S3,420.
In this and one other case only there was slight
advance upon the upset price
The summary of both sales shows that tho
million dollar Durcal collection has brought
S33,7g0 and few cents. which certainly
not TO De neglected under the circumstances.
Jf this amount 81 ,4j4 was realized from the
sale of thrty-siX paintings and 2j2 drawings in
New-lork. and S22, 342 from the sale Of ffty-ninc
paintings in Paris. These facts are too eloquent
to need supplementary comment. We sympathize
with the i'll fortune Of the Duo de Durcal, who
has found a want of appreciation wherever he.
his sold masters" and his certificates" have
betaken themselves among a few trusting
souls in New-YorlS. But the whole it seems
to us better that the shrinkage from million
dollars to 900 should be borne by the Duke
than that it should be borne by American amateurs