The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-08-19
PRICES or PAINTINGS.
crest F~Iuetsstio-s Throush watch n.
works or Great Artists Have Passed,

1000 vuineas-a consistent sequel IN the high
figures given for all objects Of art this year IN
striking opposition 10 the supposed financial la
preston. II is not without interest to note m,
fluctuations and variations OF price to which
really valuable paintings have been subjected
within n comparatively restricted period.
Ten years ago the "Crucihxion" Of RanhsS
sold at n public auction in London for only 10,
600 guineas, which seemed to show that Ems.
lishmenar are, As n rule, anxious TO remain in rns
session Of the masterpieces Of their own artist,
in preference Ia those Of foreign artists. Yc, vi,
find In the sevcntecntheentury Lord Arundel W.
fcring 1000 guineas'fo the "Ecce Homo ." a,
Titan to the Duke of buckingham, who could
not be induced to part with IL.
As q rule, however, IL is not connoisseur, Inn,
amateurs who bring n painter into fashion; IA,
ignorant masses follow the lead of eoroll,
ignorant buyers, bidding higher and hiVhs,
for pictures till the last purchaser. coming for.
ward at the food tide VI popularity, finds tina,
he has made a very poor bargain, and is eveniu.
ally the chief loser. The sea painting, and
landscapes OF Joseph vernet realized AS much
as 5000 livres In l7TO, an enormous sum for IN,
currency Of the time. and yet they would with
difficulty fetch an equivalent sum to-day.
The first important sale Of paintings occurr.a
In the last century. and took place IN Paris in
March, 1897. The collection belonged tn IN.
Comtesse de Nerrue. the fair friend of the Duke
OF Savoy, of whom 1t was said more pi,tIv than
good naturedly that ito make sure 30 pared,s.
she won II In this world" A David Tenler,
was sold for 200 livres. possibly because Loui.
NV, to whom one had shown a picture by tina,
artist, had said. Remove these abortionsu"
Two small paintings nv watteau. which would
now be worth a hundred times as much, went
for 53l livres; but, stranger yet. two pictures By
Rembrandt were knocked down at $50 livrcs.
On the other hand, by an equally inconceivabls
freak, two paintings by Rubens brought 200
livres; two BY wouvermans, 5,Oas. and a Berg
hem, purchased by tho Comte de Clcrmonk
5000 livres.
In order to understand the discrepancy be-
tween these prices It Is necessary to bear in mind
that taste and fashion at that time had been en-
listed almost unanimously in favor Of the italian
and Rubens schools, the latter painter having
personally left In France the reputation OF greas
artist and a grand seigneur. Claude Lorraln.
whose real name was Claude Gelee, had been
consecrated painter OF genius in Rome. hence
the immense vogue obtained by his paintings.
The French artists who are so deservedly ad.
mired to-day achieved only slow and tardy reo-
~ognition of their merits.
In 173s, In Brussels, the Comte DO Fraula sold
his pictures, and the prices wero lower still.
reckoning forms equal TO two shtllings OF Eng
lish money. "A Lion Hunt" by Rubena
brought I05 forms; "A Bacchante." by Pous-
sin, $50 forms; Tho Man with the Red Coats
by Rembrandt, 365 forms, and the -" Portrait Of
an English Lady" by Van Dyck, SO forms. At
the same sale q Breughel reached $50 forms.
In 1896 the "Liseusc," 10y Correggio. at the
sale Of the Duo de Tallard was knocked down
for 1901 livres, and the biggest price yet paid
for any one picture was given for the "St. Co
cilia' Of Rubens, 10000 livres. However, In
1901, the portrait OF Tintoretto, by the same
painter, was disposed of for so livres only. 10
was about this period that Rembrandt COM
menced to be appreciated: his two paintings al
the Louvre. The Philosopher Meditating' and
Tho Philosopher In Contemplation" brought
1000 livres.
Drawings and cartoons were literally given
away; fifteen sketches by Leonardo da vinci
were publicly sold for 0 nvres in l74l, six
drawings by Michael Angelo for Il livres. two
heads by Andrea del Sarto for \ livres, and
thirty drawings by Raphael for 1873 livres.
Hobbema, the great Dutch landscape painter.
had to wait long for recognition Of his talentt
one OF his best landscapes was sold at Leyden In
1871 for the modest sum OF 525 forms.
The French masters Jared no better up TO the
second half OF the seventeenth century. A pas,
tel OF Boucher was sold for Al livres in 1893; at
the sale OF Nine. do Pompadour In 1865 two
OF a somewhat rtsquS character by tho
same artist suddenly leaped into popularity and
realized $500 livres. Vatican. who had seen
his "Pierrot," now one OF the gems of the
Louvre, go for 80 livres twenty-five years be-
fore, was able to know that his Concert In q
Garden " fetched o.lOO livres at the sale Of Nine.
de Cosse.
Greuze, whose canvases are now covered with
gold. received only 800 livres for one Of his
lovely female heads at the very time when two
landscapes by Joseph Vernet brought 8.OO0
livres and a Salvador Rosa IL, 0l2 livrcs. Quite
as remarkable are the 5000 livres psid for
"Noces de Cans" and the s45 for Paul
Veronese's Baptism of Christ"
In Use. at the sale of the Marquis de Menars
the celebrated superintendent OF Fine Arts,
brother Of Nine. de Pompadour, buyers came
from all parts and prices ran high. The Wiz
lage Bride" OF Grsuze brought ls,05o liyrea
and others were equally successful. which. how
ever, did not prevent some valuable pictures
from going for "A song. This sale was the last
one before the revolution. In 1893
the finest collection in France. belonging 10 the
Duo d'Orleans, was dispersed and only three ng-
BY Raphael, at 1880 iivres. the Virgin Of Ii.
J. ell bS the same artist, at 1880 livres. and a
liyres. The remainder were literally given away.
The English were the first TO have really huge
paid the Duke of Marlborough, $4,000 for
Raphael; = little later the Marques OF Lands
by veiasquez, one picture by Murine,
and two pictures by Holhein Tor 400. 900; but :
piece OF van IStk s-hls portrait OF
lharles lost the National Gallery only
The RothsChilds own a superb picture gal
In London. Three female portraits by
iainsborough cost I 1000. and for two Hem.
brandts in the collection OF the Princess de
they paid fls.OOO.
America has not been behindhand in securing
masterpieces which were paid for mRgnihcently.
the Seney sale in April, 1858, 100000 francs
Was paid for a Rousseau which the artist him.
had originally sOld for 3JO francs. A foress
scene by Disz, bought for 1000 francs in ParlA
sold IN New York for 5000. Mr.. Morgan
paid 10000 francs for "a TroyOn which sons
inc later reached the price Of 10000 francs in
oTk. \ torUt for which the PAINTER res
,cived TO francs was purchased for 10000
francs, Another American acquired for 100000
fahcs a NilllSt. which the poor painter had
Van Pratt, the Belgian statesman. bought
The Angelns for 1000 francs; the next
Iwner, Mr.. j. Wilson. died in 1881, when ne
picture rose in value 10 100, 600 francs. and
,hnrtly after NJ, Secretan had To pay $50, 600
.Tancs for i. The American Art Association