The sun., 1899-02-18
GREATEST PICTURE SALE.
NEARLY Se5O.OOO REALIZED FROM
THE CLARKE COLLECTION.

| The Paintings offered We're by American
| Artists and New Prices Have Been Sci
for Their work-sRIe n Financial Sue
cess-Inness's " Delaware valley" Bringr
$500 and wInslow Homer's Eight
Bells" 4,TOO- vnse Brings 5000
The greatest picture sale. in some respects
| that this country has known. was concluded al
ChickerinR Hall last evening. when Thomas f.
Kirby. for the American Art Association, sold
the last OF Thomas b. Clarke's collection OF
American paintings. which numbered In all
372. the total OF the prices paid during the four
nights auction being S234,4o5. There have
been sales that have brought more money. but
they have been principally offoreign paintings.
and Mr.. Kirby. who has conducted most
OF them and seen them ALL is author
ity for the statement that there never has
been. In his experience, another sale Of COL
lection OF pictures here which paid a profit TO
the collector. ms the Clarke sale has done. with
the possible exception OF very much smaller
sale, that Of Mr. Fullers paintings. held here not
long ago Mr.. Fuller was not at hand last even
ing to verify the exception. Mr.. Clarke was
abundantly pleased with the appreciation
shown OF American art. to the support Of which
he had devoted himself for quarter of a
century. He declines to admit that 1t required
force of conviction or anything else but appre-
citation of good work to buy the Illnesses.
which have proved. perhaps. the most ccnspic-
uous part of his collection. or the other notable
American works which have received the
praise OF the critics recently and the support
of the purchasing public this week. Mr..
Clarke shared in the view expressed in THE
Suns report Of the first evenings sale that
there never had been one like it In the United
States. and that 1t indicated a hitherto almost
unsuspected appreciation of tho best efforts OF
American artists. Judged on their accomplish
ments
The results of the sale completed have full
filed the indications OF its beginning. New
prices have been set for works Of artists rep
resented. and buyers have shown readiness
and in some cases an eagerness to purchase.
even IL not always with discrimination equal
to that shown by Mr.. Clarke
The unprecedented price. for an American
painting at public sale. of Sl0.150 for the
Inness, Gray. Lowery Day. "of Thursday even
bore fruits last eSenins. % It's s eifeets we're a,
seen when the first Illnesses were put up. The
sda 5pan Ia S76S S PRRs 9R6R e a
Of 1876, at $s75; "The SS Sun t''V3Yi I3ih. 1855
at 500; Brush Burning" .!$$ij. 1884.
at at $3039 "Wntsr 3M hT
1851. which started at at 81 900. at $500; the
ST 900 at 81 200; the Delaware % TaIIey& ta365E
1865. at $S10Q-the top price OF Illnesses for
ths ,ao1 s4 IN 10 Attef kd Summer Shower
The " Deawqre Valley was bought by the
Mketropsotan n Museum Of Art and the par-
tors: They've woke up" evidently referring
10th to their pd pedrmittlI5g painting pal which It had
delPhiS on the evening" before. S'o 80 10 i"''"-
Others OF the artists represented in last
nights nj catalogTe were well supported;
TSicn IPF bSS v56 HOmsFs mnsS ESsh ,,tdoGS BSs
shf y% ifcr AFTER h9%f sood 6iddne &c Ing;
Wyants Dawn-Keene Valley for S25O0:
ld2 h2msFs Is 5,so Observation-Disclosures Island Light"
The Corcoran Gallery was frequent bidder
and purchaser 1t was gnnompnced M that the In
went to the Carnegie Art Gallery OF Pittsburg
The most important Of the objects of art, as
collection were sold yesterday afternoon at the
American Art Galleries; and the sale presented
psSd eea TT In some re
noon noon betore But h IN @s we're comprised eS a!sri
% aneient Whereas on Thursday aaa
prices indicated wider knowledge of porce-
chasing public would have guessed. the those S" Of
Yesterday showed that the buyers were in
and IT, a9
applies not merely to the general patronage,
ttunity 70 pass by. Piece after piece OF an
tIue glass was knocked down yesterday |
bic pieces command at private sale in this and and
other cities. person OF even moderate |
degree of knowledge might have purchased |
ings in the assurance Of being able to sell them |
With pretty @ profit n at ordinary. sale; some Of
brought good prices while number went away |
up to unexpected figures that pleased every |
Judgment nI
the comparative indicated value or not, The |
total receipts @ Of d,, the afternoon speak for
hers. or an average OF about S235.50 each. |
This sum is considerably in excess of twice the |
50 far sold to S366$050 or to an an average Of
hree afternoons, Ten Of the offerings Of yes tes
erday sold At 5000 or better. and six of them
The sale of the Greek and Roman glass
b2O. respectively. for two Syrian amphora. one
handles. each ga inches high, smaller un-
;42 rum Of yellow green glass from Syria
y $40, and iopr-inch bottle Of beautiful iri-
lescence 2S4l brought SO2.50, a fourth CEN
sn Sr & B6nGs and fsh e. Hsay Ahins dof
,f rsj sass for SIS $S i An EEysiS% ala
RsaptaFum paf SYRIAN inches high Of
'idsS NDDtl, ut Sl An ehr-SnaDeu |
,Ottla. 3's inches tall from Cyprus (:}OUj
brought S32 so. A two-inch iridescent bottle
i Smyrna, from the Lawson collection. brought
32. 80 32O) and the next number OF the
ataloRue, a similar piece. $55. A mended
urpls glass urn from Syria 'Ca24l brought $S5.
loRued as from Camiros. Rhodes l345l,
'rought $+75, and another 1850 of the
ixth century b. c.. S42O. A Panathenic
mphora OF the fifth century b. C.,
rom the Coucci collection l351D, found
ear Taranto. went at $500. x crater
}b2, OF the fourth century b. O.. with decora-
from the Castellani collection,
old at $500 and an amphora OF similar
ate. with rolcking male figures i372I |
I $500. a fifth century lekythos iGreekL |
iith Apollo and followers represented in |
lack and red t'}50l, sold at $37 so, an Etrurian
mphora l;}40) at $65. a GrTco- Roman lead
anel (342l, from "A sarcophagus found in Syria.
$i7. 30, and sixth century Greek amphora |
t5Sl, black and red decoration with figures, |
t $50.
The ny-coored Apulian amphora (422l. |
Durth century B. g., brought SB75. The next ,
umber OF the catalogue, a Capuan crater. with |
no principal decoration representing. accord |
lg to, the catalogue ascrlptIon. the
n the reverse the apot theosis OF Theseus and
lcluding altogether eighteen figures OF gods
nd heroes, sold at Sl.550. No 42S. a Tana-