The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27

'"' ~
in connection with this years eSh'hltoh was
the putting up Of the Archbishop OF canterbury
To propose the toast Of the Royal Academy ~
the banquet His Grace performed h' '"Hh
in the most graceful fashion and lavlShed PRAISE
upon the painters and their WORKS Ihn''o'
he WIS the only speaker who had mnch TO say
for art, and %crrninly the only ON" WI" s"Ne
any thing like hearty praise to the Royal acan-
envy. But why. people ask. did he discount
il all by adding that unfortunately he was IN"
only man there who could not seq on" slhei'
picture that was hanging on the walls, Tor ne
WAS now practically "A blind man?
Lord Salisbury also gave an amusing on
ampI" Of his genius for saying 'hlhHs oeN"r
left nnsaid when he remarked that they had
not u single artist in the Cabinet, II dd MOI mat
ter, the world in general would support 'he Nv
tie lest. If such it were meant TO be BIN Wheh
he added the words mot even a sculptor Vi"
modern workers in marble wondered where
exactly among artists the Prime Minister ciiL@'"d
them apparently somewhere on "A IeVe' WIN
the taker of Tin types.
-
The second days sale of the Peel heirlOom-
WAS concluded yesterday afternoon. The lois,
numbering fewer than 100. realized a total OF
GA O5s which. with the previous days sale.
brings the gross amount MP TO close on seq $50.
A noteworthy feature of the sale consisted in
the high prices paid for mediocre pictures, such
rs for several Of the l.elys. while the male por-
traits sold nj ~uncommonly high figures.
The chief attraction OF the sale was undoubt-
edly the pair of full-length portraits of a
Geuoe.e Senator and his wife 10y Van nyck.
Thi. pair may he said 10 have been discovered
nv the nrtist David Wilkie, although II is NOT
strictly correct, as stated in the auCtionecr's
catalogue. 10 say that they were purchased by
him forSir Robert Peel. On leaving England
in 1925 for a long tour on the Continent, Wilkie
was requested by Peel 10 report If he found an
example or two Of Van Dyck for sale. The
first mention Of this pair appears in a letter
which Wilkir wrote 10 Andrew Wilson from
Genoa on june /. 1922. referring to sCme pic
lures in a palaz2o Of a Spinola family he alludes
TO these as two fine whols-(ngthS of an old
lady and gentleman. painted with less rich
ness than usual. but with great care and truth.
The old gentleman is on the margin, his head
and hands ara mos, admirable" In his his
journal. under date May 20. Wilkie makes a
rather long reference 10 these two portraits,
and remarks of the man. "feebleness, gouty
Stiffness and dignity seem mixed in a way that I
have never seen before. save IN Van Dyck,
and describes the hands Of this. ms of the COM
pnnion, ms beautifully painted. The negotia-
lions for the purchase seem to have been carried
ON, by Wilkes friend. Andrew Wilson, and the
p~ortrai,s reached England in 1928. WiIkie,
writing to wilson from Kensington on March 10.
,spo saws. The i've Van Dycks at Mr.. Peels ap-
near TO have given great satisfaction. I have
told Won that ScQuier Ian eminent picture
dealerl thinks them a great bargain, Emmer-
son went so FAR as 10 say to me that he thought
them worth nearly 1000 gulneas n piece. Sir
Thomas Lawrence writing to Peel on May rs.
ISIS SAYS. Il have seen the Van Dycks- very
interesting portraits and in each identity itself;
Of his earliest time in execution, but still Of
great truth and force, They are entirely free
from the ravage- Of repair" To this II may be
added tina, they belong To the time when Van
pyck painted his pictures with his own hand,
and they possess an Italian grace added TO his
own Flemish vigor. which accounts for his
pic,ures of this period realizing such high prices
when they occur for sale. Both pictures were
exhibited nj the British Gallery in 1929, and arc
described in Smiths Catalogue Raisonnae. "
vol ) the canvas in each case is 50 inches by
AZ inches. The man appears 10 be about 50
ye,rs of age Of n thin countenance and with a
scontv gray beard a hiQh-crownad black velvet
Golf covers his head, and the dress is n black
silk robe. he il seated in an armchair holding
in his right hand "A scroll Of parer. the woman ia
much Younger. apparently about A. years
of age She is seated in an armchair holding n
fan in tho right hand. dressed in q black silk
robe with figured sleeves. large scarf and a full
a, ~ nh ..oIo ,cr,roi 10 .nia 40