Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-09


''cornering'' OF this or that painters works
Who can predict what living painter
fortune will shine ten years hence1 w ne
can tell II the vogue he VIII attain - 70
remain durable? The great painters them
selves, who are wide enough awake. are
ignorant of their future.
friend of mine has never ceased lament
ing how he lost q splendid opportunity
some-forty years ago! In company win
Henri Rochefort he stopped before the WIN
dow of q Trainer. Pointing to painting,
Rochefort said to my friend:
There is a pretty thing. You ought tt to
buy It. 1t ought not cost much, 1or the
painter is scarcely known.
Refused a Corot.
As Rochefort was already at that epoch
one Of the most far-sighted of the know
Ing ones In art my friend took his tip.
They entered The price of your paint
Ing. II you please"
the Trainer.
"Diable!" said the friend Of Rochefort.
"A little dear" said Rochefort. Il will
give you five hundred francs" continued
the friend OF Rochefort.
Il will note your offer" was the franz
er's answer. ut IL not my picture. l only
expose 1t to oblige the artist Come back
tomorrow"
When the would-be picker up" return,
ed on the morrow the Trainer informed
him that the artist held II at 700 francs.
mo" replied the other. at is not worth
that" So he departed without 1t.
Now" he says, after forty years, that
picture for which foolishly refused to
give seven hundred francs was simply a
delicious Corot, which sold two years ago
at the Hotel Drouot for eighty thousand
francs (S16.0ool. People ask me how !
lost my hair. I lost 1t worrying about
that Coroti"
In excuse of this collector and all 9TH
ers who, like him, have refused to buy
Co. frny ar
masterpieces by Delacroix for II francs,
1t is sufficient to ask why the same paint
ing is at one date worth but $1eo and at
another brings $4,000?
1t may be answered that until the name
of a painter Is established his clientele is
not established. True. but his talent ex.
lists! Again, there are talents that at first
do not push through" That is also true.
ready celebrated how can his picture be
worth one day $4,000 and another day
$4,000?
Great Variations in Art Market.
The truth is that there are variations in
the great art market to which those Of
the Corn Exchange are nothing. In the
case of living artists they completely
upset the masters. I could name celeb
rifles of the present moment who distress
themselves to the point of hysterfa over
the prices of their works when they come
into the Hotel Drouot sales They even
make sacrifices to fctitiouSly bull their
market, a thing in itself wearing on one
who believes he has attained a fixed glory
when he finds it suddenly diminished
by, say so per cent!
Like the young couple with their De-
camps there are also owners of paintings
who thrill themselves with the huctua-
lions of the market. marking down their
phantom winnings with a pencil-yet no
richer than the first day when they PICK
aH I'M
Such a one Is my old friend, the Comte
de NJ This aged beau may be seen
daily driving in the Paris Bois behind
his trotters his white beard and mus
taches futtering in the wind, bowling
like the old lady killer he remains at the
age of eighty years.
Though not exceedingly rich, ne mas al
WAYS been an enlightened collector. Years
ago on his wedding trip as young man.
he bought a large Corot for 800. 1t was
in Corots middle style, just after he re-
turned from Italy. and represents pono
with a scow in the foreground, trees IN
the left background and some hills and
clouds to the right. with glorious high
sky.
never have dreamed Of selling 1t had he
not recently quarreled with his SON. q
sporty young French officer. They do not
speak. And the old man swears he VIII
spend everything, so as to leave as llttie
as possible to that ungrateful Whelp.
The Corot is Still for Sale.
So the Corot is for sale. But he hest
tates to let 1t go to the Black Band OF
the Hotel Drouot. He wants big price
for 1t. Therefore he has had the Hotel
Drouot experts estimate 1t.
1.-THE pond. the boat, the trees and SKY
are all pure Corot,n SAID the hrsI pontlil
who examined IT. But some student was
allowed to touch up the lelt foreground
and the mountains.
IT made the old count hot In the collar
He sent for another Hotel Drouot expert
at is Corot at his best" the other ar
What ia 1t WORTH" asked the old count
"You ought to get one hundred ana hity
thousand francs for it
mo, I will hold it for some rich AMER,
can. It's price is two hundred thousano
france" replied the old count.
An American landscape painter esti-
TT is a splendid Corot," was his tudg.
won't "Only Corot never painted that
boat. and parts Of the sky show the WORK
Of another. 1t may be worth nifty thou-
sand francs" 4. -,
Then the old gentleman agreed to have
the picture expertised by the greatest VI
ali the Hotel Drouot pundits
.It IA one of the most glorious Corots.
he said. after making a short study or II
"Do not let 1t go for less than Two nun
bred thousand francs ~
That was three years ago. The olo
count wavers-and the Corot remains un,
sold, One day, when he dies. his son VIII
send 1t to the Hotel Drouot to pc really
anctioned off for what it will bring. He
may get the big prlGenIoIr, 56 ne 1 may e'
%, 900 francs! STERLING HElhi1'