The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-05-08
A FAMOUS OLD MART
Christie's Of London, Most Noted
OF All Sales Rooms.
KNOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD

cH Joshuu heyuoluS, DaViu Carrie
and Thomas Gainsborough receive
Lord Chesterfield In Pail Mall as he d,
scended from his coach and six III
most precious things that money ca
buy have changed hands In the famou
rooms that bear Chrlstie's name.
In those days Christie took grea
pains to attract only the elect" an,
the cards of visitors were CAREFUL,
scrutinized by liveried fiunkies at tn,
door, for here was ali exclusive clul
where men Of rank and fashion oftel
gathered 70 exchange courtesles ant
the gossip of court and camp. quit,
apart from mere bidding for great es
tates and palaces of many nations
jewels OF princes aud plate OF great
families, pictures aud porcelain, statu
ary and curios. Who does not remem.
Der the sale OF Gainsborough's Ouch.
ess OF Devonshlre" when Lord Dudley
wired a bid of $4,000 from Paris, but
was beaten by Agnew. the dealer? And
then came the dramatic theft and the
equally dramatic recovery OF the por
trait years afterward in this country.
II is n place OF beautiful things of
discreet hush, Of subdued mystery. Al.
most every great work of art In the
world that comes into the market finds
It's way there. Long before 1866 Chris,
ties was a going concern. none too
hourishing. be II said, for has not
James Christie himself left II on rec.
ord that his good friend David Garrick
tided him over bankruptcy with
loan of $4,000?
The priced catalogues of the house
have been and are the standard record
OF values In works of art for the last
200 years. They show extraordinary
fluctuations, Thus In 1865 n copy of the
Rembrandt etching Christ Healing
the Sick" sold for only S3J whereas
In 1887. al the Duke of Buccleuch's
sale. an inferior example brought no
less than $4,000. Art collections worth
$l0,000,000 and upward have frequent.
ly been offered for sale In these classic |
rooms. On such occasions emperors
and kings. with men OF wealth from
every nation, commission the greatest !
Of experts to go to criticise and bid for
treasures which may not come under
the hammer again In generations.
The value Of property knocked down
under the old cracked ivory hammer
that DR., Johnson and Goldsmith must
have handled battles all calculation. A
curious record was the $4,000 paid in
1888 for the Dudley Raphael THE
Three Graces," which measures only
seven inches square or course this
was extraordinary, yet enormous prices
have been paid at Christie's for pic.
.ures, as everybody knows.
Another record in its day was the
1890 paid for HQppner's three-quar-
er length portrait Of Louisa, Lady
Manners, afterward Countess of Dy-
art And then there was the famous
eweled cup of rock crystal, which
'rought the enormous sum OF SS1, ,375
t the Gabbltas sale. Amazing prices
ave also been recorded for porcelain
n recent season the art worlds of ,
.ondon and Paris were startled by
eyres vase bringing $21 ,000-proof
ositive that the pate tendre, the play
hing of Louis the Well Beloved, the
and Du Barry, retains all !
8 fascination for the collector.
Rarely indeed have fakes been offer
at Christle's, yet a few classic cases
re on record. Some years ago art low =
lg capitals were startled By the an =
that four superb gallery
Ictures by Constable and two by Tur- a
er were to be offered for sale In Chris :
e's rooms, "the property of a private :,
and never before exhibited"
was certainly an event. The vender's ~
lme was withheld, but this Is a COM .,
on occurrence, seeing that very ex- II
ted personages, indeed, not to say the -
cuDants of thrones, frequently send :,
orks of art to these famous galleries. - :,
'essed on the subject, however, Chris -
IS gave out that the seller was a :.
veil known connoisseur Of high social :
nk." On the day Of the sale all the :,
critics, collectors and dealers of - -
te from London to Moscow and from :,
ockholm to Madrid assembled before ~ -
pictures, chattering excitedly in "
my tongues. -
Truly they were imposing, these gor- o.
'us canvases, five feet wide and high -
proportion. The four Constables !.
med series Of superb English land o.
pes, while the two Turner's were e.
ssical subjects, said to be OF the -,
tddle period" of the master. But ~
'ut them all there was certain II -.
wv not what" as the French say.
t baffied the keen critics. Round ~,
SIX appeared to hover curious -
ship, certain peculiaritips Of touch ~,
coloring. "as IT," in the WORDS Of wo
'aris dealer, Turner had worked on a.,
istabIe's pictures and Constable on o,.,
'ner's." ~
ne faces Of the e%Dp?ta were Il Groll ~,
1y as their first admiration gave on,
,e to helpless hewildrrment. Ono m rIo
Wo they might have Swallowed. hut 49, -
Before long d Yiennesc artist ~,
lie himself heard above the lnhlub m n
pointing out that the nirt1lres unrn