The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-06-02
A FAMOUS OLD MART
Christie's of London, Most Noted
OF All Sales Rooms.
KNOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD


KNOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD
A Place Rich In Memories of Reynolds,
0arricI<, Gainsboroush and Lord
Chesterfield Fake Art Treasures
Romances Of the Auction Room.
since James Christie and his friends
Sir Joshua Reynolds, David Garrick
and Thomas Gainsborough received
Lord Chesterfield In Pail Mall as he de-
seconded from his coach and six the
most precious things that money can
bug have changed hands In the famous
rooms that bear Christie's name.
In those days Christie took great
pains to attract only the "elect," and
the cards Of visitors were carefully
scrutinized by Hyeried fiunkies at the
door, for here was an exclusive club
where men of rank and fashion often
gathered to exchange courtesies and
the gossip of court and camp, quite
apart from mere bidding for great es-
tates and palaces of many nations,
Jewels of princes and plate of great
families. pictures and porcelain, statu-
airy and curios. Who does not remem-
Der the sale of Gainsborough's Ouch
ess of Devonshire' when Lord Dudley
wired bid of $4,000 from Paris. but
was beaten by Agnew. the dealer7 And
then came the dramatic theft and the
equally dramatic recovery Of the por-
trait years afterward in this country.
1t is a 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
its way there. Long before 1865 Chris
ties was going concern, none too
hourishing, be 1t said, for has not
lanes Christie himself left 1t 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 copy of the
Rembrandt etching Christ Healing
the Sick" sold for only $85, whereas
In 1887, at the Duke of Buccleuch's
sale, an inferior example brought no
less than $4,000. Art collections worth
$4,000. 900 and upward have frequent
Iy 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
1885 for the Dudley Raphael "The
Three Graces," which measures only
seven inches square. OF course this
was extraordinary, yet enormous prices
have been paid at Christie's for pic
lures, as everybody knows.
Another record in its day was the
s73, 100 paid for Hoppner's three-quar-
ter length portrait Of Louisa, Lady
Manners, afterward Countess OF Dy-
sart And then there was the famous
jeweled cup of rock crystal, which
brought the enormous sum of So, 37t
at the Gabbitas SALE Amazing prices
have also been recorded for porcelain.
~ooor+ oaasor, fho orr worlds of
London and Paris were startled by q
Sevres vase bringing $21.000-proof
positive that the pate tendre, the play
thing of Louis the Well Beloved, the
Pompadour and Du Barry, retains all
its fascination for the collector.
Rarely indeed have fakes been offer
ed at Christie's, yet a few classic eases
are on record. Some years ago art low
ing capitals were startled by the an
nouncement that four superb gallery
pictures by Constable and two by Tur-
ner were to be offered for sale In Chris
ties rooms, 1.-The property Of private
gentleman and never before exhibited.
1t was certainly an event The vendors
name was withheld, but this Is a com.
mon occurrence, seeing that very ex.
allied personages. indeed, not to say the
occupants of thrones, frequently send
works of art to these famous galleries
Pressed on the subject, however, Chris
ties gave out that the seller was a
"well known connoisseur of high social
rank" On the day of the sale all the
art critics, collectors and dealers OF
note from London to Moscow and from
Stockholm to Madrid assembled before
the pictures, chattering excitedly In
many tongues.
Truly they were imposing, these gor-
geous canvases, five feet wide and high
In proportion. The four Constables
formed series of superb English land
scapes, while the two Turner'S were
classical subjects, said to be Of the
ssmiddle period" of the master. But
about them all there was a certain Il
know not what" as the French say,
that baffied the keen critics. Round
all six appeared to hover curious
kinship, certain peculiarities Of touch
and coloring. "as IT," in the words OF
a Paris dealer, Turner had worked on
ConstabIe's pictures and Constable on
Turner's."
The faces of the experts were droll
study as their first admiration gave
place to helpless bewilderment One
or two they might have swallowed. but
sikh Before long viennese artist
made himself heard above the hubbuh
by pointing out that the pictures were
largely painted with very modern pig
ments = fashionable. newly invented
colors unknown In the days of Turner
and Constable. The excitement grew
greater. This was surely an unlucky
slip II the collection were forgeries.
There was yet another test, however.
a cunning Venetian dealer years pre-
viously had given the art world hint
In testing an authentic example OF
Guard. He would take pin and try
to stick it into the latest and most
unctuously pasted part of the picture
''If 1t sticks In" the dealer said, at
Is new paint but try it on a real
Guardi and you might as well try to
force a pin into a china plate" The
moment that hint was remem bered 1t
was acted upon. One of the Consta-
bles was tested and proved to be a
veritable pincushion-
The authorities of Christie's at once
closed their doors and posted notice
abandoning the sale.
The history Of the forgeries leaked
cut afterward. They had belonged to
q rich and eccentric collector. Joseph
elliott, a millionaire manufacturer of
steel pens of Birmingham, who after
ward left the London National gallery
a magnificent series of real treasures.