Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-03
ART TREASURE SALE
Collection Made by Yerkes to
Go Under Hammer.
NEW YORK LOSES REQUEST
Handsome Catalogue Prepared
Which Will Perpetuate the Work
of Lifetime.

/ Yerkes, the builder of Chicagos street
railways and Londons subway. died, it
| was announced that he had left his
| two million-dollar art collection and his
| handsome residence on 9Th avenue,
| which had become a veritable museum.
| to the city of New York Mr. Yerkes'.
| intention was that the works he had as
sembled with so much care and cost
would thus be kept together. and that
the people generally would be benefited
| by their permanent exhibition under the
guardianship of the municipality. But
as go often happens when benefactions
are postponed until after death, the plan
| failed. and now, by order of the receiver.
| the great collection is to be sold at pub
lie auction under decree of the court.
The sale will take place in New York
this week. at Mendelssohn Hall and at
Quoted by Thomas E. Kirby Of the Amer
| lean Art Association. 1t will occupy six
evenings and at least three afternoons
and will be attended not only by wealthy
collectors from all parts of this country.
but by representatives of the leading mu-
seums abroad. This is without doubt one
of the most remarkable collections in
America, If not in the world. and Its
dispersal Is an event of more than usual
note. Mr.. Yerkes was an interchangeable
collector and his interests extended to
all phases of art, so the works he as
sembied are both rare and varied in
character. Naturally much curiosity has
been felt in the collection, and since 1t
was placed on exhibition at the Amert-
| can Galleries last Monday 1t has attract
ed many visitors.
A Catalogue de Luxe.
OF the collection in anticipation of the
sale and as monumental record cata-
loeue de luxe has been iSsued-a sumptu-
Gus work in two enormous volumes
which is in itself a work of art. Only
go copies of this luxurious catalogue
have been printed. Printed at the River
side Press Cambridge, deliberately illus
trated by photographers and colored
plates, with descriptive text by experts,
these volumes make permanent the col
lection which Is so soon to be scattered
and serve an adequate index TO us IN
tereSt and value.
The first volume, which Is of pOnderous
size, is given over exclusively to catalog-
uing the paintings. about 2OO IN number
the sale of which Will occupy no less than
four sessions: whereas the second volume.
of slightly less thickness, is devoted to
the rugs, tapestries and furniture
One hundred and thirty painters are
represented in the collection, eighty-one
of whom are classed as Odd masters. Only
one of the entire number Is an American,
George Inness, who is represented by
Landscape at Sunset There are rev n
very early paintings, Italian and Flemish
primitves, and of the former school there
are some later works Of note, but by all
means 1t Is the Dutch school that Is best
and most largely represented. 4
Four Paintings by Rembrandt.
There are In the collection four paint
ings by Rembrandt. all of which seem
well authenticated. A portrait of a rabbi,
n~l- IoS all Ill
ton; a three-quarter-length portrait of
Joris de Coulery. owned for many years
by the Chevaliers Quarles van Ufford at
The Hague. and two genres. "Resurrec-t
ton of Lazarus" and Philemon and
Baucis,'' both catalogued by DR.: Bode
OF Franz Nels' works there are also four
examples. a splendid hree-quarter-length
portrait of woman and three pictures of
children singing very CHARACTERISTIC
There are landscapes by Hobbema, by
Ruisdael and van Goyen; interiors with
figures by de Hooch. Ostade, Teniers
Gerard, Steen. Dou and others, and cattle
paintings by Paulus Potter. Then there
are the works of the Flemish painters. A
Rubens, a Van Dyck and Teniers (the
younger). Belonging to the German
school there are Durer and three Hol-
beins one by the elder. OF the English
school there are portraits by Sir joshua
! Reynolds, Romney and Lawrence or the
lFrench-landscapes by Lorraln and ngure
paintings by GreuZe and Vatican.
Work of Modern Painters.
| Passing to the modern painters, one
finds, turning the pages Of this sumptu-
| Gus catalogue, works by the men of 1880
| we'll illustrated There are, for exam
pie, five Corots, five Daubignys, five
Ruphes, four Troyons. four Diazs, two !
| Rousseaus, two Milets. all peculiarly |
| charming, besides characteristic works by
Decamps DelacroiX, Meissonier, Deta1lle
| and Jacque. Four Of Turner's paintings
| are enumerated and reproduced, and two
| of Sir Edward Burne-Jones, besides one
| by Sir Ama-Tadema. Alfred Stevens is
| represented SO is Joseph Israels and
among the Germans. Knaus. An evident
interest in subject pictures is shown, this
class being in preponderance, but the Sc
Iections have, it would seem, been we'll
made only pleasantly suggesting per-
sonaI preference. In the majority of in
stances the history of the painting or
name Of the dealer from whom 1t was
purchased is given in proof of anthem
ITCHY or at least Of good faith. A full
page is given to each reproduction, and
so faithful are the photographers that
very fair notion can be gotten of the
spirit as we'll as the intrinsic merit of
the pictures.
with an introduction written by Mr.. John
Kimberly Mumford, an eminent authority
on rugs, and close friend of Mr..