New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-28
1906 MADONNA
BRINGS $4,000
Prize of DavanZati Pict-
ures Disposed Of in
Three Minutes
RECEIPTS TO DATE
MOUNT TO $933,9l4
Plaza Ballroom Filled by
Ardent Bidders for
Paintings

Paintings
Sixty-two paintings, some from the
Davanzati Palace, in Florence, but most
from Professor Ella Volpi's Villa Pia,
near that city. were sold by Thomas !.
Kirby at the Hotel Plaza last night for
s200,i90. This makes the grand total
of the Davanzati sale TO date. s933,9lA
As brilliant an audience Of art lovers
as has ever graced the PlaZa's big ball
room filled every seat when Mr.. Kirby
put up the first picture, Painted
Cross" canvas OF the Tuscan school,
which was soon sold for 1910 to A.
Kingsley Porter.
The feature of the evening was the
sale, in just three minutes. of MA
donna and Child with Saints" for
$4,000. IL is a canvas by Francesca
Raibolini, known as Francia. Mr..
Kirby announced that the picture was
one Of those reserved by Professor
Volpi, but that a bid of $4,000 would
be accepted. Like flash there came a
bid for that amount from some one,
and like prairie fire the bids by single
thousands spread through about five
bidders, reaching $4,000 in less than
a minute. Right along up they went
with scarcely a pause until the Sal 900
was reached, and the prize was knocked
down to the Enrich Galleries. An old.
time patron of auction sales said IL was
the first time he had ever seen
painting sold for such a sum on $1,000
bids without break.
Painted in 1906
Francia painted this Madonna in 1906
for Cardinal Riario, who was titular
Cardinal Of Damaso. 1t found its way
into the Vatican, where it remained
until the middle of the seventeenth
century. The panel painting shows the
Virgin seated in the centre of the
picture holding in her lap the infant
Christ. Behind her, on the spectators
left, stands St. Francis OF Assist with
clean shaver face, clothed in the gray
robe Of monk. On the right stands
St. Dominick. as an old man, with long,
gray beard, clad in a red robe. The
Virgin is dressed in a red robe. cut low
at the neck. The Virgin and the two
saints have gilded halos.
Another sensation of the evening
was when the last two pictures in the
catalogue were sold on one bid. These
were the Titians Portrait Of a Vene-
tian Lady" and "Lavinia, Daughter of
Titan" Both canvases, Mr.. Kirby said,
had been attested by one of the high
est authorities as the work of Titan.
"The reserve price of $4,000 has been
placed upon each picture" said he.
"You can have one or both, but the first
bid must be $4,000. If not, they go
back to Italy. You have a fine oppor-
tunity to keep them in America"
There was hush of expectancy
when the curtain was drawn, revealing
the two paintings. Fully a minute
elapsed before the bid came-"S25,0 O0!"
Otto Bernet made the bid as agent for
one of the wealthiest collectors in this
country. No other bid was made, and
Bernet took both paintings, at $4,000
each. These pictures were painted by
Titan between 1545 and 1860 for the
dining room of Cardinal Archinto,
Archbishop of Milan.
The next best price obtained was
$1,000, paid by Otto Bernet, as agent,
for "A Masked Ball in Venice" by
Venetian Ridotto in the eighteenth
century.
How the Pictures Sold
The pictures that brought $500 and
above that figure follow, with the title.
artist, buyer and price, in that order:
Portrait OF Young Cardinal" School OF
''Msdonns s- and d CHA Primitive School Of W
Florence; 0. Bernst a. asen, ~. SI5
lommso di Paolo: r. II I0renr -. 925
net. as szeat. -. -. 200
Bsriist. as agent. -. -. 1900
4 K fsrlef . NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. ',' 7g5
KsIn6ersr 1 Galleries " ''.'.'".'|.e"' 400
list" csmpagnoa; q K sietson -. 67S
The NATIVITY o. the Virgin" Ds Poniormo;
". W. seaman. ss asat. ...........-.. 1000
Greco; Enrich Galleries .,........,..... $50
The Annunciation." Mazlolino: o. Bernet
..M.d sss' child CHRIS, and Angel" Eoadi "
"A crueinIion. : Primitive school Of Flor.
Ei. .ai School hoo q Dessa.''''....,.'..,. 500
Deposition from. the Gross lsuo1zD. .-,.
Portrait o. Himself (PeruzzD wsrsiek
Portrait Of Rembrandt" Boil QUO Bsr-
"P SSr q; "a Man" iiBnatij. Rhode Isl. ~
and school Of Desim 49,. ....,.... 1000
Mn c. 5. Lee..'..........,.,..--..--.. 1850
QUO Bernie, las sssnti $500
Be1n metz 5ss ssenij ''''. .,..,..,.' 1880
''Triptych'' primitive School OF Florencel
lc.red and painted woodl. klenberger
'Msaoans and enid" ,ssno di PistroJ. w.
W seaman las azentl .....-......-...-. 1000
Portrait Of CaFolus de Mallery' tRubensl
Warsick House ........--. Co.. =. 49,, $3.50
"Ponrsit OF Man" tFnasIl. Warwick
"PonTst Of the Abbot General Gregoho
BarbsIisO" I'll Basssn0l. l. ]. Jones ..... $50
'P0r,rait Of a Venetian Ambassador tl
Bassno). X EdeFhemer ...,.-..tt.. i2)
Madonna and Child" fSandro BGucelD.
W W Seaman las asent) 60. .......... T.ooa
fhash GALLERIES -. -. a 900
oEpi,cds in the Life Of 81 Meh.sI,' bur -.
gundisn school kleinbergsr Galleries 800
Madonna and Child' tSchool o. Giottol.
otto Beret las AGENT .......--.-:t..--. ~,
''Nsionua and Child tPrmi,iss School Of
Florsncei, klsinhcrser GALLERIES ...,a, l.o5)
"a CulcinEion" tschool " Gio'tol. T. -.
Ma in aad Child'' sno di PetrOl.
Mrs n!sJnin 1naw ..-..st........ l,lb9
'Pos.rslt of Augustine Lomeini" ivan 90.
DyeAl Warwick House, ,...ii.,,o,. '''''
Wsrsiek House ''e....'..'....- 500
..Fooiban In Florence" tCristofano Bron-
Lino Otto Bsnet as AGENT .-.-...-,.. sav
la Bella" lBOrd0nsl; OTTO Berne, las aoA
.asioana and Child'i tsehooi Of Gisttol
klsnbersef Galleries ..,..... s...-...tt. LoVV