Evening star., 1936-06-27

of real meSit which have stood the
test of time. They are perhaps much
more normal than the prices brought
few gears ago when it seemed as
though the flow of money was mex
haustible.
1t is interesting to observe how
steadily certain works nave advanced
in price as they have successfully ap-
peared in auction sales rooms. Take,
for example, a painting by Rembrandt,
"Bathsheba at Her Toilet" in the Alt
man collection, Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York. 1t was painted In
1643. When the Baron Six collection
was dispersed in 1874 it brought 500.
In the Heinrich Ale in 1740 it ad-
vanced to $145 1t was purchased
years later by Sir Thomas Lawrence
and when his collection was sold
brought $795. In 1841 it was back in
Paris and sold for 1876. 1t did not
come up again at an auction sale until
1918, when it brought, also in Paris,
the sum of $4,000. Millet's AN
gelus" advanced in the same manner,
but in less time and greater bounds,
from 5000 in 1859 to $50, 900 in 1890.
During Degas' lifetime his painting,
THE Dancers at the Bar" brought at
a public sale SOS, 700. Mr.. Mellon is
reported to have paid a fabulous price
in seven figures for one or more of
the paintings in his collection pur-
chased from the Hermitage Museum,
Russia. The prices paid by Mr. Hunt
ington for Gainsborough's Blue Boy"
and by Mr.. Frick for a portrait Of
Washington by Gilbert Stuart were
less, but stupendous, but these we're
all at private sale.
1t is interesting to know that the
market for paintings by American ar
lists was established and prices ap-
proximately fixed by the Evans and
Clark sales conducted in the COS in
New York by the American Art Asso-
citation. 1t was this same firm which
dispersed the Waggaman collection of
this city, upon which memorable oc-
casion the record price of S1s,500 was
obtained for a painting by Joseph
Israels entitled "Grandfather's Con-
ISOLATION"
The advance in the price of prints
is phenomenal. Rembrandt's etching,
The Burgomaster Six" which orig
inally sold for $40, has been known
to bring sl3 420. A "Nocturne" by
Whistler, which was issued as one of
a set of II published in 1880 for $3.50.
sold in 1917 for $4,000. These are
merely typical examples among works
by the outstanding masters. Witness
the advance in recent years of the
price of Currier and Ives prints.
ONE Of the first art auctions TO be
held in this country was that of
the collection Of Joseph Bonaparte,
which took place at his residence in
Bordentown, N. j., in 1845 Christie's
in London was established in 1856.
One OF the most famous sales held
in England was that of Fonthill Abbey
in 1920, when including the abbey
itself, the total amount netted was
approximately $1,000 600. This sale
continued for 33 days and catalogues
sold 70 the number of 5000 at a
guinea apiece.
For a good many years the American
Art Annual has published lists Of
paintings and prints sold at auction
in this country, with the prices
brought; similar lists have been pub
lished separately in Great Britain.
The Metropolitan Museum Of Art in
New York has upward Of 5000 priced
catalogues, as well as card indexes, Of
sales, so that the history OF important
works can be traced and prices rea-
sonably established.
Sale by auction is by no means an
invention Of modern tines-there are
records Of auctions Of war spoils in
Rome in ancient times-and that the
methods now in vogue are practically
the same now as then seems very re-
markable. Seneca describes such an
auction as follows: The courts in the
Forum were set apart for the purpose
ana a spear was erected at the en-
trance as a signal A placard describ-
ii4S tiiS PAOPCA y W DS SoAA was aAAASu
TO a pillar in some public place. A
public crier acted as mouthpiece to
bidders, who, If they accepted the
price. held up their fingers. He then
advanced the price and kept on ad-
vancing 1t until only one finger was
visible. The lot was at last adjudged
to the persevering finger. A licensed
broker noted the price, collected the