Evening star., 1941-07-06
Big Increase in Receipts Is Reported by
Country's Leading Art Auction House
Season Has Been
Best in II Years,
Says Executive
Bv Leila MechHn.

among the chief topics of conversa-
ton and concern, it is quite startling
to learn from report just released
by the Parke-Bernet Galleries, New
York, the leading art auction house
In this country Gf not in the world)
that receipts for the season begin
ming October /, 1910, and ending
June 80, 1941. were 54 per cent
higher than for the same period
reported last year, and the highest
for any art and book auction house
in the United States since 1929. The
gross sales reported amount to
S3.606 ,38175. Hiram H. Parke, pres
ident of the galleries. commenting
on this astonishing advance, said:
ut is not surprising that the past
season is our best in u years, be-
cause an astonishing strength and
steadineSS have almost always char
acteriZed the New York art and book
auction market in critical times.
This was particularly true during
the first World War. There are
several reasons, in my opinion, for
the present strong market. The only
major art and book auction market
in the world at present operating
under the normal conditions neces-
sary to produce free competition is
in the United States-that is to say,
in New York. In times of critical
international relations people desire
to invest money in personal property
Of permanent international value.
Also, the llmltlng-in fact, virtual
closing-of the European source of
supply, and the large number of COL
lections which have been given out
right to museums and libraries, have
created a greater demand for such
property as does come on the auc-
ton block here"
Increased Attendance.
Notwithstanding this logical eX-
PLANTATION, Mr.. Parke confesses that
many of the sales during the past
season brought between 25 and 40
per cent more than his firms ad-
vance estimates. Note is also made
of the fact that the audiences which
attended these auctions-for the
most part, potential buyers-in-
creased tremendously this year. with
war coming closer to our shores
week by week. The number of per-
sons who attended exhibitions and
sales at the Parke- -Bernet Galleries
during the season was 100000, which
apparently would indicate a broad
enlng interest in cultural things.
Two of the art collections sold
have particular interest for Wash
mgtonlanS and those living in this
part OF the country. One of these
is the Mrs. Henry Walters art COL
lection and library, which, when
sold in April and May, brought the
largest amount for any one coller-
ton during the season, a total of
S646 604. Mrs. Walters is the widow
of the donor of the Walters Gal
lery, Baltimore. The other collec-
tlon-the property of Mrs. Herbert
Shlpman, widow of Bishop Ship
man and the daughter of the late
Edison Bradley of Washington
brought s63,97750. Great amounts
were recorded, however, for the j.
Horace Harding collection, which
totaled $183,152.50, and the art prop
erty consigned by Mr.. and Mrs.
John E. Aldred, which totaled $780,
102.50.
The Walters collection included
not only works of art but books;
and in this connection it may be
mentioned that the library of A.
Edward Newton, the Well-knoWn
book collector and essayist of Phil
adelphia, brought $29O,983. Appar-
emily there were those who had
money to spend, for in addition to
these large amounts the Edward S.
Knapp stamp collection brought
$50, 1895.
Outstanding Work.
The largest price paid for a single
painting during the season was
$34,000-for a child portrait by
Goya, Victor Guye, Nephew of
Gen. Nicholas Guye," which was in
cluded in the Harding collection.
This is an outstanding work. COM
parable to the masterpieces by the
same artist included in the Mellon
collection in the National Gallery
Of Art. Also of utmost interest and
value in the Harding collection
were Reynolds portrait of Mrs.
Freeman, jr., lovely canvas, which
brought $4,000. Gainsborough's
portrait of Mrs. Fitzherbert," NOR
ganatic wife of George ", sold for
$1,000, and Pastoral Landscape"
by the same artist, brought $4,000.
Other top prices were; From the
Walters collection, Blind Mans
Buff" by Fragonard, Sl2,5OO: lie
Moulin" and LIE Cours d'Eau,"
s16,50O; Mrs. Scott Moncrieff," by
Raeburn, $4,000 and THE Duchess
of Cumberland" by Romney, $4,000.
Besides which, marble bust OF
Voltaire, by Houdon, sold for $4,000,
and a small terra Gotta "Nymph
and Satyr," by Clodion, $l2,500. Wy
ing with these works by the great
masters was the sale of water
color drawing, THE Great Red
Dragon and the Woman Clothed
With the Sun" by William Blake,
which was knocked down at 0,l00,
while a presentation copy from
Lewis Carroll of the genuine first
Cor suppressed edition Of Alice in
Wonderland" brought $l5,300.
AS compared with the fabulous
prices paid by the late Andrew
w. Mellon for the paintings which
he presented to the National Gal
lery of Art or by the late Henry
E. Huntington for such works as
~The Blue Boy" Mrs. Siddons as
the Tragic Muse" "Pinkie," or, for
that matter by Jules Bache and the
late Henry c. Frick for works now
to be found in the galleries given
by them to the City of New York
and visiting public, those just quoted
are as nothing. Mr.. Mellon, it will
be recalled, paid $1,000000 for the
"Alba Madonna" by Raphael, and
for many of the other canvases
included in his most generous gift,
amounts in six figures. But these
purchases were made at a time
--,.;ob ,,roba h1y never will come