Evening star., 1950-07-23
4 RI
New Trends in Art
Are Exen1pHfied
By Porke-Bernet
Annual Report
By Florence S. Berryman

~ IiOISHCe ,. peTfymun
For many years the annual
report of the Parke- -Bernet Gal
leries. New York City's outstand-
ing art and book auction firm,
has been published in these COL
umns. 1t has many facets of
interest, economic and esthetic.
It supplies data on trends in
public taste. and in expansion or
recession of spending habits.
However, the standard it sug-
gests is not absolute, for too many
factors are involved. For example,
the offering at public auction of
some rare, world-famous collec-
ton. with outstanding master
pieces, will boost a total years
sales in a comparatively depressed
period, whereas the absence of
any such exceptional collection is
reflected in the totals even in an
otherwise inflationary year.,
The Parke-Bernet Galleries re-
Gently announced gross total,
$4,537,142 for sales of. the 1949-50
season (ended July - is more
than a million dollars under the
total for the 1948-49 season.
Hiram H. Parke, president of the
Galleries, attributed it in part to
the fact that for the seasons
first six weeks, the Galleries were
occupying temporary quarters at
East Fifty eighth street, follow
ing removal from East Fifty
seventh street, where the firm had
been established for many years.
while waiting to move to the new
permanent home at $50 Madison
avenue. The formal opening of
this handsome structure last No
vember 10 was a gala affair.
While few sales were held in
the temporary quarters. the re-
stricted space curtailed the num-
ber possible to present G6 ses-
sions under the total for the pre-
ceding season.. From the past
seasons opening, September 30,
1949. to its close July /. the
Galleries held 96 scales with 166
sessions. Public interest, said Mr..
Parke. centered mainly on modern
paintings in the fine arts field,
and on English, American and
French 18th century furniture in
the antiques field.
Active Season for Paintings |
The Stuart portrait of George
Washington purchased by George
Washington University last Oc-
tober at the sale of property from
the estate of the late Walter
Jennings held on the premises of
Burrwood, Cold Spring Harbor,
Long Island. fetched the second
highest price paid for paintings
during the season-$17, 500. This
was not surprising, it was the first
full-length portrait of Washington
by Stuart to appear at public
auction in many years. ct was
reproduced in The Star when it
was installed in George Wash
ington University's library last
winter.)
Paintings were important in the
seasons activities. Fourteen sales
were held of paintings alone, or
with small selections of sculpture
and in addition, paintings were
included in many other sales.
Along with the enduring interest
in outstanding works by old mas
ters, the demand for modern
which has increased year
by year for some time, continued
strong. Paintings by Pissarro,
Renoir. Degas, Modigliani, Braque,
Matisse and other modern French
were eagerly sought. A highlight
of the season was the dispersal of
the Josef Won Sternberg collection
OF modern paintings, drawings
and sculptures and African and
Asiatic sculptures. An event of
unusual interest was the sale of
paintings, watercolors and draw
ings by George B. Luks, COM
prising virtually all the remaining
works of this esthetic rebel of the
early Goth century. He is repre-
sented in the permanent collec-
tions of the Corcoran and Phillips
Galleries.
The seasons top price for paint
ings was $27,500 paid for
Raphael'S Peruzzi Madonna (con-
siderably lower, however, than