Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-07-12
Art News
Sales Report
For 1873
By Florence S. Berrymon

Pdo1AA1C. Ollc SCI OF CIFcum.
stances which supply one ana
lyst with q rock foundation
for his conclusions, may turn
out to be completely opposed
to the combination which sup
plies another with a quite con-
Trajectory summing up.
With the objective of giving
Washington collectors at least
one logical basis for their own
decisions on the subject, the
annual report of the United
States most prominent art
auction firm, the Parke-Ber-
net Galleries of $50 Madison
avenue. New York City, has
been summarized in these col
umns for many years. The
latest report, covering the
1923 season just ended, was
released only two days ago.
OF the six single sales which
fetched the highest totals dur
ing the season, three were Of
French furniture, paintings
and other art property. Two
others in the top five were Of
precious stone jewelry and fine
furs. The sixth was of English
furniture, silver and art OBJ
jects. This Is interesting news
in the light Of a story in
The Star for June is, headed
French Antiques Go Back to
Chateaux as American Fad
Fails"
Over 4 Million Gross
Ninety-six sales held during
the season at Parke -Bernet
Galleries crossed $4.118,667.
Collectors who recall that not
. so many years ago, the gross
was more than six million an
nually, can reach the logical
conclusion that totals have
fallen because Uncle Sans
super-tax policies dampen the
enthusiasm Of collectors who
used to think nothing Of blow
ing five and six figure sums
for a single trinket.
Highest totals for single art
sales we're $165, 1877 for the
Felix Wildenstein collection of
French fine and decorative
arts, $150.310 for a French
and other private holdings of
French fine arts. $4,000 for
the art property of Comte
Charles de Roman-Chabot
and $99,10 for English furni-
ture, silver and objects of art.
There was a decline in the
number of important collec-
tions placed on the market the
past season, but price levels,
on the whole. remained the
same as in recent years. Nor
was any significant shift in
collecting preferences noted.
Impressionists Strong
There was a decidedly bull
ish market for French impress
sioniStS. All but one Of the II,
highest prices paid during the
year for paintings were
fetched by those artists who
have attained, in the stability
of their appeal, the status of
old masters.
Renoir headed the list, with
the two top prices: LA Fete
de Pam" $4,000; La Femme
de la Rose" $4,000 illus-
trated). Following them were
Degas' "Trois Danseuses, $20,-
900; Manet's pastel portrait of
Mime, Jeanne Martin au Cha
peau 'Noir," $4,000; Frans
Halls Portrait of a Gentle
man. (the exception, $24,500:
Pissarro's "Jardin du Louvre.
Matin, Solejl d'Hiver." $4,000;
Sisley's "St. Mammes, lie Ma
tin," $4,000; Degas' "Blan-
chisseuse Portant du Linge,"
$10,500; Monet's portrait of
his wife in a garden, $10,250:
Pissarro's lie Louvre, Matin,
Soleil, 1907 $10,25O, and Sis
ley's La Quatorze Juliet: La
Seine au Point du Jour-" So
500.
Record prices for the Ameri-
can market were reached by
three works in the Wildenstein
sale: $1,000 for Boudin's La
PLACE a Deauville," $500 for
a gouache and pastel by Tou-
louise Lautrec, "L'Argent";;
and ST., $50 for a small pen and
watercolor drawing by Guys.
Promenade"
Furniture and Prints
English, Am lean and
French 18th century furniture
again led this field in appeal
for the collecting public who
also showed marked interest in
period silver, old porcelain and
fine decorations.
During the 1923 season,
there were six sales of prints,
etchings and other graphic
art. None were major collec-
tions, but notable items in va
rious sales fetched high prices.
Among them were the COM
plete Mansfield collections of
Autographs and lithotints by
James McNeill Whistler, S.
200; two etchings by Whistler,
"Fumette" and Swan and
Iris $1,000; Rembrandt's
Clement de Jonghe," $4,000.
and his "Lieven Willems van
Coppenol" (the small plate).
$1,000.
kA-~2Se M~, CL~.