PRICES OF PICTURES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 34, 31 May 1876, Page 3

PRICES OF PICTURES.

\Vi: were reee rvtly informed by one of ~ur ! picture dealers that not long ago, de-urfiv-f t" obtain a work front the hand of a frtMicli painter, who- shall by nameless, ,ut who is well known as the most etni,,,i,t ( ,f tin? day in minute studies, in talkwith fiitu the price to be paid, lomcthing like .ilivKH* was named. When, ifti-i- Hoiiio delay, the picture was almost iuislu.'il, the dealer called upon the artist, Hm stated- that the work was nearly com-,|,-ti:tl, lutt In' nmxt have more money for i, tli.-iu they had at first talked about. •Hli," said the dealer, "that is rather mfnt'tuiiatu for me ; but what, may J !sk, is the price yon put upon the picture !" • l-'ive thousand live hundred pounds," i-:is the reply. The dealer said he must Incline to accede to those terms, mentionn-' lit the same time the disappointment lu.t would l»e e v iierienced by his tdients i, whom he had- spoken of his prokubte niiiisitioti. ruder these Kireumstantes, |»: painter said lie would take five thousand pounds, beiuy: five hundred less than lie priee he had named ; but the dealer I ill declined. The picture was, however, hortly sold hy the artist for the price he ad piil; upon, it. iN'ow, is it to be believed lutt any modern picture, in size but a i-i-y few inches* siptare, coitht realty be i-oi'tli any sueli sunt as five thousand inMinis! We think not, and the sooner hese riilieiilously- sensational prices are Kiu-lonril, and payuieuts move proporloimte to the work done inade, the better !-. will lie -us indicating a more healthy hil.e of the picture market— for art and i-tists idso. —" t^ueen."