VALUABLE PICTURES

Shannon News, 4 October 1927, Page 3

VALUABLE PICTURES

Recently £192,417 was realised in a day at an auction sale of pictures at Christie’s (London) and at one stage in the proceedings bids were being made at the rate of £2,000 per minute.

But these remarkable figures by no means constitute a record. A few months ago a two-days’ sale of the late Lord Michelham’s art collection realised £570,000. The second day’s transactions, Which dealt exclusively with pictures, were responsible for £432,000. At these auction sales de luxe there

may be seen art collectors, dealers -and connoiseurs, and also agents operating ,on behalf of Eastern potentates an<. millionaires from both sides of the Atlantic.

The fact that a very large proportion of the .treasures, including not only pictures, .but rare books and manuscripts, art furniture and tapes tries, eventually find their way to America is causing much heart-burn ing amongst art lovers in England. A Christie’s in May, Messrs Knoeldlers. the American dealers, obtained some of the finest of the Old Masters. Romney’s portrait, “Lady Hamilton as Bacchante,” realised 10,001 guineas; Romney’s “Mm. Prescott anc Children,” 9,200 guineas, and Gainborough Is “Portrait of James Christie” 7,200 guineas. Last year £11,025 was paid for a portrait of Elisabeth De "Val-vois (Queen of Spain) by Antonia Morr, and a Romney of Lady Lushington bi-ought £8,215. A more recent sale produced some higher figures. The bidding for a small Turner opened at 10,000 guineas and did not close until 29,000 guineas was reached. Reynold's portrait of Lady Ann Fitzpatrick as “Sylvia” brought 18,500 guineas, while Rembrandt’s “Portrait of a Man’ 1 ’ was sold for 30,000 guineas. But even such fabulous prices as these pale into insignificance when compared with some of the individual figures of the Michelham sale. Romney’s portrait “Anne, Lady De La Pole,” Gainborough’s “Miss Tatton” and the same artist’s “Master Heathcote” each realised 44,000 guineas and two pictures by Boucher, “La Pinee” and “La Fontaine D’Amour,” brought 45,000» guineas. A portrait by Thomas Lawrence of Miss Moulton Barrett, a little lady in a white frock with pink sash and pink hat and fluttering ribbons, more familiarly known as “Pinkie,” started with the encouraging bid of 10,000 guineas. In the end a total of 74,000 guineas was reached, record prices for an auction room. These figures convey some idea of the amount of money which changes hands annually in the business of art dealing and the hobby of collecting, a bobby - almost exclusively that of millionaires.