[PDF] A Record of Art Sales From 1766 to 1896

View - Download A Record of Art Sales From 1766 to 1896

Previous PDF

Next PDF

ARECORDOFARTSALES

FROM1766TO1896

W.ROBERTS

AUTHOROF`THEBOOKHUNTERINLONDON.ETC

VOL.I.

GEORGEBELLANDSONS

1897
magnahypocaustaexilliscalefacerepossit."

PREFACE.

HEchiefdif8cultyexperiencedin

thecompilationOftheseMEMORIALS

OFCHRISTIE_Shasbeen,notthelack

ofmaterial,butthewealthofit.

Tocompressintotwovolumesthe

toclaimthatevery`lotofimportanceisto befoundmentionedwithinthesecovers.To compileacompleterecordofthesalesat witheachofthemanyspecialObjectswhichcome underthehammeratMessrs.Christie,Manson andWoods_ .Suchaworkwouldbeofthe notbeundertakenbyoneuponwhosetimethe dailypressmakeslargedemands.Inthepre themoreimportantonesofthelaterissueshave viPREFACE.

Ofnearlyacenturyandahalf.Thetaskhasbeen

withtheamountoflabourandtimewhichithas notbeeninvain.

IfMessrs.Christiehadnotbeen,fromthevery

logues,nosuchworkasthiscouldpossiblyhave issue.Evenasitis,theirearliervolumesof afewofthe8rstimportanceandinterestare borrowedbooks]theyhaveneverbeenreturned. absolutelyunprocurable.AfewOfthoseabsent foundattheBritishMuseum,andpossiblyelse where,andIhavebeenabletomakegoodsome `gapsafromoutsidesources,andfromcon themembersofthehistoric8rminthismatter.

PREFACE.

fromthevariouspossessorsofthepicturesand otherObjectsOfart.IamalsoindebtedtoTbe

Timesforagenerousselectionfromthemany

whenanygreatsalehasbeenabouttotake place.MyfriendMr.GleesonWhitehas matters.

MEMORIALSOFCHRISTIE_Saisnotinanysense

publishedintwovolumesin1888,fromwhichit noteasytodecideastothemostconvenientplan forsuchaworkasthis.Myownpreferenceswould havebeentomodelitonthesystemadoptedby meansofmakingitavaluableworkOfreference. vbiPREFACE. ablepercentageofthecollectorsweremen^who maybesaidtohavehadno1ndividualitybeyond suchhavebeenaccessible.

Idonotthinkthatanyr

^elaboratedetailsasto thescopeoftheworkarenecessary,asmyObject hasbeentomakethetextassimpleaspossible. pictures,nearlyallofwhichhaveoccurredsub sequentlyinothercollections,wheretheyare dulyreferredto.Thispracticehassavedmuch valuablespace.Anotherpointmaybementioned topreventanypossiblecOnfusion.Wheretwoor beentodrawahardandfastlineastoprices.

Ihavenotattemptedtodrawanysuchline,but

havementionedobjectswhichappearedtometo beworthyOfnote.Priceisbynomeansanin

PREFACE.ix

yearssoldforupwardsof1;The'tastesof undergochanges,andcanbeguidedbynolaw senseandtheabsenceOfanykindofenthusiasm valuableattributes.

Thewriterofanarticleinthe8rstvolume

OftheLz'h'myofMeFineArts,March,1831,

WardourStreet,whereheOpenedbusinessasa

calling,heimprovedhismeans,andremovingto

SpringGardens,CharingCross,commencedas

Ansell.Itwasherethatheexperiencedhis8rst

ofgreatexpectations,totheamountof

Theyounggentlemendiedjustbeforetheex

pirationofhisminority,andChristielostthe s

XPREFACE.

widowtosellpartofherhonouredhusband_ s affairtohisauditorsfromtherostrum.

Fromthesamewriterwelearnthatofthetwo

partnersmentionedinvol.i.,p.11,Sharpwasa

Thiswriteralsoinformsusthatthe8rstJames

hadtheadvantageofaconstantandfriendly

Fathers,astheysometimesinthecharacterof

ofthegeniusObscure,Domenichino_ s,S.del

Biombo_s,DaVinci_

s,etc.

Garrick,RichardWilson,andGainsborough

suchoccasionsthatTomGainsboroughandDavy passedtheordealoftheivoryhammer.

The8rstChristieacquired`auniversalreputa

tionforhonourandintegrity,andsoboundless tothesamewriter,YoungChristie]bywhich distinctionhewasknownuptothetimeofhis deathnevercaredfortheauctionbusiness,a

PREFACE.xi

thespringof1794,torelievehisfatherofthe tediumofthesixdays_saleoftheeffectsofJ. secondJamesChristiewasamemberOfthe

SpectacleMakers_Company,andhissonGeorge

waseventuallyelectedamemberofthesame fraternity.

HampsteadRoad,wherearuniccrossnowbears

thenamesofninemembersofthefamily.James

Mrs.Urquhart,widowOfaScotchwinemerchant.

Twointerestingrelicsofthefounderofthe8rm

8neOldmahoganyrostrumsaidtohavebeenmade

byChippendale,andtheoriginalivoryhammer whichhassealed,sotospeak,thefateOfsomany greatcollections.W.R.

APICTURESALE,CIRCA1770.

CONTENTS.

VOL.I.

CHAP.I.JamesChristieandhisSuccessors.

Marriage21laMode]JohnTrumbull

borough]SirWilliamHamilton]WilliamYoung ]GuyHead]SirSimonClarkeandGeorgeHibbert manBoydell]WelboreAgarEllis]Lafontaine

SpeakerLenthall]WalshPorter(2ndsale)

SanPietro]DukeofRoxburghe]HenryHope]J.

F.Tuffen]Ph.Panné]BenjaminWest]Arthur

TaylorDavidGarrickNollekens]Madame

Murat]SirM.M.Sykes,H.R.H.theDukeofYork

]EgyptianAntiquities]DukeofBedford]Lord grave]LordC.Townshend]W.G.Coesvelt]Sir

CONTENTS

sonofSaltmarshe]EdwardSolly

CHAP.V.1848-1854:TheStowecollectionofthe

DukeofBuckingham]J.NewingtonHughes

CasimirPerier]SirThomasBaring]Montcalm

GalferyatMontpellier]W.Coningham]W.Wells

ofRedleaf]W.W.HopeLordAshburnham

Gardner]E.J.deBammeville

thePoet]LordOrford]TheAltonTowerscollec

V.Flatou]ChinaSales]SirJohnSwinburne]T.

Bullock]DavidMaclise]CharlesDickens

Napoleon]AlexanderBarker]SirE.Landseer

TheMarlboroughGems]SamMendelofManley

IlamHall]W.E.Gladstone]WynnEllis]Gains

CHAP.VIII.1877-1882W.StoneEllis]RobertNa

pier,ofShandon]RobertVernon]BaronAlbert ofManchester]SirHenryRaeburn]TheDucde ]H.A.J.Munro,ofNovar]ThomasGreenwood ]J.H.Anderdon]CharlesDickens]F.W.Hooper ]CharlesKurtz]ColonelHoldsworth]Charles

SackvilleBale]E.J.Coleman]W.Sharp]E.

Hermon,M.P.,ofWyfoldCourt

LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS.

VOL.I.

PLATES.

`THESPECIOUSORATOR,JamesChristieI.Re producedincoloursfromaprintbyR.Dighton

Frontzkpz'

efe portraitbyT.Gainsboroughface possessionofMessrs.Christie byRowlandson,inthepossessionofMr.T.H.

VVoods

CHRISTIE_SAUCTIONROOMS.From`TheMicrocosm

ofLondon,aplate8

MECENASINPURSUITOFTHEFINEARTS.Froma

printbyGillray

THESALEOF`THESNAKEINTHEGRASS.Fromthe

Messrs.Christie

FILIPPINOLIPPI:LASIMONETTA

GREUZE:PORTRAITOFAYOUNGGIRL

THECOVENTRYSEVRESVASES

ILLUSTRATIONSINTHETEXT.

APICTURESALE,CIRCA1770

`APEEPATCHRISTIE_S.aBvGILLRAvPAGE (BernalSale)

DLESTICK(BernalSale)

DRESDENPORCELAINCLOCK

7,

PILGRIM_SBOTTLE,FAENZAWARE

SEVRESVASES

ST.THOMASABECKETT_SRELIQUAIRE

_LIMOGESENAMELCASKET

2JAMESCHRISTIE

OfJamesChristie_sparentageandfamilycon

nectionsverylittleappearstobeknown;andof hiscareeruptothetimewhenhestartedasan beenpublished.Hewas,aswehavealready stated,aScotsman,havingbeenbornatPerthin

1730;hismotherwasaMacdonald,hisfather

anEnglishmanofgoodfamily,WhilstFlora

HeenteredtheNavy,1andheldacommission

underwhichheservedsomeyearsasmidshipman. hewastwenty,owingtoaromanticattachment toaladyofgreatbeautywhomheeventually married,andoncominguptoLondon,hebe inCoventGarden.WithAnnesleyheremained

Dalton,printseller;thebusinesswasat8rst

ANDHISSUCCESSORS.3

Londonhouses,andthesalesofpicturesand

otherchattelsformedbutasmallpercentage ofJamesChristiearelaudatoryinthehighest degree,andcoming,asthesedo,fromSOmany tastesandcreeds,therecanbenoquestion astothehighestimationinwhichhewas held.Hewas,saysone,`oftallanddigni8ed

Reynolds,Gainsboroughandothermenofnote.

Thestoriestoldabouthimareverynumerous,

partofpatriot.AtthetimewhenAdmiralSir

HughPalliser_

shouseinPallMallwasattacked totheBritishNavy,Mr.Christiecalledallhis routedthemob,drivingthemawayinconfusion.

JohnTaylor,theauthorof`MonsieurTonson,a

describesinhisinteresting`RecordsofMy

Life,a1832(vol.ii.206JamesChristiein

highlyflatteringterms.HesaysTherewas thoroughlyagreeableinhismanner.Hewas

4JAMESCHRISTIE

effusionsofgenuinehumour.Hewascourteous, heldingreatesteembyhisnumerousfriends, amongwhomthereweremanyofhighrank.It

Price,agentlemanwellknownintheupper

circlesofhistime,andmoreadmiredforhiswit andhumourthanforthestrictnessofhismoral lossbythisgentlemanamountedto8vethousand pounds;andthiseventaffordedanadditional hearingofthelossandofthehighcharacterof himwiththefullamountofhisloss,ifhisconse correspondswiththetestimonyinfavourofMr.

Garrick_

sbenevolentdisposition,asgivenbyDr. letterstome,andbymylatefriend,Mr.Arthur

Murphy.

AsaproofoftheestimationinwhichMr.

greatEarlofChester8eld,anoblemandistin ofmankind,aswellasforthepolishofhis manners,Irelatethefollowingfact,whichwas

ANDHISSUCCESSORS.5

Bourgeois.Mr.Christiehadaparticularly

ofwhichwereofveryhighreputationabroad.

AnxiousthatthiscollectionShouldbedistin

guishedfromthoseoflesscelebrity,hewaited upontheEarlofChester8eld,towhomhehadthe honourofbeingknown.Ithappenedthatthe

Earlhadseenmanyofthepicturesinquestion

duringhistravels.Mr.Christietoldhislord lookatthem.Hislordshippromisedtoattend thepublicview,andgaveMr.Christieleave toannouncehisintentionamonghisfriends,or whereverhethoughtproper,andinorderto instate.Onthedayappointed,therefore,the roomwascrowdedintheexpectationOfseeing thisvenerableandcelebratednobleman,who arrivedinacoachandsix,withnumerousatten dants.Thecompanygavewayandaffordeda convenientspaceforhislordship.Hewasat tendedbyMr.Christie,whotookthelibertyof thechiefproductionsintheroom.The hisopinions. `IremembercallingonMr.Christieonemorn

6JAMESCIIRISTIE

abidder.IObservedthatifanyofmyfriends happenedtobepresent,theywouldlaughifthey sawmecomeforwardonsuchanoccasion,and that,asitwouldbetotallynewtome,Ishould commitsomeblunder.He,however,repeatedhis request,andIassented.IthappenedasIappre hended,forImadeabiddingbeyondthatofa theestatewasknockeddowntome.Iapologized

AgreatfeatureofthesalesatChristie_satthe

place:thegreatroomwasthenlightedup,and thatanOf8cialfromtheOperawasstationedat belongingtothefashionableworld.Thelastof theseeveningreceptionswasheldwhenWatson

Taylor_

spictureswereonview.Gillray_s`APeep roomatthisperiod.Thiscaricaturehas,asits

ANDIIISSUCCESSORS.7

APEEPATCHRISTIE_S,aBvGiLLRAv.

whoseinimitableperformanceofthecharacter ofNimeneyPimeneyinGeneralBurgoyne_s `Heiressaobtainedherthenickname,hadnot yetbecomethesecondwifeoftheEarlofDerby

8JAMESCHRISTIE

LordDerbyisadmiringasportingpicture,The

DeathofReynard,inallusiontohistastesand

Phryne;inthebackground,engagedinthestudy

ofSusannahandtheElders,isagroupoffashion mode.GillrayhatedbothLordDerbyandMiss boththeladyandherprotector.

Ontwooccasions,JamesChristieI.addedto

investinginnewspaperproperty.Hewasoneof thetwentyoriginalproprietorsoftheMorning

Cnronio/o,1whichstartedinJune,1769,]the

cludedJohnMurray,PeterElmsley,andfour otherbooksellers.TheMorningCnronio/owas

Whiginpolitics,anditseditorwasWilliam

1787

ByMr.CHRISTIE,

Onthepremifes,inthecourfeofafborttime.

ALLthefuperlativelyrich,elegant,andfu

perhHOUSEHOLDFURNITURE,pierglac' es thehigheftbateofperfeétion. pertyof

HisExcellenceCOUNTD_ADHEMAR,Ambac'

France.

10JAMESCHRISTIE

ofwhichareinhighPreservation.aInthenext issueofthesamejournal,DecemberI4th-I6th, we8ndanannouncementthat,immediatelyafter

CoffeeHouse,inCharlesStreet,Cavendish

Square.Thesamejournal,December18th

2Istannouncesthesalebyauctionof`allthis

yearsproduceoftheArti8cialStoneManu bothantiqueandmodern.Itwasnotuntil verylateinthecenturythatMr.Christie_ ssales werereportedbythepress,andthenonlyin

8tsandstarts,andinaveryperfunctorykindof

way.

JamesChristiediedathishouseinPallMall

onNovember81h,1803,aged73,andwasinterred atSt.James_sBurialGroundintheHampstead

Road.Hewastwicemarried,theeldestofhis

children,James,succeedinghim;thesecond,

Charles,Captaininthe5thRegimentofBengal

NativeInfantry,waskilledin1812inPersia,

in1821thefourth,Edward,amidshipman,died afterwardsthedistinguishedmathematician.

AND^HISSUCCESSORS.II

InanObituarynotice,theGentleman_sMoga

zinesaid`InPallMall,aged73,afteralong yearswell-knownandjustlycelebratedasan ofeverykind,whetherbypublicsaleorprivate contract.Withaneasyandgentleman-like9ow ofeloquence,hepossessedinagreatdegreethe addressesbyagentlere8nementofmanners.His remainswereinterredonthe14thinst.a

In1778,Gainsboroughpaintedhisfriend_s

portraitandpresentedittohim;itisahalf length,standingleaningonapicture..This portraitcontinuedtobehungintheKingStreet

Roomsuntil1846.Gainsboroughissaidtohave

madearequestthatthepictureshouldbehung ofdrawingthepublicattentiontohisnameasa

Ontwooccasionsthe8rstJamesChristie

admittedpartners.FromJanuary16th,1777, asChristieandAnsell;andfromFebruaryroth,

1797,uptoandincludingMay2othOfthesame

catalogueofthesaleheldonMay22nd,was ever,blottedoutintheauctioneer_scopy.

JamesChristietheSecond,wasborninPall

I2JAMESCHRISTIE

Mallin1773.HewaseducatedatEton,and

wasintendedfortheChurch,butenteredthe deathhecarriedonwithincreasedsuccess.The wasonlyonedegreelessthanhisabilitiesasan author,hispublicationsbeingasfollows antecedenttotheSiegeofTroywithreasonsfor believingthesametohavebeenknownfrom provedintotheChinese,Indian,Persian,and

EuropeanChess;alsotwodissertationsonthe

oftheboughandumbrellaintheSkiranrites.

4to,London,1801.

`ADisquisitionuponEtruscanVases,display

London,1806.Ofthiswork,whichcontains16

distribution.Tosomecopiesisaddedanengrav ingofavasewhichbelongedtoJ.Edwards.

AnEssayupontheEarliestSpeciesof

Idolatry,theWorshipoftheElements.a4to,

ANDHISSUCCESSORS.13

theEleusinianandothermysteriesin`Outline

EngravingsandDescriptionsoftheWoburn

AbbeyMarbles.4to,London,1825.

`AnEnquiryintotheEarlyHistoryofGreek

Sculpture.a4to,London,1833.

HisintimacywithCharlesTownleyissaidto

haveledJamesChristieintothestudyofthe paintedGreekvases,theresultofwhichwasthe copiesofthe8rstworkintheforegoinglist.It pricebeingtwoguineas.Thelastworkonthe thesecondvolumeof`SpecimensofAncient butalessspeculativepaperbyR.P.Knightwas s aportraitoftheauthorfromabustbyHarry

Behnes,drawnbyHenryCorbould,andengraved

byRobertGraves.

TheSecondJamesChristiewasnotonlya

criticwasrecognizedbyhiselectiontothe

AthenaeumClub,1826,andtotheDilettanti

Society,1824.Hewasforseveralyearsoneof

theregistrarsoftheLiteraryFund.Hediedat

14JAMESCHRISTIE

hishouseinKingStreet,February2nd,1831, whodiedin1834,andGeorgeHenryChristie,J.P ofFraminghamHouse,nearNorwich,whore tiredfromthe8rmin1863,andwhodiedin1887, agedseventy-six.Hewassucceededasthehead ofthebusinessbyhisson,Mr.JamesH.B.

Christie,whoretiredfromthe8rmin1889.

OnFebruary23rd,1831,the8rmbecameknown

asChristieandManson.WilliamManson,who diedin1852,andEdwardhisbrother,who subsequentlybecameapartnerandwhodiedin

1884,weresonsofthewell-knownbookseller,

J.P.Manson,whocarriedonbusiness8rstin

Soho,wherehediedin1812.Thepresenthead

ofthe8rm,Mr.ThomasH.W^oods,whohadbeen formanyyearsanassistant,becameapartnerin

1859,hisnameappearingforthe8rsttimeonthe

NovemberIst.AfterthesecessionofMr.James

partners,beingMr.Taylor,whohadbeenan assistantsince1858Mr.ArthurNattali,who

Seenote,p.2.

ewassucceededasthehud hisson,Mr.JamesH.^8.

I'mthebrmin1889.

3331.thebrmbecameknown

ANDHISSUCCESSORS.15

thepresentcentury.TheAcademyRoomswere

OppositeMarketLane,whichissupposedtohave

beenanarrowthoroughfareaboutahundred yardstothewestoftheHaymarket,andonthe siteofthepresentSeniorUnitedServiceClub.

In1768theRoyalAcademytookpossessionofa

partofthehouseinwhichMr.Christiehadbeen establishedforSixyears.In1770,Christiere movedwestwardtoNo.125,adjoiningSchom bergHouse,whereGainsborough,onhisarrival inLondonfromBathin1774,setuphisstudio.

SchombergHouse,onthesouthsideofPallMall,

isclosetothepresentWarOf8ce,orratherthe halfofitwhichwasnotpulleddownin1852.

Christie_

s`GreatRoomsweretobefoundnext toSchombergHouseuntiltheautumnof1823, whenthenextmovewasto8,KingStreet,St. whatwasformerlyWilson_sEuropeanEmporium, orMuseum,priortowhichtheplacehadanunenvi ablenotorietyasagamblinghell.The8rstsale thatofaLibraryofBooks,December18th.The lateMr.GeorgeRedfordsuggeststhatthepre moreprobablethattheEuropeanMuseumwaslet

OnMayIIthand12th,1791,Mr.Christiehelda

saleofprintsanddrawingshere;andagainon

16JAMESCHRISTIE

January3Ist,andFebruaryIstand2md,1793,he

andprintsat8,KingStreet.Thesecatalogues containanintimationthatcopiesweretobehad attheGreatRoomsinPallMall.Apparentlythe

Road(orMarket),atthetimehecommenced

business,ascataloguesweretobehadthere,as wellasathisGreatRooms.Thedingyexterior alteration,whilsttheoctagonroomisacopyof onebuiltintheAdelphibyAdamforWhitefoord.

JamesChristiebriinnsstartedinbusinessata

mostopportunetimeThedispersalofthecele tionofworksofart,andforoveracenturyafter wardspicturecollectinginEnglandwasalmost unknown.Aboutthemiddleoftheeighteenth modernhistorypresentsnoparallel.`Lachute dutronedeConstantinportadansl_Italieles débrisdel_ancienneGrecelaFrances_ enrichit

Englandinherturnenrichedherselfwiththe

spoilsofFranceandItaly.Thegreaterpropor

ANDHISSUCCESSORS.17

tionofthepictureswhichweresoldatauctionquotesdbs_dbs10.pdfusesText_16

[PDF] Anglais sur mesure - RH

[PDF] Comment Wang Fo fut sauvé

[PDF] ANGLAIS UK Military in Talks to Help Syria Rebels

[PDF] Anglais United Kingdom map Important UK towns

[PDF] ANGLAIS Vocabulaire - Comité d`Initiation et de Recherche

[PDF] Anglais [PDF - 35 Ko ] - Université Toulouse

[PDF] Anglais | Débutant

[PDF] Anglais – 5 journées en immersion - English

[PDF] Comment … parler pour que les enfants écoutent, écouter pour que

[PDF] Anglais – Jeudi 18 novembre 2010 - Anciens Et Réunions

[PDF] Anglais – Jeudi 21 octobre 2010

[PDF] Anglais – PSUP, PC, PSI et ECS1

[PDF] Anglais, Arabe, Chinois, Espagnol, Italien, Latin et Grec ancien

[PDF] Anglais, langue seconde Catégorie 4 – Les composantes d`un texte

[PDF] anglais->français - Sortir Ensemble