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LORD xounrwlex's SALE.
On Wednesday last Mr. Phillips brought his labours to an end, and dispersed one of the largest, if not quite the largest, private galleries on this side of the Alps, amongst dealers and collectors ; the gross sum ob- tained being nearly 96,0001. Not Fonthill, nor Stowe, nor the King of Holland's collections presented so great a value as this ; it therefore did not surprise us to find judges and experts from all parts of Europe as- sembled before the auctioneer's rostrum to obtain, if possible, gems of art of a very high and unquestionable excellence.
In a gallery containing more than fifteen hundred pictures it was not to be expected that all should be of the highest order, nor that all should have come from the easel of the great masters whose name they bore ; but the pictures had the merit of being ascribed to the right schools, and in this particular Lord Northwiek proved himself to be a connoisseur of great knowledge and judgment. The gems which were unquestionable realized very large sums, and many other specimens values purely conventional and capricious ; but then we bear in mind that wealth must have its outlets in the direction of art, and that the Sir Vistos of our day, like those of the days of Pope, not only have tastes but large means for their gratification. We have but one wish to record, viz., that the living artists could but have received the prices obtained for their labours now.
For instance, Nasmyth!z two pictures, for which Lord Northwick paid him 1201.,lots 350 and 1208, brought 1270 guineas ; Maelise's pictures of Robin Hood and the Marriage of Strongbow, lots 1178 and 1210, pro- duced respectively 1305 and 1710 guineas ; Muller's View of Athens, 620 guineas ; Roberts' two interiors of Westminster Abbey and the Church of St. Jacques at Rouen, lots 1104 and 1165, 315 and '285 guineas ; Creswick's Mountain Stream, lot 1158, 350 guineas ; Sidney Cooper's Meadows with Cattle and Sheep, lot 1167, 455 guineas ; It. Wilson's engraved and well-known picture of Cicero's Villa, lot 1182, 300 guineas ; Frost's two charming pictures of Sabrina and Diana and her Nymphs, lots 328 and 1201, 207 and 675 guineas ; Poole's exqui- sitely imagined illustration of Job receiving the Report of his Misfor- tunes, lot 1209, 610 guineas ; Ward's Disgrace of Clarendon, lot 1210, 805 guineas ; a Landscape by the elder Linnell, lot 370, 375 guineas. The enamels by Bone were very fine, and brought great sums , the Marquis of Hertford purchasing the portrait of Lady Hamilton as Ariadne for 700 guineas.
Among the pictures of the older masters, a fine P. Wouvermans brought 1035 guineas ; two very perfect specimens of Van Os, of fruit and flowers, 186 guineas ; a very fine Ascension of the Virgin, by Andrea Saechi, 200 guineas. The Royal Academy became the possessors of a copy by Raffaele Mengs, of the Madonna del Foligno, for 105 guineas. As did the National Gallery of the Glorification of the Virgin, by Masetti of Brescia, for 550 guineas ; a Village Fete, by D. Teniers, produced 250 guineas ; a very perfect specimen of Jacob's Palmer fell to Mr. Butler for 160 guineas ; a Virgin and Child, by Francis, fell to Mr. Nieuwinhuys for 185 guineas ; a portrait of Pierre Both and his wife, the first Governor of Batavia, by Albert Cuyp, went for the irreconcilable price of 920 guineas ; Carlo Dolce's St. John realized more than 2000 guineas ; a genuine Giorgione, a musical party, 750 guineas ; the Al- ehymist, by D. Teniers, 675 guineas ; Schidone's Girl with the Horn- book, 405 guineas ; Girolajo's Stoning of St. Stephen, 1530 guineas.
These suffice to show how pictures of great merit are appreciated. In the early period of the sale the prices obtained were not so great as in its last days ; then many valuable pictures were knocked down at really inconsiderable sums, and we congratulate those who were thus successful in their purchases. But these congratulations are alloyed by the regret that a gallery which had been for so many years a source of instruction and pleasure to both residents and visitors of the attractive town of Chelten- ham, should have been doomed to sale and dispersion by reason of the intestacy of its late owner.
The nation at large, however, owes thanks to the present Lord for an endeavour made by him to save the gallery from this fate. We under- stand that he offered a very large sum of money to the heirs of the per- sonality, in order that Thirlestane House and its contents might be con- tinued on their late footing, which offer they refused.
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