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LORD NORTHWICK'S PICTURES.
The dispersion of the gallery of the late Lord Northwick by Mr. Phil- lips' hammer is an event in art circles which calls for special attention.
A lover of art from his earliest youth, Lord Northwick spent a life in collecting works of the highest interest : not confining himself to pic- tures, he assembled all works of art that had the stamp of excellence and merit; cameos, intaglios, coins, were all acceptable to his comprehensive mind, and when one and then another house were not sufficient to con- tain his vast accumulations, he purchased Thurlestane House, in Chel- tenham, not as a house of plaisance for himself; but as a home and resting-place for his beloved works of art.
It was a general wish and hope that the gallery which has been for so many years an object of attraction to every art-loving visitor of Chel- tenham would have been made a bequest in some way to the nation. His Lordship's intestacy has disappointed this hope, and his gallery is now being dispersed to the four corners of the earth, never again to be gathered together by one hand or under one roof. And the lament often felt before recurs on this occasion, that those objects which have cost pains and given delight to a refined mind are now passing under the review of those who look at them as mere vehicles of profit.
A picture sale of this class makes one moralize ; even the auctioneer's' hammer with its varying tone draws out some deeper feeling as he knocks down with a rap triumphant the picture which has realized a price in some degree representative of its merits, perhaps uttered a few words of congratulation to the importunate individual who has succeeded in mas- tering an uncharitable opposition by giving for one some hundred pounds more than its trade value; then there is the rap disdainful, when enough has not been given ; and the rap indignant, when the buyers are so de- void of taste and spirit as not to approach the right value of a lot in their bidding.
The taste of Lord Northwick was, as we have remarked, varied; but it must not be said that hisjudgment was uncertain. The gallery at Thurlestane is remarkable for its many undoubted and most authentic pictures, and as remarkable for the great number of its very doubtful works. For the former, dealers British, Continental, American are come to buy pictures which they can but rarely get; for the latter, amateurs, nevi homines, and men of this class, to get if not high, respectable art cheap, and enliven their homes and cheer existence by being the owners of pictures which, if not Titian's are Titianesque, if not from the hand and easel of the Caraeci, have the grace to look of their school.
All tastes are in the course of gratification in spite of the Marquis of Hertford, the Niewenhuys, Ferrer; Chippendales, Myers, and hosts of agents like Rhodes, who come armed and laden with commissions to fight the battle of the auction. The first day's results were satisfactory, high prices having been obtained, the sum total rising to 37501.
The second day the results rose higher still, approaching nearly. 42001. Lot 122, by Vandervelde, produced 100 guineas, a charming specimen of the master. Two portraits by Van Somer of the Earl and Countess of Arundel, fell to Mr. Graves for 1051. each. The Locatelli, the best pic- ture of this master on this side of the Alps we ever remember to have seen, brought 1891. A matchless Weenix became the property of the Marquis of Hertford for 350 guineas, an extravagant price for the master. A fine Canaletto 4201. The gem of the collection, the incom- parable Van Eyck, fell to Mr. Brett for 495 guineas ; and large as this sum is, there is no doubt that it does not by any means represent its true value. For delicacy, harmony, and grace, there are few such pic- tures.
The results of the third day amounted to under 3000/. The pictures were not of the same high class as those of the second day. We must, however, except a Cuyp 145 guineas ; a Van Huysum, a charming pic- ture, 491 guineas ; a Berghem, which ought to have realized double the amount, only 145 guineas; a Coques the large sum of 300 guineas; and an exquisite Platzer 49 guineas.
On Friday, the 29th July, there was a very crowded room to do honour to English art. Manchester, Birmingham, and London, sent forth principals and agents, dealers and collectors, to encourage, by pur- chase, our British school. The sum total of Friday's sale tells how Englishmen love English art, and what they are willing to give for fine pictures when there is no question of the genuineness of the masters. Eighty-two pictures realized 66771. 13s. 6d. on that day. it C. Eastlake's View of the Erectheum, 40 guineas; Cooke's Ruinsof a Martello Tower, 81 guineas ; Hook's Dream of Venice, a picture rich in tone and of singular grace, 345 guineas; Frost's Sabrina, a most charming picture, 207 guineas ; Jutsum's Trout-stream, 4.5 guineas ; Lauder's Maiden's Reverie, a work of great merit, 58 guineas ; Eastlake's Peasant Girl of Albano and her Blind Mother, 135 guineas ; Patrick ,Nasmyth's View in Leigh Woods, a picture with all the depth and quality of Hobbima, most deservedly produced 710 guineas ; Ward's Battle of Marston Moor, 85 guineas ; another example of Nasmyth, 70 guineas ; a most sparkling and glowing specimen of the elder Linnell, 376 guineas; Lawrence's fine portrait of Pitt, 140 guineas; Lee's View at Redhap, 50 guineas ; Sidney Cooper's Cattle in Canterbury Meadows, though so often repeated and seen, yet hailed and greeted with unabated pleasure, 125 guineas ; Sir A. Callcott's Mill-pond, rather a favourable example of that distinguished artist, 250 guineas; Cooke's Scheveling Sands, 220 guineas ; Webster's Dunce punished, a perfect production— in tale-telling power, truth, and brilliancy unrivalled, fetched 1005 guineas ; Morton's portraits of the Duke of Wellington communicating his Despatches to Colonel Gurwood, 200 guineas ; another Cooper, 95 guineas ; Cooke's Fishing-smack getting off the Shore at Scheveling, 180 guineas; and the Mulready, known to every admirer of this highly- gifted artist by its title of the Convalescent, 1180 guineas. On Tuesday, the 2d of August, Mr. Phillips resumed the sale of the earlier masters collected by the late Lord Northwick, which continued to realize quite an ample value. A fine portrait of the Duke of Cumberland by Sir J. Reynolds produced 200 guineas; Hogarth's unengraved picture of the Hazard Table, 62 guineas ; a Claude, 116 guineas ; an example of that rare master, Camphuysen, 510 guineas; a very pretty Prins, 46 guineas ; another Claude, 90 guineas; Titian's Daughters, 32 guineas; Carl Junsen's portrait of Fletcher the Dramatist, 72 guineas ; two Vanderveldes severally 180 guineas and 105 guineas ; two Van Somers, 175 guineas and 85 guineas ; a Gaspar Poussin, remarkable for brightness and condition, 320 guineas ; a Claude, 210 guineas ; a Carl Cignuni, a very pleasing picture, 34 guineas ; an undoubted Cuyp, 431 guineas ; a N. Berghem, very fine, 160 guineas ; Murillo's Jacob placing the peeled rods before the sheep of Laban, produced the unaccountable sum of 1410 guineas; Duvill's Belisarius, 105 guineas; Backhuysen's portrait of himself, 66 guineas ; another very fine Gaspar Poussin, 260 guineas ; Watteau's Return from the Chase, 98 guineas; a most exquisite painting of a boy by Greuze, 135 guineas. Besides some Vernets and others of less note, which in some few instances did not realize their value. On Wednesday, the 3d, the lovers of early Christian art had an oppor- tunity offered them of gratifying their tastes and of purchasing some remarkable specimens of sixteenth century art. Guido's St. Jerome from the Sutton Mart collection, produced 350 guineas ; St. George, by Masucus, 190 guineas; an incomparably fine Raffaelino del Gurbo, the Virgin and Child, 92 guineas; the same subject by Pietro Perugino, 350 guineas ; Conegliano's St. Catherine, 800 guineas—rarely is so fine an example of this master seen on this aide of the Alps ; the Virgin and Child, by Girolamo da Treviso, 450 guineas—this picture was purchased, as was also the very fine but much restored picture by Giulio Romano, of the Birth of Jupiter, 920 guineas, for the nation : the announcement of this fact to the company was hailed with loud applause ; a Virgin, by Verocchio, produced the large sum of 230 guineas • a Ioly Family, by Parmegiano, 100 guineas ; and an unquestionable, though not very fine specimen of Jan Bellini, 300 guineas.
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