PAINTER OF HORSES.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19413, 12 September 1928, Page 22

PAINTER OF HORSES.

£IOSO FOR A STUBBS. COMPETITION* FROM I.S.A. tTBOIC oua OWK CORBZSPONDKNT.) .... ■ i : LONDON, July . 24.' ' In the u Daily .Telegraph'..? Exhibition at Olympia (\vrifces;A. C."E„ Carter) ■ there is, a Sartorius portrait of the Old Berkeley' huntsman, Tom Oldqker,, Jor which Messrs Ellis 'and Smith paid ,4700 guineas at Christie's , as recently,,;as July 13th, thVMiighest auction bid; for any sporting or < hunting picture. ■-'Sfefc it is certain that if ever a first-class pic : ture ;by the' greatest horse paiiflter in' the history of /British art;. Greorgo Stubbtf, A.R.A. 1(1724-1806), were' to appear at auction even t}jis amount would be exceeded, because collectors sucfi as Lord; Woolavingtou: have now . to; fight;, equally eager: competitors livifl^( . ro/l Texas' an 4, Kektuckyi- •': v, A .foretaste of such.' an event. wsis" provided' at' Christie's yesterday, a small panel portraiti-'by ;Stul3bs 'of-a gentleman on a white -horse jvas offered,. arid caused the to go to lOOt) guineas' fo.?. it; Mr Japies Spencer Payne - ?ind bthej;'.!l?ecii \ judgesf being among- the ' In the- opinion of Payne, ; the portrait of Eclipse, which was brought 'for tho comparativelyf rnodest sum - gf: 660. guineas in 1902, and is now v the possession of Mr Walter. Raphael, 1 is worth at least 10,000 guineas., Sir. Walter; Gilbey owned tha original-Stubbs study for all the Eclipse and in .1915. this was sold at-Elsenham for the'moderate price of 410 guineas, another Gjilbey picture of Ellipse (now in America)'fetch- - ing. 700.- guineas.-. ■ > .

Tlio Nosham Collection. , 'The collection in which /th' 3' Stubbspanel' appeared yesterday , wan formed! i by the late Robert Nesham, of Clapham i Park* a-yvery. shrovd and: frugal -buyer i iin bis'.day,'who was considerably aided i in his bargain-hunting by Mr Palmer*; iHe brought thia Stub"ba panel ior ( a few ■ guineas long; before ther present craze i had begjin, and he also acquired at a | loA?"p¥ice a"delightful picture; by W. 11, Bigg, E.A. "The Performirig^Dog,'' which appropriately matted the centenary of'-the painter's -death by: bringing an auction majiritum for. one of his. pictures, 680 guineas; (-De Casseres). i •. , In 1920 the,artist's "Dancing Dogs" realised 130' guineas, but considerable sunis have been,' gi'ven for the engravings after, Bigg-'s .homely such, as '' Black Holiday,'' the day of a boy 's •return, to ipictures .wete' a pair by F. W.neatley, E.A., ''Courtship,'' \ and ''Matrimony' only 13Jin /by llin,< 310. guineas .(Leggatt); • a Zoffany "portrait of! a lady - sfeated under some trees, 360 guinea:; (Pawsey , and Payiie) ; a Richard ' Wilson view In. Italy, 240 guineas (Leggatt); and a pair of river scenes signed and dated 1723/ by J. Pillement, 390 guineas ; (Ellis an# Smitli); These had once belonged to Horace Walpole -at StrawbertyhUJ.