Unknown Collector Pays Record Price For Hals

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30121, 3 May 1963, Page 11

Unknown Collector Pays Record Price For Hals

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

NEW YORK, May 2.

A “mystery man" art collector in Britain last night paid 606,000 dollars for a painting by the Dutch artist, Frans Hals, “The Merry Lute Player.”

The price was a record for paintings by the famous 17th Century Dutchman. The 35in by 29in canvas was sold at a New York auction, with a British buyer, Mr Edward Speelman, relaying bids over an open transAtlantic telephone line from London.

Mr Speelman was acting for ■» unnamed purchaser. There was no clue here to the new owner’s identity. Biding was over in two minute at the exclusive Parke-Bernet galleries on New York’s Madison Avenue. In that Jime the price rose by 100,000 dollars, to make it the third-highest paid for a painting at an American auction.

The painting completed in 1627, shows the half-length figure of a youth, holding a glass of wine in his right-

hand and neck of a lute in his left. It was from the collection of the late Oscar Cintas, Cuban Ambassador to the United States in 1932-34. He left his collection of paintings to a foundation set up to foster art and aid artists of Cuban origin. The previous highest price for a Hals was 509,600 dollars paid in London in 1960 for his “Portrait of a Cavalier.”

At least three other paintings have brought higher prices. Rembraindt's “Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer” was sold for 2,300,000 dollars, Fragonard’s “La Liseuse” for 875,000 dollars and Reubens’ “Adoration of the Magim” for 770,000 dollars.

Altogether 24 paintings of the Cintas collection were sold last night for a total of 1,280,500 dollars. A New York private collector bought it with a single bid of 65.000 dollars.

An El Greco. “The Annunciation,” brought 27,500 dollars, while Bellini’s “Madonna and Child” brought 25,000 dollars.