AN ART BLUNDER

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 150, 28 June 1938, Page 20

AN ART BLUNDER

REVEALED AT A SALE foui An incident in the first day's sale r of the George Durlacher antiques, v which realised £6566 at Christie's, repealed one of those rare occasions when the experts were wrong, says A. § 2. K. Carter in an article in the 'Daily. Telegraph and Morning Post." rhe mistake was made 26 years ago Si n the famous Johh Edward Taylor inte iispersal. ar tj ( Then all the authorities on French "Dis Bth century sculpture agreed that a Gua >eautiful terra-cotta figure of a wo- larg nan bathing was by Etienne Maurice Jam falconet, the eminent craftsman whose mod Nymphe Descendant au Bain" adorns to t he Louvre and whose colossal bronze univ tatue of Peter the Great should still own '8 in old St. Petersburg. conj< Accordingly, in 1912, this terra-cotta ( incoi igure, "La Baigneuse," caused a £u- to S ore of Bidding, Mr. George Durlachcr expl /inning it at 3000 guineas. Yet it re- that lained on his hands because, as time sun, /ent on, doubts were raised as to suit whether it was by Falconet himself, the s >t the latest sale the only claim made ing t fas that it was in hlsjstyle. Thisadmis- the > on naturally put a damper uporj en- Whei lusiasm After an opening bid of neari nly five guineas, the competition grew tract little keener, and Mr. Martin Norton great on : the figure at 230 guineas. brok< Another tragi-comedy of collecting the li 2Curred in 1012 when Charles Wert- come aimer's treasures were sold. A Louis plane rnunode and table which he had U p is jught in a French chateau for £44,000 tiona itched only 780 guineas. He used to' more iy that not only had he been deceiv- on tl 1, but—far worse—he had deceived distal mself. He thought that they were Merci r Eiesener. P l uto The highest price paid was 540 gui- o ne h ;as, given by Mr. John Hunt for a cury'i tie ; bronze group of Hercules and whicl e Nemean lion, South German, circa once 80. "An Italian rock crystal and j n tei amelled gold reliquary, sixteenth twent ntury, realised 510 guineas (L. Har- expla 0. The same buyer paid 240 gui- tween as for a Louis Seize clock by F. L. jeans irddn. ... very> An Italian pendant jewel, sixteenth ntury, formed as a figure of Diana> th a hound, fetched 390 guineas Lon •oldschmidt), and a Hispano-Mauro land, ih, fifteenth century, went for 290 the in ineas (Stora), the te ~ A

TOMORROW at 10 a.m. UNRESERVED AUCTION SALE 0 ir HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE. BEi DING, LINOS. SHOP FITTING s PARTITIONS, ETC. ; ON THE PREMISES, 245 UPPER ; WILLIS STREET. Cj PRICE AND CO., Auctioneer • have received instructions from Mr Logan to sell the Whole of her Furnitur - Contents of 8 rooms, on the Premises, t . above. 200 LOTS 20( COMPRISING: SIDEBOARD, 2 GATELEG TABLES WIRELESS SET, 2 GAL. COPPEJ URN, 9 S. WOOD AND IRON BEI STEADS AND MATTRESSES, pi i lows, WARDROBES, DUCHESS! CHESTS, COUNTER with drawers GLASS AND' WOOD PARTITIONS > chest of drawers, Wertbeim ham machine, wall mirrors, 6 chairs, gooi ! linos, easy chairs, kerb, Perf. stovr gas ring, case cleaning material, 1 bottles Restra, steps, crockery, glass ware, % bed, ornaments, pictures overmantel, sheets, blankets, book shelves, Morris chair, couch, books shelving, kitchen cupboard, tables curtains, saucepans, cooking utensils fong, garden seat, tools hose, cages rewood, etc. No Reserve. C. W. PRICE, Auctioneer.