GREAT ART SALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20251, 10 May 1929, Page 11

GREAT ART SALE.

PAINTING REALISES £75,000. SIR J. DUVEEN'S PURCHASE. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. (Received May 9, 9.55 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 8. The highest price ever obtained for a painting at a public auction in America was paid bv Six* Joseph Duveen at a sale at the-- Anderson Galleries, New York. He gave £75,000 for " The Crucifixion " by Picro Delia Francesca from the collection of Carl Hamilton. From the same collection Mr. Leon Schinasi, a cigarette manufacturer, took Filippo Lippi's " Madonna and Child " for £25,000. Sales totalling £IOO,OOO were transacted in eight minutes. Sir Joseph Duveen is an expert on the old masters, lioru in 1869 ho is the son of Sir J. J. Duveen, founder of the famous firm of picture dealers. He was educated at Brighton College, afterwards studying art in all the galleries of Europe. Ju 1886 he joined the family firm, of which he later became head. In 1910 in memory of his father he bought " The Good Samaritan," by Edwin Stott, A.R.A., for the Hull Gallery because it was at Hull that the elder Duveen first landed in England. In 1919 ho was knighted in recognition of his many services to British art. His gifts have been

numerous and costly. Among the official purchases of Sir Joseph are Gainsborough's " Boy 151 un," Lawrence's " Pinkie " and " Airs. Davenport" by Eomney, all of which realised huge prices. In February, 1927, lie bought Rembrandt's " Titus in an Armchair " i'ronr the Stillman collection for £s4,ooo—at that time tho record price for a picture in America. A few days later ho purchased the Benson collection of Italian old masters for £500,000 and presented one of tho pictures to tho National Gallery—" Christ's Farewell to His Mother "by Correggio. He also gave Augustus John's portrait of Madame Suggia to the British nation.