CHRISTIE'S AUCTION ROOM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 808, 23 July 1864, Page 6

CHRISTIE'S AUCTION ROOM.

:'; " (From'tbe iLdridon'Society Magazine} ' ; !;GrilrayJa[ caricature, , shows, ;,;us. i^tbat Christie's long 'continued to be a, .fashion-/ able ;louhge,!; where7 ladies in low xlressi arid feathers,;gentlemfen; as they nligb't; have c6rae!direct srova,\ the { &i&mpgriaom y doctors in • big;-.wigs',*and. \ young '•bucks ,iia cut-away; coats and top-boots. Later again,' NolleKens:/Smith;1 records ';hp\v;;- he has if';offen/ ;seen;;;l^;J;;(^sway at/the1 ?lder ' (Christie's' 'picture-sales^1 fully:/; dressed^ "in his v, s word •? and 'bag,> with;: a small three - cornered-hat on the: top of'his toupee; and k mulberry; silk coat profusely embroidered visitant m^ VrGurvgrandsires, as^we; yery/^ell CktiOw, did=not i always wrap-themselves jin broad : clpth;-and^'diili' 'b'olours,but'a'coat like; tihisjirriust 1 have been a T rarity, one would fancy, even then, ; Goldie's famous peach-blossQm'Filby—a^ so many"a ,, witling bascast ; his ilittlfe-Jb^eT-iwould havelookedrdim alongside : Cosway.'is mulberry silk; Mr Goswaywaa a noticeable' ■persori'm fhiß!day;'and;his presence^ apart fron\ ? ,his,..coat, would^ have>,broughtjsuh-: shine, v any '"._ji&y.,, -in|6,^.ithib^;shady; ; for he was a lavish of a bribrajbrac^ rV-Cosway was' a* fashionable-.-."'inaca!-." :roni;/inimature jprime^aybnt^ Pf: thfe^ coiirt and courtiers^ bimselfV^. Doubtless-the ;reader saw and:admired,, and; still^remem-': /berSj "-iiis"'' dainty:;miniatures--marvelsi, of 'grace• 'and 'delicate: nnish —: of the first, genllematfpfrEu^^ bride,Mrs s Fit^erbVt,;and'man^o^hCTS^ fairer .and-.better .than either, which, ivyere •in the rich-and- rare»Loan"iExhibition^ a^ :S6u'thV;l KensingtonV1- in;- ;1 862. ;s-;: Without; settingjUp fpr.,a,:medipm|;:C : contemporary, 3lH)se, waf^ tercPurse with the spirit.world, "ancl was a : good deal less startled'when be > saw, fas-he ■tpld;h|s,'friends lie-often did; Pitt or Praxp.r, it "might' be,r Michael^. :Angelo or .CHarJes' %\ walk^injtP•', his ',' jpaiiaiing-fppm,; .than an assembly'at. Christie'^ wouldnow 'be at ;;suchJ ad? -apparition asb that of his ;,dapper; little; tVmonkey-faced figure (for* ;:so.|fe^satinsts';dßsenbed^him) v^c^ mulberry /silkicpiat:.;.pr^ over with- sparleti s.traw.berriea,.sword; by ;his sidejf and three-cornered hat on the top of Ms toupee. • ; "'''

~ But ttiou'^^^ men, Vmay *now- be ! ',. looked!, ipi^ ■ jftjef c? Ghristie?s ;yetioffersi ; a ; phase of London society worth observing. - In the thick, of; the seasori^'ou' the day of a greait! picture-.sai?,'',for£,jlb'et'tiejc!'-j still, 'the '! prec^dijag; idjiys wlienrth^pictures are on ; is a gathering-ofMart:nota.ble.s (;<>f ,nocom-i mdri-markJ' ;>i?ou'may hot meet the young painter !orsctil]it6ri\vhohiis made one; of the smafi'senaations.of the seaspn-T-they as y^trgenerallyjjknpw little and' care| less about those: iwhoiihave preceded; thein1 in the race—butydu will most likely seesome W:their senior^ who have'come to examine (Some treasure!'; often.'hear4!!of^ney€rjtill; ,npw '■■, ; beheld,;; tp ch'at,'over'.'some?long-' hidden arid; half-forgotton ; ; IJeynolds or Gaihsbor'ough;' to see again-wprks they remerabet'sefeingwheri/fifst'exhibited;) years, agoj.'.joriperchan^e'^p lppk thrpugh' ■ theisketches . ; and' : unnnished works of ;one who, • aftcri:long struggling .with them ,in friendly rivalry,l only 'a month; or two tack succumbija to:the{inevitable^:fate. There, too, i'.'.ar^ '-,kl^d.r..lVea."rit,ecjt: though somewhat stately , .cognpspenti Vof,' the; old, school —a' rapidly .idiininishing,- '.class-r-great : ,in!-' /the'1;' ''traditional! history [.of; .'evor3r!^ cherished1 ;,;of j Sir1 ,^pshua's,;,,iarb'^h.e'}',.pencil,^ and jjthe^.inost1 i famous examples 5 lands ;■" arid'by.tthem are .theVibrisker and, mpre^'fiei^th^tical, butjiipt "less positive^ andi "m!uch'ilessl civilf:dictators''who bti6W rulfei supreme in the realms of taste. There, again, are men of patrician eminence and historic name, anxious to add some much Taunted British or foreign mastexwork aa

a new heirbom to their gallery: hardly less eager, if it be a sale of crockery that is coming on, to secure a pet piece of true old Sevres, or Henry deux ware, or choice majolica. There also are the directors and keepers of our national collection;', and, watching them with envious eye, the agents of foreign monarchs and museums. And then there is also that new class of buyers—product of our own day, spawn of our wealth—the speculative dealers and print publishers, who, as caterers to the hurrying, money-making, picture-buying lords of the city and the north, have become an almost dominant power in the auction - room as well as in the studio, and who, by dint of neverending newspaper canards of semi-fabulous prices given for pictures and copyrights, and ambulatory exhibitions with sensation placards and loquacious canvassers, have made their names as familiar in every country town, and almost every village, as in London itself, and who move about here, as elsewhere, under the ever-present consciousness that they are the observed of many observers.' The lower strata of buyers and , spectators-rrthe ', Israelitish brokers (Hebrew of the Hebrews); ; knockout conspirators (abhorred of amateurs, cpllectorsj.and-executors) shatp-set agents and',small^dealers;on,th'e: watch for lative lots ;V and those-'queer yi^afee^j and more queerlyn customed. lookers-ion of I doubtful'calHng, arid sometimes of doubtful inativity andr'abmicil^7 Jwhbr may beseeri-at: 'every important;-'.rand*~almost-every unimjpor tan,t, , f yet njsyer .buy or jbid foV } anytKing'^-thdse'' are»^likewise in •their way a no^tewprth^-race—as our artist |has pretty plamly'mdicate'd/^' 1 I And s^ Me things '"sold srareAeven |b^terf-wttrthilcitikin^ at^than' itho'se >who !icb(me-f;t&: f' JBuf A (^^ssis^^inhfe^ ] especial advantage aiji;- th^^!ain;busiiies^-; ; like': To'oms) f-ab'i. KingViStreetii yOur-: olSer i English:'/pictures seldoml look^as wellelse^ : wh'ere^a^it may hejwprthlferne^ ypuicpnten»pl i atej Tniy^titfg .hVfe'^'an'.bdd nundredtof two* ti'Seyerai pf;|the,paintirigs which 'seemed^almost commonplace ; in the huge^ j>ijiidti^hja'^e,,siacej''sjbtorie lil^e; bright parttiujar3l4^^t'jl? t^^i)S's^' heiard, somek iexcellenife fudges V^^clarej;, s that \ XDhristie's(ds ithev bestiqart-exhibitionvH.ofl the |Ephdon':!seasoni 0 3And; -with ;' some| ;jwi|hout^.jdisj^agement; M-'^^^alga^iiiSgiwq^^ that -(it} Jssowt^uit:anyn rate^Jfcf,iS;in;many: respects the ■most'? ihteresting and siigges-' tiyey!and c'eTtajnlyHit!!!is the'! most-varied,; 'for during, the''four months; you have; not; ohe ; cpUectidh,but a,;cpntant succession,, arid >lof!every quality, good,,rbad, .arid tolerable,-; -as well as sometimes •■ better.and best. - .

;. [- The''Chnstie;-.Who/;built the rooms in; "Kiiiig^ sl^e^ apdl^o^''as ';a'^renchniaa: -might say, ; cr^ j years ago. > itKissriecorded^,o^;hiih- itfthe contemporary obituaryj'that "with an easy 'an3;gentleman:-like: flow;of eloquence, he j;'possej^eal^ ni% gr6at'degreej the; power; of I persua§ipn."] .The,^visitor that the • > "i.power of? persuasion'^ has inherited "in a; great'degree"! ;by i the :■ great .man's r descendants :and successors,1 -but: he will .^itrie^s'^ii; tl'^!: '^6:)ao?#;, c(f.^. ..elqqiienc^.:"' =;.: T.liat ■ 'seems>i^^ayie{oa?pMtea}.frpn>;^our; high class;^auction v roomsj -,the," v late ■ Gebrge Robins! the things in our art* auctionsl rm6st' noticed -by our more dempnstratiYe, neigHbors' across the Channel is tfie /qui^t, orderly, way. in- which the sale^^ ;is; conducted/-^— Article, " Art,in the >Aucti<mlto6m"'-S:r< i: : ; ; . ; '