TWO OF INTEREST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13386, 12 September 1905, Page 3

TWO OF INTEREST.

Tivo privato lottors coming under tlio auctioneer's hammer (writes Mr; H.'W. Lucy in tlio Sydney Morning Herald) JiaVo caused .'tlio moutlis; : of Vpictiird t collectors to water.; They incidentally, reveal, the prices, current of tho'work of two masters whilst thoy wero , still at tlio easel. One, dater 1791, is in tlio handwriting' of Sir Josliua 'Reynolds.-;. Ho: has a picture, a copy', by Jiimsclf,of' Clando • Lorraine, : ha •wishes will positively not tako 200gs.' " The Voile finished, ho signed it,' but eocond thoughts suggested a better way; : Ho obliterated the signature, with tlio result that tho picture, copied'by a master hand; might pass as a genuino Claude. ''P. .-writes tho warj' ;and, it. must bo:! admitted, erring painter, "don't l«t : 'anyono know t» whom tho picturo belongs." The story is not continued, and what bccamc of tlio picturo is unknown.; _ It is probably cherished in somo iolleotion as a irmstcrpieco of tho French landscaoo painter called, Lorraine, though born, Gelec. ' ' Certainly with tho obliterated signature discovered it would to-day'fetch'marc than £2000 at Christie's. Tlio other letter is of later date.' By odd coincidence it is from tho pen of Eaoburn, known to his admirers as tho 'Scottish Reynolds, Dated, in 1820, tho

painter writes:—"Your picture of Xord Polkommefc was dono in March, 1815;: prieo 30gs. Tlio same sizo tlono -now would cost you 50gs, my prico hamng been raised.:two or ihreo-times sinco ihon. I liavo somehow reeoived . but littlo! money oE late, and .therefore an ordor -jfrom youfor fho .30gs would bo very ' acceptable." At this timo Racburn was at tin? zenith-of his power, tho, height of his popularity. Ho had been R.A. for fivo years, and two years later was knighted, an honour ho survived scares 12 months. Yet observe tho diffidence with which lie asks payment for work handed,over five years eariicr, and tho delicacy with-which lie moutions that in the meanwhile his- market- price had reached tho prodigious figure of 50gs. Recent sales have shown a riso in market valuo of nearly 100 per cent.