SENSATIONAL ART SALE

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1928, Page 13

SENSATIONAL ART SALE

RECORD DAY" AT CHRISTIE’S BIDDING £3OOO PER MINUTE DEMAND FOR REMBRANDTS’ By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright, Australian Press Association. Received May 18, 11.15 p.m. London, May 18. One of ilia most sensational sales in the history of art took place to-day, when the Dutch and Elemish pictures belonging to the Holford collection were sold at Christie’s. The sum of £530,000 was previously obtained for Holford art treasures and books, including £166,000 for Italian pictures last July. Christie’s was crowded and buyers from all over the world were competing. A total of 364,094 guineas was obtained, which is easily a record for Christie’s, bidding being at the rate of 3000 guineas per minute. For the first lot, a small Rembrandt drawing, 10,000 guineas were paid, which probably covered Robert Holford’s expenditure on all his pictures.

The advances in values exceeded every anticipation of the experts. Rembrandt’s “Portrait of a Alan With a Cleft Chin,” which is only 30in by 24in, was sold tor 40,000 guineas, Rembrandt's "Man With Torch,” for 48,000, five of Rembrandt's pictures brought 150,000 guineas, Ouyp’s “View of Dordrecht” 25/XX) guineas, a sketch by Reubens 5200 guineas, Susterman’s “Portrait of Nobleman,” 12,500, and Petrus Christus’ “Portrait of Man” 14,000. Sir William Berry wound up the sensational bidding by giving 30,000 guineas for Vandyck’s portrait of Able Seaggia. English and Spanish pictures will be sold to-morrow.