Letter from Roland F. Knoedler to Henry Clay Frick, 26 February 1898
Scripto
Transcription
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36 Red Book Folio 44
M. KNOEDLER & CO.,
SUCCESSORS TO GOUPIL & CO.,
355 FIFTH AVENUE,
NEW YORK.
CABLE ADDRESSES.
KNOEDLER - NEW YORK.
KNOEDLER - PARIS.
PARIS OFFICE, 2 RUE GLÜCK.
Feb. 26/98
Mr. H. C. Frick,
Pittsburg, Pa.
Dear Mr. Frick,
Your favor of the 25th, inst. with the photograph of the "Dipper" is at hand.
I am pleased to hear that the Cazin strikes you favorably. My impression is that, should you not want it, from what our Paris office says, we would have no trouble in selling it.
The Fuller-Dana sale of which I enclose you the "Sun's" account, was a tremendous success notwithstanding the war rumors and the decline in Wall Street. The bidding was spirited. Mr. G. B. Berckmans, the purchaser of the large Dana Corot and the large Fuller Rousseau is, I understand a clerk in Tiffanys who married a rich girl, thus enabling him to buy fine works of art. He is evidently a man of taste as he bought the two best pictures in the two collections. He also secured at the Stewart sale, the two pen drawings by Meissonier, as well as the painting "The Stirrup Cup" which cost him $12500.-
"On the River Oise" (Dana) was not dear at $6500.- but it was dark and not very desirable. "The Harvest Field" Rousseau
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(Dana) was not a desirable work either though fairly good. "The Turkey Herder" (Dana) Schaus bought, I understand, for Senator C. S. Brice. I will not say anything about the early English pictures in the Fuller collection, as I do not think that any one of them ought to have been bought by a person wishing first class examples. I bought the Dupre "Le Cours d'Eau". It is not a work of the best quality but a very attractive subject. "Evening on the Marne" Daubigny was fairly paid for at $5000.- as the period was not a good one. "Cattle Drinking" Dupre was an artistic broadly painted picture. "The Cliff at Villerville" Daubigny was very sketchy but artistic. "Marais dans les Landes" Rousseau was reasonable at $7600.- "The Open Sea, Marine" Dupre was not worth anything like $7600.- "Apple Blossoms" Daubigny, was a very attractive picture, fair quality but uninteresting subject. "Cows in the Pasture" Troyon was cheap for a person wanting a large painting by this artist but it was not a desirable acquisition for a person who was in search of quality instead of quantity.
I hope to have a marked catalogue of the Stewart Collection for you this evening, but, should you not receive it, do not think that I am forgetting you.
Hoping that Mrs. Frick has entirely recovered, believe me,
Yours very truly,
Roland F. Knoedler
P. S. Charlie says he knows Berckmans & his wife & that they are not rich - he must have bought the paintings for some one else.
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36 Red Book Folio 44
M. KNOEDLER & CO.,
SUCCESSORS TO GOUPIL & CO.,
355 FIFTH AVENUE,
NEW YORK.
CABLE ADDRESSES.
KNOEDLER - NEW YORK.
KNOEDLER - PARIS.
PARIS OFFICE, 2 RUE GLÜCK.
Feb. 26/98
Mr. H. C. Frick,
Pittsburg, Pa.
Dear Mr. Frick,
Your favor of the 25th, inst. with the photograph of the "Dipper" is at hand.
I am pleased to hear that the Cazin strikes you favorably. My impression is that, should you not want it, from what our Paris office says, we would have no trouble in selling it.
The Fuller-Dana sale of which I enclose you the "Sun's" account, was a tremendous success notwithstanding the war rumors and the decline in Wall Street. The bidding was spirited. Mr. G. B. Berckmans, the purchaser of the large Dana Corot and the large Fuller Rousseau is, I understand a clerk in Tiffanys who married a rich girl, thus enabling him to buy fine works of art. He is evidently a man of taste as he bought the two best pictures in the two collections. He also secured at the Stewart sale, the two pen drawings by Meissonier, as well as the painting "The Stirrup Cup" which cost him $12500.-
"On the River Oise" (Dana) was not dear at $6500.- but it was dark and not very desirable. "The Harvest Field" Rousseau
[end page 1 of 2]
[begin page 2 of 2]
(Dana) was not a desirable work either though fairly good. "The Turkey Herder" (Dana) Schaus bought, I understand, for Senator C. S. Brice. I will not say anything about the early English pictures in the Fuller collection, as I do not think that any one of them ought to have been bought by a person wishing first class examples. I bought the Dupre "Le Cours d'Eau". It is not a work of the best quality but a very attractive subject. "Evening on the Marne" Daubigny was fairly paid for at $5000.- as the period was not a good one. "Cattle Drinking" Dupre was an artistic broadly painted picture. "The Cliff at Villerville" Daubigny was very sketchy but artistic. "Marais dans les Landes" Rousseau was reasonable at $7600.- "The Open Sea, Marine" Dupre was not worth anything like $7600.- "Apple Blossoms" Daubigny, was a very attractive picture, fair quality but uninteresting subject. "Cows in the Pasture" Troyon was cheap for a person wanting a large painting by this artist but it was not a desirable acquisition for a person who was in search of quality instead of quantity.
I hope to have a marked catalogue of the Stewart Collection for you this evening, but, should you not receive it, do not think that I am forgetting you.
Hoping that Mrs. Frick has entirely recovered, believe me,
Yours very truly,
Roland F. Knoedler
P. S. Charlie says he knows Berckmans & his wife & that they are not rich - he must have bought the paintings for some one else.
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Status
To transcribe
Percent Completed
100
Weight
100100
Files
Collection
Citation
“Letter from Roland F. Knoedler to Henry Clay Frick, 26 February 1898,” Transcribe Frick, accessed April 28, 2024, https://transcribe.frick.org/index.php/items/show/456.