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GREATEST PICTURE SALE. Nearly $250, 000 Realized from the Clarke Collection. The paintings Offered Were by American Artist and New Prices Have Been Set for Their Work-Sale a Financial Success-Inness's "Delaware Valley" Brings $8,100 and Winslow Homer's "Eight Bells" $4,7000- Vase Brings $8,000. The greatest picture sale, in some respects. that the country has known, was concluded at Chickering Hall last evening, when Thomas E. Kirby, for the American Art Association. sold the last of Thomas B. Clarke's collection of American paintings. which numbered in all 32, the total of the prices paid during the four nights' auction being $234,495. There have been sales that have brought more money, but they have been principally of foreign paintings, and Mr. Kirby, who has conducted most of them and seen them all, is authority for the statement that there never has been, in his experience, another sale of a collection of pictures here which paid a profit to the collector, as the Clarke sale has done, with the possible exception of a very much smaller sale, that of Mr. Fuller's paintings, held here not long ago. Mr. Fuller was not at hand last evening to verify the exception. Mr. Clarke was abundantly pleased with the appreciation shown of American art, to the support of which he had devoted himself for a quarter of century. He declines to admit that it required force of conviction or anything else but appreciation of good work to buy the Innesses, which have proved, perhaps, the most conspicuous part of his collection, or the other notable America works which have received the praise of the critics recently and the support of the purchasing public this week. Mr. Clarke shared in the view expressed in THE SUN'S report of the first evening's sale that there never had been one like it in the United States, and that it indicated a hitherto almost unsuspected appreciation of the best efforts of American artists, judged on their accomplishments. The results of the sale completed have fulfilled the indications of its beginning. New prices have been set for works of artists represented, and buyers have shown a readiness and in some cases an eagerness to purchase, even if not always with a discrimination equal to that shown by Mr. Clarke. The unprecedented price, for an American paintings at public sale, of $10,150 for the Inness, "Gray, Lowery Day," of Thursday evening's sale, fanciful as it was, set an example that bore fruits last evening. Its effects were seen when the first Innesses were put up. The "Italian Landscape" (285). a painting of 1875, sold at $700, the "Passing Shower" (297), of 1865, at $875, 'The Sun" (311), 1886, at $760, "Brush Burning" (311). 1884, at $1,525, "Threatening" (341), 1891, at $2,000, "Winter Morning_Montclair,),"(351), which started at $1,000, at $2,500, the "Summer Foliage"(361), 1888, starting also at $1,000at, $2,200, the "Delaware Valley" (365), 1865, at $8,100, the top price of Innesses for the night- and "After a Summer Shower" (372), 1894, at $2,500. The Delaware Valley" was bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the purchased led Mr. Kirby to remark to the spectators, "They've woke up" evidently referring to their permitting a paintings, which, it had been hoped would remain here, to go to Philadelphia on the evening before. Others of the artists represented in last night's catalogue were well supported. Murphy's "October" (371), went for $2,100: Homer's "Eight Bells," which had won so much attention for $4,700, Tryon's "Return Home at Twilight" (369) $for $1,900 after good bidding. Wyant's "Dan-Keene Valley", for $2,500, Homer's "Moonlight-Woods Island Light", for $3,650. The Corcoran Gallery was a frequent bidder and purchaser. It was announced that the Inness"Clouded Sun" sold, on Thursday evening, went to the Carnegie Art Gallery of Pittsburgh. The most important of the objects of art, as distinguished from paintings, in Mr. Clarke's collection were sold yesterday afternoon at the American Art Galleries, and the sale presented some peculiar contradictions. In some respects, considered piece by piece, it was not more interesting than that of the afternoon before, but in it were comprised the more costly productions, and the more ancient Whereas on Thursday the prices indicated a wider knowledge of porcelains than most persons familiar with the purchasing public would have guessed, those of yesterday showed that the buyers were in many instanes nowhere near up to the knowledge adnd discrimination manifested by Mr. Clarke in his purchsese. This applies not merely to the general patronage, but to dealers who permitted the opportunity to pass by. Piece after piece of antique glass was knocked down yesterday afternoon at a price less than even less valuable pieces command at private sale in this and other cities. A person of even a moderate degree of knowledge might have purchases a considerable number of the afternoon's offerings in the assurance of being able to sell them with a pretty profit at ordinary sale. Some of the articles in the catalogue, on the other hand, brought good prices ,, while a number went away up to unexpected figures that pleased everybody not under a mercenary handicap, whether their artistic judgment n every case justified the comparative indicated value or not. The total receipts of the afternoon speak for themselves. $38,021 for 164 catalogue numbers, or an average of about $232.50 each. This sum is considerable in excess of twice the amount realized on either of the preceding afternoons, and brings the total for the bric-a-brac so far sold to $60,939.50, or to an average of above $137 for every piece sold during the three afternoons. Ten of the offerings of yesterday sold at $500 or better, and six of them at above $1,000 each. The sale of the Greek and Roman glass opened at the discouraging prices of $11 and $20, respectively for two Syrian amphora, one in yellow and one in white, both with blue glass handles, each 61/2 inches high. A smaller ungunntarium of yellow green glass from Syria (279) went to A. Augustus Healy of Brooklyn at $10,