Letter from A.E. Stanley Clarke to Henry Clay Frick, 30 March 1916

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APR 20 1916
FORWARDED from NY
REFERRED
ANSWERED
81 Goldstone Villas,
Hove,
Sussex.
30 March 1916
Dear Mr. Frick
I once had the pleasure of meeting you in New York when staying at Newport on a visit to Mr. Goelet some years ago so that I can hardly expect you will remember my humble existence
but knowing your interest in art, I am sending you photographs of the most important of my family collection of paintings by Great Masters, which owing to losses due to the war, I have to sell
& I thought some of them might interest you. Short histories of each painting are written on the backs of the photographs, but I would add a few remarks about the Hoppner picture
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entitled "the flower gatherers," being the Morgan children of Romsey, 1804. I lent this picture for exhibition at the Bond Street Art Gallery London in 1902, as you will see by enclosed press cutting from the review & at that time was offered £12,000 for it, but it was not then for sale, & afterwards when Hoppner prices advanced so considerably it was valued for insurance by E.H. Stanley & C. Davis the art experts to his majesty at twenty thousand pounds. Prior to the war, I have always refused to sell this picture as being one the late King Edward's favourites, my father, who was chief Equerry to his majesty, expressed a wish that I should not part with it except under unavoidable circumstances, which now have unfortunately arisen. Alas for these times! nobody in England is now buying & it is very difficult to sell anything here.
By approaching you personally it considerably lowers the prices, there being no commission to pay & reduction owing to war prices here makes it an exceptional opportunity from a purchasers point of view.
I am prepared to accept £10000 for the Hoppner "The Flower Gatherers," this is half the valuation price, & it is looked upon as quite his masterpiece
I send photo of the sworn affidavit & documentary pedigree of this picture. The companion Hoppner painting "The Two Rods" was originally painted for the Baird family, relations of my family on my mother's side & this I am reducing the valuation price by £2000 & would accept £4000.
The painting by George Romney of Lady
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Hamilton I have reduced £600 & will accept £1500. The companion study belongs to Lord Rothschild. "St. George & the Dragon" by Sir Joshua Reynolds I am asking £1000, & the "Recruiting" by J.B. Greuze also £1000. They are all excessively fine & rare examples of the great masters & I only hope some of them may interest you. I ask specially low prices, as I am really forced to realize upon them.
Perhaps when you have quite finished with the photographs you will, of your kindness, have them returned to me by Registered post, & with kind regards, believe me
Yrs very truly
A.E. Stanley Clarke
Captain

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“Letter from A.E. Stanley Clarke to Henry Clay Frick, 30 March 1916,” Transcribe Frick, accessed October 11, 2024, https://transcribe.frick.org/items/show/28.

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