Cotmania. Vol. X. 1934-5

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THE SALE ROOM - ALLEN COLLECTION
The collection of British water-colours formed by Mr. A.A.Allen, of 13, Queen's Gate Gardens, which was fully described in The Times on March 14, met with a mixed reception when it came under the hammer at Sotheby's rooms yesterday. Drawings by men in the second rank made prices well in excess of those paid for them, while others by famous masters, such as David Cox and Turner, showed a depreciation.
Many of the last mentioned were acquired at the memorable Taylor sale in 1912, when 20 Turner drawings made over £35000 when prices ruled high, while it must be admitted that several of them had lost much of the freshness and brilliance that distinguished them 23 years ago. Five of the Turners which cost Mr. Allen just about £4000 produced just under £1000 between them. The beautiful drawing of Thun with the Alps beyond, which in the Taylor sale made 1,350 guineas, now went for £280; Sisteron, Basses Alpes, bought for 1,000 guineas, made £230; Genoa, a little drawing 6in. by 9in., made £92, as against £735 in 1912; the small version of Llanthony Abbey, sold for 400 guineas at the Taylor sale, made £240; and Lowescroft dropped from 190 guineas to £115.
Among the appreciations must be mentioned a fine landscape by Constable which in making £210 nearly doubled its price in 1912; a portrait of Turner by Eldridge sold for £100, as against £31 10s, at the Taylor sale; an interesting view of St. Paul's from under Blackfriars Bridge, by T. Malton, rose from £21 in 1912 to £112, and a Road Scene by Paul Sandby, bought for three guineas, realized £36.
DRAWINGS BY DAVID COX
The sale of the drawings by David Cox was disappointing. "Hardwick Hall," bought in 1893 for £330, made no more than £130; "Asking the Way," which in 1873 realized £367 10s., sold for £100; and "Kenilworth," sold in the same year for £128, made £32.
An interesting drawing by J. S. Cotman, "A Street Scene in the Tyrol," signed with a presentation address to Mrs. Roberts, sold well at £320; two works by that fine artist J.. R. Cozens, "Entrance to Tyrol" and "The Temple of Minerva Medica, Rome," both from the Beckford sale in 1805, made £240 and £130 respectively; and £148 was given for a landscape by T. Girtin.
In connexion with the Cozens drawings it is interesting to recall that at the Beckford sale 94 drawings of Rome by Cozens were sold in one lot for £504.
At the end of the sale a few modern oil paintings were sold, the chief of which was "Greenwich Hospital from the River," by James Holland. At the Nettlefold sale in 1913it made £273, as against £200 yesterday. "The Triumph of Britannia," a panel by T. Stothard, which in 1866 realized £106, failed to arouse a higher bid than £2.
The afternoon's total amounted to £5,256.
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The Times- april 5. 1935.
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PICTURES BY SIR DAVID MURRAY- MEMORIAL EXHIBITION IN LONDON
BY R. R. TATLOCK
There will be opened to-day at 1, Langham-chambers, All Souls' place, Portland-place, a memorial exhibition of the paintings of the late Sir David Murray, R.A.
Easily the most powerful picture in the exhibition is "Kelp workers in the Outer Hebrides." Here Murray was painting just what he wanted to paint- the wild, tumultuous sky, full of fantastic forms and colours, such as are to be seen only in the West Coast of Scotland after the rising of the mist and before the setting of the sun. The picture is, strangely enough, reminiscent of Cotman, but it has a northern flavour of its own.
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Daily Telegraph april 1935
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STREET SCENE IN THE TYROL (MESSRS, Sotheby's) J. S. Cotman
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"Apollo"- april 1935