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[[newspaper clippings]]

THE NEW YORK H[[ERALD PARIS]]
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3 [[, 1932]]

8,340,000FR. NET AS BLUMENTHAL ART SALE ENDS
—
2nd, Last Day of American's
18th - Century Collection
Attracts 1,500 Persons to
Dramatic Bidding Duels.
—
605,000FR. FOR TABLE
HIGHEST PRICE PAID
—
Clodion's 'La Surprise'
Brings 410,000fr.; Savonnerie Carpet, 351,000fr.
—
Realizing prices far beyond the most generous estimates, the second and last day of the auction sale of George Blumenthal's collection of 18th-century art at the Galerie Georges Petit ended last evening with a grand total of 8,340,000fr. paid by leading connoisseur of the world for the American collector's masterpieces.

A crowd of 1,500 persons attended yesterday's concluding sale, which surpassed Thursday's opening session i intensity of excitement in a series of dramatic duels between bidders. Hundreds unable to gain entrance to the sales salon again thronged the outer halls of the gallery, among them many Americans.

Noted American collectors were again present in th bidders' seats, but no outstanding items were bought by Americans, as on the previous day.

Art experts present declared that the unusual success of the sale indicated that the business depression had not affected the enthusiasm of connoisseur when offers so rare a collection as that of the American philanthropist.

Yesterday's session added more than 4,988,000fr. to the total of about 3,350,000fr. paid on Thursday afternoon. expenses to the buyers of 14 per ent. of this sum may be added to the total amount in at the sale.

The highest single price secured yesterday, marking the high point of the sale, was 605,000fr., paid by the French collector M. Schoeller for an alterable table built for Marie-Antoinette.

An exciting bidding duel between M. Schoeller and Germain Seligmann, international collector, featured the sale of this masterpiece, a "table méchanique" for diverse uses built by Riezener for the French queen and registered in the national archives under date of December 12, 1778. Offered at 400,000fr., the piece finally went to M. Schoeller after the outstanding price battle of the session Workmanship in bronze by Gouthière supplements this superb work.

As on the previous day, Me. Maurice Ader, successor to Me. Lair-Dubruil, wielded the auctioneer's hammer, 

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THE NEW YORK H[[ERALD PARIS]]

BLUMENTHAL SALE
CLOSES WITH TOTAL
OF 8,340,000 FRANCS
—
(Continued from Page One.)

direction of the sale was shared by Me. Bigot. Assisting experts included, as in Thursday's session, MM. Mannheim and Pape.

Second in importance among the sales was that of Clodion's terra-cotta group "La Surprise," which went to Jean Seligmann for 410,000fr. after a bidding duel with M. Lacrois. One of the prize items of the collection, "La Surprise," represents a nymph accompanied by an infant, fleeting from a serpent. The group ws once in the Ladan-Bokary collection as was shown at the historic Franch retrospective exposition here in 1900.

Awaited with keen anticipation, the sale of the famous Savonnerie carpet, which yesterday hung on the wall of the auction room brought 351,000fr. from Jean Seligmann after being offered first at 100,000fr. The Seligmanns have been among the most active bidders at the sale, acquiring several of the finest pieces. A symphony of coloring in green and gray, this tapestry dates from Louis XIV, and is covered with innumerable complex designs in vases and flowers.

Among sculptured works, a group in which marble by Falconet, "Vénue Corigeant l'Amour," went at 210,000fr. to M. Destrem, after a first price of 120,000fr. has been asked. This work originally was in the Rothschild collection at frankfort.

159,000fr. for Table.

One of the chief furniture items in this collection, a piece of formerly owned by Sir Richard Wallace, was a musician's table, beautifully decorated in the purest 18th-century style, which went too M. Baroux for 159,000fr. Many bidders were found for Mr. Blumenthal's historic set of six upholstered Beauvais chairs of sculptured wood built by Jacob, which went finally to M. Lacroix for 140,000fr.

Montigny's superb table-bureau, once in the Bardac collection, was bought by M. Schoeller for 135,000fr. and Mme. Damblanc, conspicuous among women bidders, acquired a Savonnerie screen for 131,000fr.

The latter piece, one of the most coveted in the collection, is built in four leaves decorated with animal subjects taken from La Fontaine's fables The sum of 128,000fr. was paid for an "entire-deux" by M. Delaporte after bidding had begun at 80,000fr.

A second screen, made of four double-faced leaves traced in flower designs of silk, brought applauding murmurs for its beauty, and was sold finally for 95,000fr.

Bronzes of the collection were much sought after by both men and women bidders, Mme. Farman acquiring a pair of andirons from the Louis XV epoch for 42,000fr. Others were bought by M. Schoeller, and a statuette with two torches went at 41,000fr.

Falconet's terra cotta "L'Amour prie Vénus de lui rendre son Carquois," showing the nude goddess wresting the quiver from Cupid, brought 67,000 grans. It was formerly in the Marius Paume collection.

Seligmann Again Active,

Edouard Jonas bought two statuettes of young women (white marble) by Joseph Broche, formerly in Baron Anthony de Rothschild's collection. Adjudged at 40,000fr. by the assisting experts, the two pieces went finally at 60,600fr.

Jean Seligmann was again active in bidding for a chaise longue of the Regency, once in the Doucet collection, which he acquired for 57,000fr. Two historic chairs covered with tapestry went to M. d'Heuqueville for 43,000 fr. They were once in a pavilion at Marly, Louis XVI's gorgeous "simple retreat" near Paris.

Other important furniture items included a small reading-table by Boudin, which went to M. Lacroix for 79,100fr.; a small round table by Van

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der Cruse, to Mme. Damblanc for 74,100fr,; a table in colored marqueterie, also by Van der Cruse, for 70,100 francs and other fine pieces at from 50,000 to 20,000fr.

Toward the close of the sale Germain Seligmann again outbid keen buyers and bought an acajou table-bureau attributed to Riezener for 125,000fr.

Mr. Blumenthal's famous collection of 18th-century illustrated books will be sold at auction at the same gallery on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, climaxing a series of the most notable art sales witnessed in Paris since the war

Blumenthal Sale Shows Old [[Works-cut off]] Still Rival Moderns with [[P?-cut off]]

The flux of Parisian art currents, as forever reorientation valuations, was never better illustrated than by the injection of the George Blumenthal sale on the public's attention at the same moment that Leonce Rosenberg inaugurated an important Picabia show of surrealistic canvases.

Whatever the modern movement may give us of a more vital judgment of "plastic entities,' it can never in the eyes of many supplant the "call" of the refinement, elegance and gallantry of the 18th century. In fact, the prices brought this last Thursday and yesterday at this sale show that the enthusiasm for collecting historical pieces has in no wise diminished among the buying public.

The "overdress" of this century is certainly more obvious and pleasing than the excessive straining for fundamentals of today, one must admit, and the less important works have a charm of exterior that makes for completely ignoring their instrinsic aesthetic value, along the grimmer lines of permanent grandeur. The one exquisite drawing by Watteau, a study for "La Famille," and perhaps done from the son-in-law of Gersaint, his patron, whom one can see, also, at Chantilly, was delightfully dominated by a sense of spontaneous but sure arrangement, as were also two works of Fragonard, sometimes so very trivial in his subjects, so sure in his vivid analysis; both precursors of today, in reality.

The drawing by Boucher, "Diana surprised by Action" (signed and dated 1766) showed the real qualities of this artist better than some of his painting, a really delightful piece of work. There were among well-known names,

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[[right side of column is cut off, indicated with ...]]
a number of interesting ... lesser-known engravers.
Among the few paint... which were small works) ... Guardis and two unusua... realistic views by Huber...ured, the latter showing ... with the subsequent "sc... of which his better phases showed ... a recursor.  Interesting examples the lighter phases of the decorati... arts, in all that profusion of varie... so in the character of the cuntur... were given in porcelains of Nidervi... ler, chantilly, Mennecy and Sev... and many smaller objests of the ti... of Louis XV. and Louis XVI.
Two important articles were pi... of Savonnerie carpet (dating from ... time of Louis XIV.): one smaller, b...ing a bishop's arms and insignia, ... other a large and handsome rug... bluish, greenish and buff tones, ... design based on the typical mascaro... and other motives of the period Louis XIV., a most unusual piece.
BERTHA FANNING TAYLOR

Transcription Notes:
Missing portions of title/date placed in brackets are taken from next page which are reverse sides of these clippings and contain that info.