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[[Clipping from a Newspaper]] 32 L+ ^[[3-19-66]] THE [[First article]] TINY PICTURE SETS ART PRICE RECORD $26,552 a Square Inch is Paid for an Old Master By W. GRANGER BLAIR Special to the New York Times LONDON, March 16 - A large-postcard-sized early-15th-century painting of St. George and the Dragon was sold here today for the equivalent of $26,552 a square inch. The painting, a Flemish masterpiece on a panel measuring 5 5/8 inches by 4 1/8 inches, was knocked down at Sotheby's auction house for a total of £220,000 ($616,000) - a record for its size. The previous record was the £1,431 ($4,007) a square inch paid in 1957 by Charles B. Wrightsman of the United States for a Vermeer painting, of the head of a girl, that measured 17 3/4 inches by 15 3/4 inches and sold for £400,000 ($1,120,000). The Flemish masterpiece, attributed to Hubert van Eyck, was bought by P. and D. Colnaghi, the London art dealers. It was sold by Mrs. Lawrence A. Impey of Hampshire, a cousin of the premier earl of Scotland, the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres. Buyer Is Not Named A spokesman at Colnaghi's said the picture had been bought on commission for a client, whose identity he refused to reveal but who was believed to be American, either a museum or a private collector. The oil of St. George and the Dragon was one of 129 lots of old masters placed on sale. The auction toaled £457,670 ($1,281,476), of which the single tiny painting earned almost half. Peter C. Wilson, chairman of Sotheby's, opened the bidding in the jammed salesroom at £20,000. From there it progressed by jumps of £5,000. Until it reached £185,000 the bidding was a three-cornered affair among the London art-dealing concerns of Colnaghi's, Thomas Agnew & Sons and Martin Koblitz. At that point Agnew's, who were rumored to have been representing the Metropolitan Museum of Art, dropped out. The underbidder, Martin Koblitz, was said to have acted for Count Anton Seilern, an important collector here of old masters and impressionists. While interest centered on the 15th-century masterpiece, another sale demonstrated how, with a bit of luck and a good eye for paintings, one can get rich quick in today's booming art market. An early-18th-century Flemish still life by Adriaen Coorte was sold for £3,950 ($11,060). The price was not unusual: What was odd was that the painting had been picked up a few months ago in an antiques shop by a young Briton for three shillings and sixpence (49 cents). His profit was more than 22,500 per cent. [[At right half-toned a photo of a painting: in foreground, knight in armor and flaring cape, riding a half-rearing white horse, thrusts a lance down into a monster on the ground; to the left, a kneeling woman watches; in the background, a walled city and rocky hills]] [[Photo caption]] SMALL PAINTING, BIG PRICE: Early-15th-century painting of St. George and the Dragon attributed to Hubert van Eyck that was sold yesterday at Sotheby's for $616,000. The painting measures 5 5/8 inches by 4 1/8 inches. [[/Photo caption]] [[Second article]] LAW IS PROPOSED FOR ART EXPERTS ] Lefkowitz Urges Immunity on Negative Judgments By RICHARD F. SHEPARD The New York State Attorney General is recommending a state law granting qualified immunity to accredited art experts who judge art works to be false. The proposal became known yesterday in a letter circulated to people in the art field by Louis J. Lefkowitz, the Attorney General, and Joseph Rothman, special assistant attorney general. The letter notified the 29 members of the office's advisory committee that they would meet next Thursday to discuss the recommendation. Mr. Lefkowitz's suggestion is expected to stir considerable controversy in some quarters because it specifically eliminates art dealers from immunity, whatever their expertise. During the several months of hearings into art frauds, Mr. Lefkowitz heard many pros and cons on immunity. Under present law, when an expert tells a prospective buyer that a piece of art is not what it purports to be, the expert may be sued by the prospective seller if his judgement should later be proven wrong. To Expose Fakes Only Under the proposed law, which would have to be enacted by the State Legislature, such a disgruntled seller who wished to sue would first have to prove bad faith on the part of the accredited expert. Since it is difficult to prove such malice, the expert would be freer than he is now to condemn an art work. If he erred, his error would by law be considered an honest mistake. The expert who decides that a work is authentic, on the other hand, would not automatically be presumed to be acting in good faith. Mr. Rothman explained that the purpose is to encourage the expert to unveil fakes while minimizing any possibilities of collusion between sellers and experts. "It's easier to falsify a certificate of authenticity than it is to falsify a painting," Mr. Rothman said. The question of "immunizing" dealers in artworks was often discussed during the hearings. Many witnesses expressed opinions against it because of possible conflicts of interest. While dealers and dealer representatives disputed this, artists and others said they felt that a dealer who sold art should not be given the authority to judge what was real and what was not. Recognized museums, colleges and universities would receive absolute immunity from suit for any opinions at all given to prospective buyers, whether for or against the authenticity of a piece. The Attorney General's proposal also deals with the problem of how to accredit an expert. It suggests that he should be certified by the New York State University's Board of Regents to have "the necessary training, skill and qualifications to form a sound judgment as to the genuineness or authenticity of works of fine art within the scope of his specialty or specialties." [[/Second article]]
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