April 2020

CHRISTIE'S (DRAKE) SALE 27th JUNE 1891 (another executor's sale was held on 7th January 1893)

Notes:

This sale is of interest because it includes two JMW Turner lots definitely owned by the Nixons and then by Drake: lot 88, 'Snowdon, from Moel Madoc' (also known as 'The Country Waggon, Snowdon - Early Morning ') and lot 289, 'View on the Dee' (also known as 'River Scene, View on the Dee').

• It is also known that Nixon sold 'The Country Waggon...' and 'The Rising Squall...' together at Christie's sale of 9th July 1864. 'The Rising Squall...' was sold as 'The Hotwells, Bristol - Storm coming on'
• The buyer on 9th July 1864 was Hogarth but the ultimate destination of 'The Country Waggon...' was Drake (as evidenced by its appearance in this sale of 27th June 1891).
• Circumstantially therefore we have evidence that 'The Rising Squall...' accompanied 'The Country Waggon...' into Drake's collection.

There is no title in this (27th June 1891) catalogue that coincides with 'The Rising Squall...'. In other notes we examine a scenario in which Drake aquired the picture but where it was not disposed of during his lifetime or executor sales. In these notes we examine the possibility that the compiler of this catalogue misidentified the picture; such misidentification is possible as evidenced by an apparent misidentification on page 19 lot 148 where 'Bronzino' has been struck out and what appears to be 'Veritase' written on the left and 'P. Cortone' or 'Constone' probably a buyer is added on the right.

Pictures resembling 'The Rising Squall...' where there is a small possibility of mistaken identity:

• Lot 1 on page 3 is an undentified 'Rocky Coast Scene' bought by Smith, lots 1 & 2 together, for £12/-.
  There is a small possibility that this is 'The Rising Squall...' unidentified.
• There are several Lots by W.F.Ready. If this is William James Durant Ready (1823-1873)(exhibited RA 1861 - 1867)(according to Graves 'A dictionary of artists 2nd edition 1895' signed 'W.F.R.') then we are asking if the compiler looking at 'The Rising Squall...' 100 years old could mistake it for a picture which would be only 20 to 50 years old.
  Nowadays, that would be unthinkable; but in context - several works signed 'WFR' and one very similar subject not readily identifiable, in a large collection spread over two days in a situation in which some oils were placed in the watercolours section (lots 254, 260, 261 & 262 in the watercolours are marked 'oils') and in which lot 148 (Bronzino) appears to have been misidentified - perhaps this mistake is possible. There is no buyer information for these:
  • Lot 69; W.F.Ready; On the Thames: Moonlight; and A Rocky Coast Scene - a pair
  • Lot 70; W.F.Ready; Blowing Fresh Off ?; The title is incomplete, if this was 'The Rising Squall...' the catalogue complier would probably not know the location because the location of 'The Rising Squall' can be ascertained only by reference to Tate:D00389 which in 1891 was hidden in the unexhibited works in the Turner Bequest.
  • Lot 260; W.F.Ready; A Coast Scene; an oil in the watercolour section
  • Lot 261; W.F.Ready; A Coast Scene with fishing boats and figures; an oil in the watercolour section
• Lot 215; E Duncan; Storm at Sea, moonlight
  Edward Duncan (1803-1882). Unlikely but, like W.F.Ready, just slightly possible. No buyer information.
  

Titles that may resemble 'The Rising Squall...' but where there is no (or very little) scope for mistaken identity:

• Lot 44; H. Koekkoek; A Coast Scene, with fishing boats.
  Hermanus Koekkoek (1815-1882) Dutch and therefore cannot be this picture. (His father, Johannes Hermanus Koekkoek (1778-1851) also painted maritime subjects but if the compiler thought it was him 'J' or 'J.H.' would be the appropriate initial.)
• Lot 104; Avercamp; A Coast Scene, with boats and figures
  If this is Hendrick Avercamp (1585-1634) it would be impossible to misidentify 'The Rising Squall...' for his work.

C.R.Stanley; A Heath Scene; Lot 282; is another example of an oil amongst the watercolours (but not an identity issue)

Title page & page 3

Christies 1891-06-27 Drake
Page 3; Lots 1-7; Artists: Unknown, Unknown Italian, Boddington, Boldini;
Buyers: Smith

4, 5

Christies 1891-06-27 Drake
Pages 4 & 5; Lots 8-25; Artists: Boldini, Brooking, Collins, Constable, Cook, Cooper, Corti, Costa, Creswick, Crome, Baron Denon;
Buyers: Wigzell ?, Polak

6, 7

Christies 1891-06-27 Drake
Pages 6 & 7; Lots 26-43; Artists: Etty, Fortin, Fraser, Haughton, Hicks, Hixon, Hogarth, Holland, Hulk, Hunt, Ibbotson, Jutsum
Buyers: Shepherd, Agnew, Permain, Costa

8, 9

10, 11

12, 13

JMW Turner; Snowdon, from Moel Madoc; Nixon

Spence, Tancredi, Turner, Uwins, Verschuur, Wilson, Zuccarelli, More, Jamieson, Clouet, Wouvermans, Rubens

14, 15

16, 17

18, 19

20, 21

22, 23

24, 25

26, 27

28, 29

30, 31

Lundgren, MacLise, Margetts, Martin, Müller, Nash, Nicholson, Oakley, Oliver, Samuel Palmer, Poole, Prout

32, 33

Pyne, Ready, Richardson, Roberts, Robins, Rowbotham, Scanlan, Stanfield

34, 35

JMW Turner; View of a College, Oxford
JMW Turner; View in a Village, with houses and church
JMW Turner; View on the Dee
JMW Turner; Eltham Palace; RA 1791
JMW Turner; View of Mr. Gregory Page Turner's House

Stanfield, Stanley, Stothard, Tayler, Topham, Turner, Varley,Verboeckhoven, Carl Werner,