NEW YORK AND ONTHE AFTERNOONSOF FEBRUARYI 5, I 6, I 7 AN" 18 CONDITIONS OF SALE I. The highest Bidder to be the Buyer, and if any dis- pute arise between two or more Bidders, the Lot so in dispute shall be immediately put up again and re-sold. 2. The Purchasers to give their names and addresses, and to pay down a cash deposit, or the whole of the Purchase- money zy required, in default of which the Lot or Lots so purchased to be immediately put up again and re-sold. 3. The Lotsto be taken away at the Buyer’s Expense and Risk ujon the conclusion of the Sale. and the remainder of the Purchase-money to be absolutely paid or otherwise settled for to the satisfaction of the Auctioneer, on or before delivery ; in default of which the undersigned will not hold themselves responsible if the Lots be lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed, but they will be left at the SOIC risk of the Purchaser. 4. The sale of any article is not to be set aside on account of any error in the descr$tion, or imjerfecîion. A¿¿ articles are exposed for PubZic Exhibition one 01 more days, and are sold just as they are without recourse, S. To prevent inaccuracy in delivery and inconvenience --. in the settlement of the purchases, noLot can, on any account, be removed during the sale. 6. Upon failure to comply with the above condition”, ,î%G money deposited in part payment shall be forfeited ; all Lots uncleared within two days from conclusion of sale shall be re-sold by public or private Sale, without further notice, andthe deficiency (if any)attending such re-sale shall be made good by the defaulter at this Sale, together with allcharges attending the same. This Condition is without prejudice to theright of the Auctioneer or Managers to enforce the contractmade at this Sale, without such re-sa,le,-if they think fit. THE AMERICAN ART ASSOCIATION, MAN~GERS. THOMAS.E. KIRBY, Auctioneer. ti l\ , I ORDER OF SALE. i' l TUESDAYEVENING, FEBRUARY 14th) at CHICKERINGHALL, Fifth Avenue and Eighteenth Street, beginning at 8 o'clock, AMERICANPAINTINGS, WATER COLORS, AND BLACK AND WHITE DRAWINGS.Catalogue Nos. I to 93, inclusive. WEDNESDAYEVENING, FEBRUARY 15th, at CHICKERING 'HALL,beginning at 8 o'clock, AMERICANPAINT- INOS, WATERCOLORS, ANI) BLACKAND WHITE DRAWINGS.Catalogue Nos. 94 to 186, inclusive. THURSDAYEVENING, FEBRUARY 16th, at CHICKERINC HALL,beginning at 8 o'clock, AMERICANPAINT- INGS, WATER COLORS,AND BLACKAND WHITE DRAWINGS.Catalogue Nos. 187 to 279, inclusive. FRIDAYEVENING, FEBRUARY 17th, at CHICKERING HALL, beginning at 8 o'clock, concluding Sale of AMERICAN PAINTINGS,WATER COLORS, and BLACKAND WHITE DRAWINGS. Catalogue Nos. 280 to 372, inclusive. WEDNESDAYAFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 15th, at THEAMERI- CAN ARTGALLERIES, Madison Square South, be- ginning at 3.30O'cIock, HISPANO- MAURESQUE PLAQUES,PERSIAN AND INDIANART. Catalogue Nos. I to 164, inclusive. THURSDAYAFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 16th, at THEAMERI- CAN ART GALLERIES,beginning at 3.30 o'clock, BLUEAND WHITE AND SINGLE COLOR MINIATURE VASES of the Seventeenthand Eighteenth Cen- turies ; CABINET MINIATUREVASES in JADE, IVORY, 6 ORDER OF SALE. AMETHYST,AGATE, ENAMEL, and METAL; LARGE BLUE AND WHITEVASES; OLD SINGLE COLOR CHINESE PORCELAINVASES, and OLD CHINESE POTTERY.Catalogue Nos. 165 to 273, inclusive. FRIDAYAFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 17th, at THE AMERI- CAN ARTGALLERIES, beginning at 3.30 o’clock, INTRODUCTION. ANTIQUE GREEK AND ROMANGLASS, GREEK VASES, GREEK TERRA-COTTASTATUETTES AND WHENthe managers of the American Art Association GROUPS. Catalogue Nos. 274 to 437, inclusive. requested me to write anintroduction for thecatalogue SATURDAYAFTERNOON, FEBRUARY, I8th, at THEAMERI- of the Thomas B. Clarke collection, I willingly complied. CAN ART GALLERIES,beginning at 3.30 o’clock, I feel that I know the pictures well, for I have seen most Concluding Sale, GERMAN, DUTCH,ITALIAN, SPAN- of them more or less often, and I know some of the most ISH, RUSSIAN,FRENCH, AND CHINESE ARTOBJECTS important ones by heart. It is a satisfaction to have this IN BRASS, COPPER, BRONZE,SILVER, IRON, AND opportunity to say a few words about this exhibition and PEWTER.Catalogue Nos. 438 to 560, inclusive. sale, for they constitute a great event in the art history of the United States, and we fully expect to see a great many of Mr. Clarke’s pictures sold for far higher prices, dollars being the only measure of value that we can apply on such an occasion, than have ever been paid for works by contem- porary American artists, The reason for this opinion is not far to seek. Mr. Clarke is widely known as a most intelligent and cultivated ama- teur. His acquaintance with his possessions is intimate, as that of many collectors is not, and he has acquired them because he liked themand wanted them. He was the first buyer of pictures to comprehend the merit and value of the work of ournative school-principally, I should say, that painted in the past twenty-five years. In this large collection many pictures of earlier date will be found, but its reputation comes chiefly from Mr. Clarke’s support of the artists who were known in the latter part of the seventies as ‘‘ The Younger Men.” Some of these are veterans now, of course. He was at the same time a great patron of Inness, Winslow Homer,and Wyant. He owns I. 8 INTRODUCTION. INTRODUCTION. 9 3. some of their earlier works, as well as many of their latest handwriting, saying : Mr. So-and-so isin town. Have and best ones. As a matter of fact, almost all of the cele- you anything fresh and good ?” As a consequence, he brated Innesses, certainly the best of them, are in his col- brought to my door at various times men whom he had lection. In looking over the catalogue the absence of i personally interested in American art, and they bought pic- some well-knodw names in American art may be noticed. tures. Having found the way through him some of them As tothat I can only repeat what Mr. Clarke himself came back again alone, and the results were appreciative says : that he never strove to make a collection fully rep- friends and substantialencouragement. One Sunday I resentative of all phases and tendencies, but thathe bought met him at one of the afternoon concerts of chamber music what appealed to him, and that it did not matter how many we used to have in St.Gaudens’s studio in Thirty-sixth pictures by one man he might already have, if hesaw Street, and I told him about a picture I had seen by Louis another one that he also liked he bought it, if he could. In Moeller that I thought very good. ‘(It’s so good,” I this way his collection is a record of his discernment and of said, (‘that you ought to buy it. ” ‘‘ I have bought it,” his consistent and constantly broadening good taste. he replied, ‘‘ and it’s a gem.” Precisely the same thing What have been Mr. Clarke’s methods in collecting? happened to Inness. He was on the hanging committee at Let me relate, briefly, my first experience with him. I the Academy, and was greatly taken with a picture he had came to New York after five years in Paris, in the autumn found a good place for on the walls. It was “lhe Deepen- ing Shadows,” by Charles H. Davis. Innesssought out of 1882,and settled down in the Sherwood in December. Some time in the next month, soon after the holidays, I re- Clarke and, using strong language of approval, told him ceived a visit from this patron, ofwhom I had heard. I about the picture and urged him to beon hand early at had heard of hie having bought pictures by Ulrich, Moeller, the “private view ” and buy it. ‘‘ Well,”was the reply, Brush, Volk, ‘I’ryon, Shirlaw, and others, who had preceded “let’sgo over tothe cluband get some lunch and talk it over.” This finished, theenterprising collector me by several years, and, of course, about his owning pict- had his little joke, and told Innessthat he had had an ures by Innesn, Window Homer, and Wyant, but I never opportunity some time before to see the picture, and he dreamed that he would come to look up an unknown. Cer- tainly I was an unknown, for I had exhibited only one or thought it was very good, just as Inness did, but he had acted on his own judgmentand had bought the picture two “early efforts”in New York. I was told that having had before it was sent in to the Academy. Tableau ! pictures in the Salon didn’t count, and that if one brought any over here one would have to sell them at auction in At that time he went around a great deal to the studios, and, as he says, he has seen the painters at work on nearly Nassau Street. So when Clarke came in I expected it to be allthe pictures he owns. As to his experiences with merely a call of investigation. We had a bit of talk, and to make a long story short, he looked at a little figure picture ì Inness, I have heard that he used to hurry away the pic- I had sitting on my chimney piece, in a black frame, with tures he bought, once the painter declaredthem finished, for the title printed in French on a tablet, said he liked that it was ten to one if he left them twenty-four hours in the studio the remarkable artist who painted them, never satis- and-bought it ! Thenthis genial, excellent gentleman fied, filled with the desire to improve on what was already went away, and after that, as the years passed, he used to write me pleasant notes, in his firm, straightforward so good that it impressed the beholder as a masterpiece, c--.