| | | | | | | | Document | Sale Catalog Br-415 | |
| Auction House | Squibb (George) -- from catalog: Mr. Squibb | | Sale Location | Saville Passage, Saville Row, London, England, UK | | Seller(s) | from catalog: Mr. Robert Fagan & Mr. Charles Grignion | | Lugt Number | 7104 and 7108 | | No. of Painting Lots | 52 | | Notes | The sale was originally scheduled for May 26, 1806 but was postponed to May 29. Catalogues exist with both dates. Most of the lots were Italian paintings and all were owned by Robert Fagan and Charles Grignion II, artists who were active in Italy, primarily Rome, and who dealt in pictures. Grignion had died in 1804 and it is unclear to whom his share of the paintings now belonged. It is therefore possible that Fagan, who had once been the British Consul-General for Sicily and a longtime resident of Italy, was the principal owner. The provenances given for the pictures indicate that they had come from major Roman and Neapolitan collections, including the Borghese, Aldobrandini, Colonna, Corsini, and Chigi. Whenever this information can be checked it seems to be correct, and so far there is no reason to question it. Indeed, it appears that this sale did include some important pictures, though very few can be traced. Most had appeared already on Mar.2, 1804 (Br-243) at a sale organized by Christie's, at which time they were knocked down for high prices but were in fact not sold. The prices paid on the present occasion -- so far as we know them -- were higher than average but much lower than at the previous sale. Only three lots are known to have exceeded £100. An Assumption of the Virgin by Carracci is supposed to have sold for 320 (guineas?), although the buyer is unknown. (This picture, now recognized as the work of Girolamo da Carpi, is in the National Gallery, Washington.) A Crucifixion by Michelangelo, supposedly acquired from the Cavalieri family, was knocked down for 300 (guineas?). (It is now untraceable.) Richard Payne Knight is known to have bought at least three pictures at the sale, and A.H. Champernowne acquired at least one, a Canaletto now in the National Gallery, London. A few Fagan/Grignion pictures can be found at later auctions, but the present sale is, so far as we know, the last occasion at which the paintings were still together as a group. (B. Fredericksen) | | Catalog Location(s) | VAL II [annotations used in Sales Contents] Annot. in both ink and pencil by the dealer Woodin with the initials of some buyers and all prices.
CIL [photocopy in Provenance Index Sales Files] Annot. with a few buyers and most prices as well as a few comments. The catalogue belonged to Sir Abr. Hume and the annotations are probably his.
RKDH Not annot.
VAL I Not annot. | | Photocopies | BIB, NGL and RKDH (all of CIL) | | See Also | Sale Contents | | | Art Sales Catalogues Online | | | Digitized Catalog - Met | | | |
|
|