being removed revealed new beauties. Its absolute genuineness is warmly attested both by Dr. Bode and Dr. Hofstede de Groot; its history (which was set out in the Times of the 3rd of May) shows it to have been in English collections for over a century, and almost every stage in its career, from the time it belonged to the artist's friend the Burgomaster Six down to the present, has been traced. Dr. Bredius alone has raised a feeble treble against it, chiefly, it would appear, because Dr. Bode has endorsed the picture!

The following list includes several unfamiliar names, and in many instances the prices are 'records':

The following list of Early French pictures tells its own tale, and needs very little comment. In spite of the enormous price paid for the Fragonard, Le Sacrifice au Minotaure, the 'record' of 16,8001. paid for The Billet Doux at the Cronier sale of 1905 still holds good. The sum paid for La Tour's portrait of Duval de l'Epinoy at the Doucet sale shows the enormous profit of 23,7921. on one picture in nine years; and if there were no other records to chronicle this assuredly would make the year a memorable one!

Early French School (Pictures and Drawings).

Early French School (Piotures and Drawings)--continued.

Regnault's Salomé formed the sensation of the season among the modern French and other schools. Sentiment does not often play a large part in the Paris auction-room, but in this case it dominated everything and everybody. But that the artist died fighting for his country a few months after this picture was painted, probably it would not have fetched more than 20001. The Louvre, with the aid of public subscriptions, went to 14,800l., but bidding went far beyond this; at the end of the sale the buyer, Mr. Knoedler, announced that he held the picture at the disposition of the Louvre for two months at cost price; but as repentance cometh in the morning so the Louvre authorities found themselves unable to close with this offer. The Corot, La Solitude, which fetched the enormous price of 14,000l., is not a record, for Le Lac Nemi (bought at Mrs. M. J. Morgan's sale in 1886 for 28001.) changed hands at a New York sale on the 25th of January last for 17,000l.; and is only a little in advance.

of the 13,6001. paid at Christie's on the 3rd of June 1910 for Mr. Maxwell's The Bird Nesters. Beyond this, practically all the other artists in the following list (which is alphabetically arranged) are represented by 'record' prices:

The abundance of material concerning pictures by foreign artists leaves very little space for those of our own country. Two features stand out in clear relief among this season's picture sales-the extraordinary series of Turner drawings in the Taylor sale (100 lots producing nearly 55,000l.), and the amazing number of Raeburn portraits. Last year fifteen portraits by this artist realised from 1000l. up to 23,4151. each; this season fourteen portraits by him have varied from over 1000l. up to 22,2601. each. Auction 'records' for both Lawrence and

Bonington were, curiously enough, obtained in Paris. The highest price obtained this season for a British picture went for a Raeburn, the second highest for a Lawrence, and then followsbut at a long interval-Sir Joshua Reynolds.

The following alphabetical list includes English pictures and drawings which have passed the 1000l. limit, except in the case of the twenty such Turner drawings in the Taylor sale, of which only six are here given :