Auction of Old Masters

Robert was a keen collector of paintings, both new and old masters. In 1855, he drew up a catalogue of oil paintings in Whitehill, which includes some detailed descriptions, and records the price paid for each item. The list runs to ca 140 paintings, among which were French, Italian and Dutch work, as well as work by more modern Scottish artists. When bankruptcy could no longer be avoided, he resorted to selling them. It’s not clear when they were all sold, but here’s a list of 33 paintings that were sent to London in 1873, to be auctioned by Mssrs Foster in the Pall Mall Gallery on 2 July at 1 pm.

The prices achieved were meticulously recorded by Robert, who then compared them with the prices he had paid when still a wealthy man. The disparities make for a dismal record!

A further 61 paintings appear to have been auctioned in Edinburgh, and it was noted that the friends and neighbours who flocked to this event were keen to underbid each other. The whole experience was clearly very distressing for Robert, and his family too, presumably.