Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 2 : French Art Exhibition and Rubin Gift, March - May 1959

'ffl . I ' EXPENSIVE PICASSO ~~~ ! 1)')1 It fetches £55,000 at Sotheby's . IY PIIIIRI JEANNERAT and STANLIY IONNITT THE most expensive Picasso of all time - It . · fetched £55,000 at Sotheby's In London yes– terday-ls going to a Queensland, Australia~ art . gallery )\!st.down the road from the home or 60- year-old Major Harold Rubin, the Old Etonlan 1heep farmer who sold It. Alto1ether the Queensland Gallery, In Brisbane, bou1ht f11r £100,800 seven of the 12 Modern& In the collection· of Ma.jor Rubin. ' Last nl1ht the rour - times - married major said : " U U1e gal– lery approach me I will 1lve them a cheque towarda the cost. "I wanted the pictures to 10 to a public 1allery, I cannot 11ve them the whole proceed.I or the aale beeause I want to ~~ri:i<ftes~~;:ye w'rif~~>x ~v: Htabll1hed," The three-hour sale, In which tf? P~~r v~lrsog~ ~~3 ~~~~1:eil televl~lon camcr!I-S could be heard, brou1ht Major Rubin £105,2.0, Given away Bot.heby's total reached £393,813 -the second hl1hest 'In British auction history. The record or £'181,000 was e11tabllshed last October ror seven ImpresalonlMB pictures .rrom the Jakob Oold– achmldt collection. ' The Plca.aao L4 Belle Hol· 1a,utal1e Is a Ufe-alze study of a plump, nude Dutch atrl named Wllhelmlntje, whom Plca!.~Omet In 1905. This painting, done In non• !,'i" 11 W!eren6n~:ter ;~~Oriti~ O~, Plcasso's much • sou1fit • a.f!A!r · ~111·1i• Blue Period, P)casso gave It a.way lmmedl• ately he had finished It to a friend. The friend sold It for £li to aettle " tavern debt owed bf Plcuso anu himself. Since then Britain hM ha.d two npportunlUes or buyln1 the picture, which Is far better than any early Picasso In " national collection. lnatructions A Bnnk or England drector ,.ould have sold It to the S tate for £WOO. Major Rubin b'ougllt It e1•cntunllv for £6,000. Major Rubin yesterday watched only two men-the auctioneer nnd Mr. David Muir, 43-year-old Agent• Oencral fol" Qucensland, who wa, bidding on 11chnH or the 1an-, and his Government. - Mr. Muir's lnstructlonft were !ibfe•io~£Ttt,&J.lctures IUI po&- Blddlng for the Plcnsso wnt ftc,!d. u American and French 9ler1 rorced up the price. 'Quiver' Mr. Muir snld later : "When ~·qme~~~ 8 J8;e~ 0 1fi~~o~ ~£~i~t~ I WM really sweatlnlF,. ·sut I was dc1.rrmlned to get It. ' R1T~l~ ~\~~~rt~~, 1 ~'1~ 1 ~J:,'~~~.1 t ~u~ll 8/:ir~i~~%~ ueensla.nd also MaJor"ltubln bough t Renoir"s A rtnt.a 11/ oran"cs and Lemons ro1· £4,0001 THI PICASSO Gone , • • /or £55,000 This wo.s n present ror 2!l·)'Car- 1 nld ,Julie Muller, former waltrri-s I rrom Sydney, who r,at heslcle him. TheY will marrv In Paris In July, o utside the Rllbln Items high• light& n! the sale were Pnul ~zanne·s Self portrait which fetched £.12,000 : Ct!znnnr'• Tl11· Blue Plnle, £17,000 : oeorge Bnm1e'a Fnlit Dtsh wlt.h Pears, £\MOO.