Smith, John: A catalogue raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French painters: in which is included a short biographical notice of the artists, with a copious description of their principal pictures : a statement of the prices at which such pictures have been sold at public sales on the continent and in England; a reference the the galleries and private collections in which a large portion are at present; and the names of the artists by whom they have been engraved; to which is added, a brief notice of the scholars & imitators of the great masters of the above schools (Part 1) (London: Smith and Son, 1829)

XX

INTRODUCTION.

when offered for sale, and often reduces the amount to
half of what it otherwise would have been.
It may be observed, that pictures sell much higher at
a sale when sanctioned by the name of a distinguished
proprietor, or as being from some celebrated collection.
The Purchaser then buys with confidence, and bids with
spirit, not to say with judgment, for if this were the
case, good pictures would sell equally well under any
circumstances : but here the want of knowledge is appa-
rent ; for these soi-disant connoisseurs, who give high
prices under such circumstances, would hardly be pre-
vailed on to buy the same pictures at half the sum,
without such recommendations. It must, however, be
owned, that there are times when works of art suffer a
great depression, from various local or political causes.
This was the case in England in the years 1814, 1815,
and 1816, when first-rate pictures were sold at a great
depreciation*.
The numerous works already published upon pictorial
art, render critical dissertation unnecessary; nor is it
possible to lay down rules that will enable every one to
acquire the knowledge necessary to constitute a connois-
seur. For the best information upon this subject, the
reader may be referred to Richardson’s excellent Trea-
tise on Art; Sir Joshua Reynolds’ Tour in Flanders ;
and to the late Mr. Fuseli’s admirable Discourses on Art.
* There is a curious circumstance mentioned by M. Gault, in his
Guide des Amateurs : “ A capital collection of pictures was sold at
Paris on the 28th of March, 1814, and two following days ; on the
second day of the sale, the Allies arrived before Paris, yet the sale
continued, with very little diminution of prices.”