Irish Daily Independent - Friday, April 26, 1895

SALE OF OSCAR WILDE’S EFFECTS

The stuffy little first floor from room of 16 Tite street, London, was densely crowded yesterday afternoon at one o’clock, the time announced for the sale of Oscar Wilde’s effects. The house was in a dirty, stripped condition, and much surprise was expressed at the cheap tawdriness of such of the mural decorations that remained. The much-advertised blue-China turned out to be mostly the cheapest modern Japanese, with a few damaged pieces of Old Oriental and of inferior quality. The sale commenced with he books, some of which fetched fancy prices, especially when they happened to be limited editions or presentation copies. One lot, which included three large paper copes of "The Spring" and two of "Salome" brought as much as £85, but the average price was not much more than a sovereign for a bundle of twenty. A large number of school books and similar cheap lots were included: indeed, the whole sale from first to last gave one the impression that most of the goods put up were the useless accumulation of several years. This was true of several of the pictures, which, whoever, included two or three by Whistler, and attention was revived at their appearance. By this time the noise and heat were insufferable, and a section of the commoners dossiers present had begun to shout ribald remarks, which the auctioneer made little attempt to check, though several women were present. A crayon drawing of whistlers (the catalogue said attributed) fetched £22, and a pencil sketch by the same artist £15. A group of well-known artists were present, and forced up the prices, whereat the dealers just mentioned indulged in abusive remarks at their expensive, causing a temporary suspension of the sale until the most impudent of their number was hustled out of the room, amid loud applause. After this condiment things on more smoothly, but the rest of the loir were of very little interest or value. One Old oriental blue and white bowl, with cover, fetched as much as fifteen shillings, but it was neither a dealer nor an artist who adventured such a large sum for it. In the bedroom on the same floor several letters of a most singular character were left exposed to the public gaze. On the wall of the bedroom, in queer lettering, is this —

"Spirit of Beauty, tarry still awhile. They are not dead, thine ancient votaries. Some few there are to whom thy radiant smile is better than a thousand victories." Below this there are give large gilt suns and a Moorish lamp hangs from the ceiling. On the bed lay the little sailor suits and other clothing of he two little boys.