Page 22 - Vision & Ecstasy - Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione's St. Francis.

The owner’s attorney approached me largely on the basis of my record with

past exhibitions.The vendor wished to remain anonymous and after weeks of

legal exchanges the closing was arranged on ‘neutral territory’.This was to

be a bank in Geneva where the painting had been lodged and I will never forget

the almost Groucho Marxian scenes with the vendors on one floor of the bank

in offices, the picture housed in a room on the floor below and the acquiring

representatives lodged a floor below that. As the agent for the vendor and

intermediary I had to fly from floor to floor until I had signatures on all the

paperwork.The commission from this deal saved the day and repaid the bank.

Of equal importance was a coup that followed close on the heels of the

Gentile da Fabriano in March 1987 and which is a tale tinged with

misfortune but ultimate success. I received a call from a very small dealer

on the Continent with whom I had good relations but who specialised in

the nineteenth century (alas he is now dead). On a crackling telephone line

Fig. 15. I was asked whether I would be interested in a ‘Sánchez Cotán’. (Fig.15)
This seemed so improbable that I barely gave it credence, yet I was

intrigued. Fortunately, the very next day, I took a plane and was shown the painting in a warehouse. The story

was that it had belonged to a framer who had died.The vendors wanted a low six figure sum in dollars. For

me this was still a great deal of money to risk and though the painting seemed period the artist was so rare

there was little to compare it with even though the painting was apparently signed. I was given 24 hours to

decide. I returned to London and contacted Bill Jordan and sent him by DHL the snapshots I had taken.

However, time was of the essence so I told the vendors I would pay double their asking price if they gave me

an extension of 48 hours.When Bill later confirmed that he thought the painting autograph I closed the deal.

Sometime later, with the painting in London, I had a visit from the lateTed Pillsbury, the great acquisitive director
at the Kimbell whom I had known since Courtauld days. Ted was thrilled with the painting which was an immense
rarity and promptly proposed to acquire it for a sum that I believe was close to £1,250,000.Triumphant I applied
for an export licence.A fortnight passed and in the interim the painting had been referred to the‘advisor’ at the
National Gallery. I then subsequently received a phone call to the effect that since the National Gallery had few
Spanish still lifes, other than the Melendez I had sold them, would I be prepared to send them the picture so that
they could do technical analysis and X-rays for their database? Of course I agreed.After all it was the National
Gallery. Ten days passed. Then like a thunderbolt from Parnassus I received an embarrassed telephone call

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