Date: Mon 01-Feb-1999

By Previous Employees

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Ant

Author: SHIRLE

Quick Words:

Sotheby's-Poussin

Full Text:

New Poussin Record At Sotheby's

NEW YORK CITY -- Sotheby's saleroom held a packed crowd for its January 27

sale of Important Old Master Paintings, which made $29,737,975.

A recently rediscovered work by Nicolas Poussin broke the previous record

price for the artist by $2.8 million when it sold for $6,712,500. It was

finally bought anonymously on the telephone after a fierce battle between the

successful bidder and a client in the room. It had been estimated at $3/4

million.

"The results of today's sale are a clear indication that good pictures are

finally achieving the prices they deserve," said George Wachter, executive

vice president and head of the Old Master picture department. "The competition

between trade and private buyers can be seen in the result for the Schedoni

which, although small, made $772,500 against an estimate of $500/500,000.

Bidders were selective, but when a painting was rare and fresh to the market,

they made their presence felt on the telephones and in the room."

Nicolas Poussin's (1594-1665) "Agony in the Garden" resurfaced in the early

1990s and had previously only been known through contemporary descriptions.

The picture was possibly commissioned by the influential Cardinal Francesco

Barberini, the nephew of Pope Urban VIII, while Poussin was in Rome. It is one

of two versions of the subject by Poussin painted on copper, one of which

entered the Barberini collection by 1648 and the other of which belonged to

his secretary, the antiquarian Cassiano dal Pozzo. The dal Pozzo version is in

a private collection.

A horrific scene of "The Triumph of Death," painted by the Flemish artist

Pieter Brueghel the Younger, and inspired by the horrors of the Bubonic

plague, sold for $2,037,500 to a private collector, the second highest price

in the day's sale. It was offered for sale from the estate of an eccentric

millionaire who worked as a night janitor, and was estimated at $1/1.5

million.

Two other record pieces were broken in the top ten lots: a still life with

flowers, by Johannes Bosschaert, sold for $910,000 (est $250/350,000), and a

landscape by Nicolaes Berchem sold for $800,000 (est $200/250,000).

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Mon 01-Feb-1999

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