Martin Butlin's Expert Visit to Christie's

JMW Turner the source Martin Butlin and Evelyn Joll JMW Turner art expert, expert for evaluation authentication attribution appraisal / art consultant, consultant for JMW T- who and why? Ji (TM)
(George) Kaiser Czech-Canadian painter

Martin Butlin C.B.E., painted by Jiri (George) Kayser 2001

Art World’s Dirty Little Secret r malcolm setters / graham setters

Martin Butlin, the accepted authority on historic British art and in particular J.M.W. Turner and William Blake, had been authorized as a senior consultant for Christie’s to inspect Shipwreck, the Rescue at our expense. He was prodded with many questions during his weeklong stay. Not only were the responses he gave of importance, but also, the general chatter that took place over dinner and while sightseeing was significant. During simple socializing, or testy disagreements, we all persevered.

By the time Martin and his wife Frances arrived, their visit had evolved far beyond what was first intended; a trip of pure business had become a vacation with a purpose. The distance from home, casual social environment, and the “straight-forward and simple people” impression Martin had about Canadians, rather disarmed him. His banter of the next several days wrote the concluding few chapters of a book that would have otherwise been only speculation… Art World’s Dirty Little Secret

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Hands: the Orrock Ehrenbrietstein added discussion from the Butlin visit Institutional Evolution Butlin and Joll catalogue Connoisseurship [i] Francis MacDonald Cornford, The Republic of Plato, “Oxford University Press, London, 1951), 102.