By 1747, Abraham Langford was in partnership with Christopher 'Auctioneer' Cock (d. 1748),
and in 1748, succeeded him at the auction-rooms
(later numbered 8-10) in the north-eastern corner of the Piazza, Covent Garden.
Lettered below the image with the title, and "Published
by Baldwyn, Catherine St Strand, London".
Portrait and landscape painter, mezzotinter and auctioneer;
b.Boston (America) 1727; d. Margate 1792; apprenticed to engraver; to Surinam
in 1752-7; in Amsterdam 1758 where trained as mezzotinter under Elgersma; to
London via Paris in 1763; remained in England until his death; exhibited SA
1764-76; from c. 1773 worked primarily as an auctioneer rather than printmaker,
becoming one of the principal London dealers in old master paintings.
Lettered: "E. T. invt [E. Topham]." and "Pub
accorg to Act by M Darly 39 Strand March 15th 1773."
..................................
The Macaroni Auctioneer.
Matthias Darley
1754 - Cuttings advertising exhibition of etchings by Thomas
Worlidge at Mr Carne's, his Majesty's glazier, corner of Hemmings Row and St
Martin's Lane, also an exhibition of pictures at the Great Auction Room, 70 St
Martin's Lane.
Abraham Langford's Catalogue -
"A catalogue of a collection of pictures, painted by
Mr. Worlidge, Of Covent-Garden, Consisting of Histories, Heads, Landscapes and
Dead Game, and also some Drawings; Which, together with A large and fine
Picture of Orpheus and Eurydice, by Guido, Brought over from France by the late
Mr. Samuel Paris; A View of Versailles, by Patel, And a large Family Picture,
by Jordaens of Antwerp, Will be sold by auction, By Mr. Langford, At his House
in the Great Piazza, Covent Garden, On Friday the 5th of this Instant April
1754. The said Pictures may be view'd from Wednesday the 3d Instant till the
Time of Sale, which will begin punctually at Twelve O'Clock.
Catalogues of which may be had gratis of Mr. Worlidge, at
Mr. Carne's, Glazier to his Majesty, in St. Martin's Lane; Mr. Payne,
Bookseller in Pater Noster-Row; and Mr. Langford, in the Great Piazza
aforesaid. Conditions of Sale as usual"
Three Langford Catalogues available on gallica -
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4500128d
There were sales in 1755, 1756 and 1757 It seems that his
health was deteriorating but he later rallied and went into a profitable partnership with the architect James Stuart
......................
Peter Scheemakers and a Small Marble Statue of Laocoon and his Sons
After the sale, some of the purchasers gave the moulders
leave to make casts of what they had bought, so that the students could procure
them at a reasonable rate, and study from them in their own apartments.
................................
Abraham Langford, A catalogue of the genuine and capital
collection of pictures, by the most celebrated masters, of that late great and
learned physician, Doctor Richard Mead, deceased, London 1754.
Langford, publisher, A catalogue
of the genuine and entire collection of valuable gems, bronzes, marble and
other busts and antiquities, of the late Doctor Mead : which (by order of the
executors) will be sold by auction, by Mr. Langford, at his house in the Great
Piazza, Covent Garden, on Tuesday the 11th of this instant March 1755, and the
four following days : the said collection will be exhibited to public view on
Friday, Saturday and Monday, the 7th, 8th and 10th instant, from ten in the
morning till four, and the sale will begin each day punctually at twelve
o'clock : catalogues of which may be had on Thursday the 6th, at Mr. Langford's
aforesaid, [1755]
https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/orbis:1929868
For an excellent easily navigable version see -
also https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/123243#page/1/mode/1up
......................................
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4500135j
..............................
A catalogue of the ... collection of mathematical
instruments, gems, pictures ... etc. of M. Folkes ... which ... will be sold by
auction, by Mr. Langford ... the 7th, and ... 8th, of May ... 1755 / [Martin
Folkes].
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/ueekkrth/items?canvas=5
.............................
A catalogue of the ... collection of coins, medals, and
medallions ... of M. Folkes ... which ... will be sold by auction, by Mr.
Langford ... the 27th of Jan. 1756.
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/semt45n3/items?canvas=5
.jpg)
A catalogue of the library of William Kent, Esq; late
principal painter and architect to his Majesty. Which will be sold by auction,
by Mr. Langford, at his house (late Mr. Cock's) in the Great-Piazza,
Covent-Garden. On Tuesday the 14th of February, 1748-9, ... 1749.
https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_a-catalogue-of-the-libra_langford-mr-abraham_1749
He was living in Southampton Row, Bloomsbury, where he died
on 4th July 1749. The catalogue of his sale at Langford's, 11 February 1750
gives his address. According to George Vertue he was about fifty years old at
the time of his death, and had spent more than 30 years in England.
George Vertue has the last word 'The Ingenious Mr Joseph
VanhAcken painter (had been 30 years or more in England) haveing catchd cold
fell into a Feavour of which in about a fortnights Time he dyd – aged about 50
– a man of good compleaxion a good round fatt face and shortish stature. A
small cast with one Eye'
The 'original models of Rubens, van Dyck and Fiamingo' were
included in Langford's of the Piazza Covent Garden, posthumous van Aken auction
sale of 11th February 1751. van Dyck
see - http://artworld.york.ac.uk/sourceView.do?sourceUrn=5.0155.636&br=no
For our purposes the most instructive day of the sale was
the first day - Monday 11th February 1750 when van Aken's collection of 77 pieces of sculpture were sold.
Lot 45 - King William on horseback, by Mr. Rysbrack.
Lot 47 - Palladio and Inigo Jones, by Mr. Rysbrack.
Lot 48 - Rubens, Vandyck and Fiamingo, by ditto.
Under the heading
MODELS &c.
Lot 70 - Sir Isaac Newton and Mr. Lock cut in ivory.
Lot 71 - Vandyck and Inigo Jones, ditto
Lot 73 - The original model of Rubens, by Mr. Rysbrack.
Lot 74 - Ditto, of Vandyck, by ditto
Lot 75 - Ditto, of Fiamingo, by Mr. Rysbrackp. 3, lot 44,
Available on line : Art Sales Catalogues Online.
.....................
The Roubiliac Sale Catalogue.
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-roubiliac-sale-catalogue-with-list.html
...............................
There was a sale of a collection of paintings by John Van
Spangen, ‘late of Poland Street,’ soon after, on 10 February 1748, at Cock’s
sale rooms. The timing suggests that this well-known art collector was
Spangen’s brother. The collection consisted mainly of works bought by Van
Spangen in Holland, including notable works by Rembrandt. It also included a
number of ivories by Francois Duquesnoy (Catalogue of the Entire Collection of
Curious Pictures of Mr John Van Spangen, Cock and Langford, London 10 February
1748).
The John van Spangen Sale Catalogue is available on line at
- https://archive.org/details/frick-31072001958836/page/n5/mode/2up
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