At a Sale of High-Class Sculpture
The story revolves around a wealthy art collector who hosts an exclusive sale of high-class sculpture at his estate. The event attracts aristocrats and connoisseurs from across Europe. As the guests arrive, they are drawn into a world of opulence and refinement, where the boundaries between reality and artifice blur.
By Thomas Anstey Guthrie · First published 1895 · Genre: Comedy, Satire, Drama · 2,445 words
First lines
SCENE -- _An upper floor in a City Warehouse; a low whitewashed room, dimly lighted by dusty windows and two gas-burners in wire cages. Around the walls are ranged several statues of meek aspect, securely confined in barred wooden cases, like a sort of marble menagerie. In the centre, a labyrinthine grove of pedestals, surmounted by busts, groups, and statuettes by modern Italian masters. About these pedestals a small crowd -- consisting of Elderly Merchants on the look out for a "neat thing in statuary" for the conservatory at Croydon or Muswell Hill, Young City Men who have dropped in after lunch, Disinterested Dealers, Upholsterers' Buyers, Obliging Brokers, and Grubby and Mysterious men -- is cautiously circulating._
What this Textopian page supports
At a Sale of High-Class Sculpture is listed on Textopian as a novel by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, dated 1895 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Thomas Anstey Guthrie
- Date: 1895 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Comedy, Satire, Drama, Theater, Farce
- Length: 2,445 words
- Structure: 1 section, 56 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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- Work identity for At a Sale of High-Class Sculpture by Thomas Anstey Guthrie
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering At a Sale of High-Class Sculpture?
- How does this novel by Thomas Anstey Guthrie fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Comedy first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Comedy — The work employs humor through witty dialogue and absurd situations, particularly in the context of an art auction.
- Satire — It critiques social norms and the art market, highlighting the pretentiousness of buyers and dealers.
- Drama — The interactions among characters at the auction create dramatic tension and reveal their personalities.
- Theater — The format and dialogue suggest it is intended for performance, typical of a theatrical script.
Tags
Humor · Satire · Social commentary · Upper class · Society · Wealth · Materialism · Art market · Auction · Collecting · Antiques · Class distinction