I'd thought we were given an overall impression that Tate was uninspired later on, though, not just from Carolyn.
If we are, I honestly don't recall when. I'm not saying it won't come up, just that I don't remember any incidents. So, it would prove interesting to see if/when it does...
Also, even if Petofi did die in the fire in 1897 (which is another big if), that doesn't necessarily mean that anything he was responsible for would have been lost. After all,[spoiler]we'll learn down the road that the power of Quentin's painting is still in full force.[/spoiler]