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PRINTED BV THOMAS DAVISOK, WH1TJSFRIARS.

A CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY

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Jittturts 6k tijt Sreat JWasiter*

SINCE THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

BY W. BUCHANAN, ESQ.

" La chute du trone de Constantin porta dans I'ltalie les debris de 1'ancienne
Grece ; la France s'enrichit a son tour de ces precicuses depouilles."

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR R. ACKERMANN, STRAND.

At a period when a taste for the Fine
Arts is rapidly spreading through every
part of the British Dominions : when the
Sovereign himself, a Prince of refined taste
and extensive attainments, takes a lead in
the establishment of Institutions calculated
to diffuse a general knowledge thereof and
to promote their culture; when Galleries
of a public nature are forming in several of
the principal cities of the empire, and a desire
to cultivate these Arts increases with the
growing prosperity of the country; some
details concerning those works which arc

now objects of general regard may not
be unacceptable to the amateurs of paint-
ing.

With this view the following compila-
tion has been made, interspersed with
remarks, historical and critical;�and, to
those who delight in seeing their country
become the seat of the Arts and Sciences,
and the reign of George the Fourth rival the
period of Lorenzo de Medici, the following
pages are most respectfully dedicated by

And very humble servant,

No. 3, Great George-Street,
Euston-Square.

Whatever can tend to throw light upon
the history of our own times, whether as it
regards the progress made in the Arts and
Sciences, in Politics, or in Commerce, must
prove in some degree entertaining for the
present, and useful for the future.

The introduction of the Tine Arts into
every country, and their subsequent culti-
vation, have at all periods afforded materials
for chronological history, highly interest-
ing to the lover of art and to the man of
letters. Occurrences connected therewith
spring up in succession, and though more
or less important in themselves, they often
pass unheeded, and from a want of proper
notice sink into the general mass of oblivion,
which swallows up all that belongs to hu-

man nature. Inquiry succeeds at some
future period when it is probably too late,
and such is at best followed up with a
greater or less degree of certainty, as
governed by casual circumstances.

The history which we possess of Art
among the Egyptians, and our information
respecting the extent and duration of
their power and greatness, are very limited
and uncertain. The flourishing and in-
teresting periods of the Grecian republic,
and the age of Philip and Alexander,
which saw the Arts of Sculpture and of
Architecture arrive at their highest per-
fection, are somewhat better known to
us, not only from documents which have
escaped the ravages of time, but from the
durable nature of many of those monuments
themselves: still, the mass of valuable matter
in literature and in art of which no trace
exists, leaves the extent of the loss which

the world has sustained in regard to the
history of these periods absolutely incal-
culable .

The Augustan age, which saw the trea-
sures of ancient Greece transferred to Rome,
and the Arts as existing among the Romans
themselves, are but imperfectly known to
us. It might, indeed, have been expected,
that among the many eminent writers of
that period we should have found ample
details of every thing relating to a subject
which so much engrossed the attention of
the Court and the Nobles; their best au-
thors have, however, given us but scanty
and unsatisfactory information on these
points; and even Pliny, the most copious
of their writers on this subject, in his treatise
De Artibus, chapters 34, 35, and 36, appears
rather as a dry and epigrammatic historian,
adverting from necessity to this topic, than
as an amateur of the fine arts, or as under-
standing much of the matter himself

The subsequent change of the seat of
the Koman government to Constantinople ;
the decline and ultimate downfall of the
empire, carrying along with it the total
destruction of Arts and of learning, de-
stroyed all the past, obscured all the future,
and plunged the whole western world into
one great mass of darkness, in which it
remained sunk for a succession of ages,
in ignorance and in barbarism.

The wealth of the Venetians as a mer-
cantile people ; their connexion and com-
merce with the East; and the crusades un-
dertaken to those countries for the purpose
of recovering the Holy Land, first opened
the eyes of darkened Europe to that
state of cultivation and refinement of man-
ners which existed in the eastern coun-
tries, and to which it had so long been a
stranger. The dawn of learning itself again
began to appear in Italy towards the begin-
ning of the thirteenth century ; Petrarch

and his followers redeemed literature from
the ignorance which had so long obscured
it, and gave a new turn and a taste for
pursuits of that nature. At last the cele-
brated era of the fifteenth century arrived,
to reanimate, restore, and give fresh vigour
to every thing connected with the Arts and
Sciences.

To Cosmo and to Lorenzo de Medici
the world was first indebted for that general
stimulus which was given to learning, and
for that patronage which was afforded to
Art; which they nursed in its cradle,
reared to maturity, and ultimately raised
to a degree of strength and splendour,
which, in the Art of Painting in particular,
eclipsed all preceding ages.

To Lorenzo 11 Magnifico succeeded other
great and illustrious patrons; Leo X. the
Emperor Charles V. and Francis I. were
the promoters of Art, and the protectors

of men of talent and genius. Under their
munificent auspices flourished a Leonardo
da Vinci, a Michael Angelo Buonarotti,
a Raphael, a Titian, and a Correggio.
The sound and enlightened policy of Leo,
the ambition and pride of Charles, and
the real love of Francis for the Arts, pro-
duced an era which will ever be regarded
as the golden age of Art. From this inte-
resting period we may trace more correctly
the general history of literature and of the
Fine Arts; still, however, the history of
the lives of some of the most eminent
painters of that day is much enveloped in
darkness, while many of their finest works
have been, lost sight of, or have entirely
disappeared.�Another century, and time
will have laid a heavy hand on almost all
that remains of that line and glorious age�
as the Italians say, la he/la Cinque Cento!
The last thirty years have produced

events in the history of Europe, which for
a considerable length of time not only revo-
lutionised her ancient politics, and impeded
or diverted the natural current of her trade
and commerce, but forced from their ancient
sanctuaries those treasures of Science and
of Art, that had long been the pride and
glory of the states to which they belonged.
" La chute du trone de Constantin porta
dans l'ltalie les debris de 1'ancienne Grece;
la France s'enrichit a son tour de ces pre-
cieuses depouilies."�What Rousseau has
said of Constantinople we may apply to
France and Italy;�from these sources have
our principal riches in art been derived.

During the conflicting storms which
ravaged the continent of Europe, Great
Britain alone presented a bulwark to which
foreign nations looked with awe and with
respect; and although at war with her
politically, they still confided in her honour

and in her strength: they transmitted their
moneyed wealth to her public funds, and
their collections of art to private individuals,
either for protection, or to be disposed of for
their use. The collections of Monsieur de
Calonne, and of the Duke of Orleans, with
many selections of the highest importance
from the palaces of Rome, Florence, Bo-
logna, and Genoa, which had escaped the
plunder of an invading army, were imported
into this country, and roused an emulation
and a taste for the acquisition of works of
Art, which had been almost dormant in
England since the days of its illustrious
patron and protector, Charles the First.

From this period may be dated a new
and a distinct era in the art, with reference
to modern times:�the collections of Great
Britain, heretofore possessing but few ge-
nuine works of the Italian schools, were
now enabled to enrich themselves from

their precious stores, and were soon placed
on a par with those of Rome herself.

That the introduction of such interesting
objects into this country should be marked
by some chronological notice, while facts
and dates are still in the remembrance of
every lover of the art, is a matter which
may be deemed worthy of our notice and
attention;�to fix their history,�to ascer-
tain their origin,�is to enhance and to
ensure their value. With this view princi-
pally, the following pages have been thrown
together, as being likely to prove acceptable
to those, who may either now or in future
possess these objects ; while to the public in
general they will present a series of curious
and interesting documents, and will, in so
far as regards the fine arts, form a history
of our own times.

While the importation of works of art
into England since the period of the French

revolution constitutes one of the leading
features of the following pages, the amateur
will likewise find the subject illustrated by
sketches of character of the principal paint-
ers of the various schools, and his at-
tention invariably directed to those works
which have been always regarded as the
chefs-d'oeuvre of art, on which he may with
confidence form a correct taste and judg-
ment.

SCHOOLS OF PAINTING.

The Genius of sculpture and of painting has
always had its favourite but irregular periods:
it has of a sudden sprung out of relative darkness;
it has, from unexplained causes, had its decline;
partial and fickle, it has changed from one state to
another, as if perpetual residence was a restriction
upon it, under the fetters of which it could not
exist; or, as any particular country had a right to
enjoy it but for a season.

During the ancient periods, the arts de-
serted Egypt for Greece; from Greece they were
transferred to Rome; the downfall of the Em-
pire enveloped them with the shade of the
dark ages; some latent sparks of their genius,
however, remained unextinguished, and they
again burst forth on the same soil, where they

had been so long stifled;�the policy, the libe-
rality, the splendour of the Medici, restored the
Arts to that rank to which they had long been
strangers;�schools were formed, and that of
Florence took the lead; its duration was more
lasting than some of its neighbours, but still its
period was marked and defined.

Leonardo embodied a style, noble, and sublime;
new in itself, and unknown to the world of art;
�Michael Angelo Buonarotti, in sculpture, re-
called the days of ancient Greece; while in painting,
like the epic poet, he roused the feelings of man-
kind to a just admiration of the great and the
grand;�Fra. Bartolomeo di St. Marco, and An-
drea del Sarto, profited of his example, and sup-
ported that high character to which these great
men had raised this school; it flourished for above
a century with great eclat.

About the same period, the school of Ve-
nice shone with uncommon splendour. Titian,
Georgione, Tintoret, and Veronese, appeared on
the theatre of art, and the reign of colour dazzled
the world; the sixteenth century saw this school
flourish in all its vigour; it witnessed its progress
to perfection, and saw its decline; its genius was
too brilliant to be of long continuance, and at an
early period of the succeeding age, the star of
Venice set, to rise no more.

The Roman period was sublime, but of short
duration: it sprung up with Raphael, and with
him and his immediate scholars, its genius again
disappeared; the works of these great men remain
as monuments of their transcendent talents;
human nature received through Raphael a dignity
of character, a lustre, which raised her above her-
self, which brought her nearer to divinity.

The Lombard school did not fail to bear a di-
stinguished part;�her period was brilliant. The
name of Correggio must ever stand first in the
annals of chiaroscuro, these magic illusions of
light and shade; in chastity of style, and in all
the blandishments of elegance, and grace. This
great man and his cotemporaries, the chief of
whom was Parmigiano, had scarcely quitted the
stage, when Bologna contributed to the protraction
of this epoch;�her Caracci arose; and the sun of
Lombardy had another long day.

Ludovico and Annibal Caracci formed a school
founded upon principles which were immutable;
�they were drawn from the excellencies of all
the schools which had preceded their own period,
and no school ever produced a greater variety of
fine talent. The names of Domenichino, of Guido,
and Albano, of Annibal, and Ludovico Caracci,
will ever suggest to us whatever is most lovely,
chaste, and delightful in art.

4 ORLEANS COLLECTION.

The schools of Spain, of France, of Flanders,
and of Holland, began to make a figure in the
world of art, when those of Italy had got weak,
and when that of Bologna alone retained its pris-
tine force and vigour. Their period was, how-
ever, of short continuance; they appeared like
brilliant meteors for a time, and were again lost
sight of in the same expanse from whence they
had sprung.

The school of Spain is formed on the design
and composition of the Italian masters, to which
is added a power and richness of colouring peculiar
to itself. The brilliancy, freedom of execution, and
strong character, which exist in the works of Ve-
lasquez ; the rich and delicate tones, the splendid
and harmonious compositions of Morillo, assign
to these great masters a place of the first con-
sideration in the art of Painting;�they do honour
to the country which gave them birth.�Seville
formed these two eminent painters; and its
churches and convents long bore proof of their
high talents.

The school of France acquired an importance
through the admirable works of Nicholas Poussin,
of Claude de Lorraine, of Le Sueur, and Le Brim,
which it could not otherwise have possessed.
These most excellent painters have given to
tin's school a consequence, which entitles it to

ORLEANS COLLECTION. 5

be ranked with those of the most classic re-
putation.

The Flemish school, like that of Venice, draws
its principal excellence from the splendour of its
colouring. Rubens and Vandyck are its leaders.
To that high colouring for which the early Ger-
man schools had long been celebrated, Rubens in-
troduced a facility of execution, and a general
harmony, founded upon the principles of the Ve-
netian school, which reclaimed painting from the
Gothic style in which he found it. No painter
ever surpassed Rubens in richness of inventive
powers, or in that unity which is so necessary to
form a grand and harmonious whole. The more
extensive his scale, the more vast appears to have
been his genius. Vandyck, in portrait, stands
among the great leaders of painting in that par-
ticular branch. The works of D. Teniers may
likewise be classed among the chief ornaments of
this school.

The Dutch school, although inferior to the
others in point of character, and having no pre-
tensions whatever to sentiment, has nevertheless
strong claims to the attention of the amateur, from
the true stamp of nature which is impressed upon
the works of many of its best painters. A general
brilliancy of colouring, joined to a perfect know-
ledge of the clair obscure; a lively imagination,

and a just representation of those scenes which
are to be found in humble life, entitle its best
artists to a situation in the first cabinets of paint-
ings. Adrian, and Isaac Ostade, Gerard Dow,
Francis Mieris, the elder, and Jan Steen, are
among the chief painters who have illustrated
this branch of the art.

For originality of manner and execution, for a
powerful and singular management of light and
shade, Rembrandt stands unique.

In Landscape painting, the Dutch school has
also to boast of many eminent painters. The
beautiful pastorals of Berchem, and of Adrian
Vandevelde, the fresh mornings of Paul Potter, the
sunny meadows of Albert Cuyp, in all of which
these masters have enriched their subjects with
groups of cattle, rivalling nature herself;�the
sweet compositions, the tender execution of Karil
du Jardyne, the huntings, hawkings, and watering-
places of Philip Wouvermans, are all objects which
render this school attractive to the amateur, and
which captivate with their fascinating effect.

The schools of France, of Spain, of Flanders,
and of Holland, reached the most splendid part of
their career before the middle of the seventeenth
century, and towards the close of the same age
they had all died away, or sunk into insignificance.

Thus passing over the earlier stages of the

various schools, and tracing their progress from
the time that each had arrived at nearly a state of
perfection, we find that their subsequent conti-
nuance was of but short duration, and that no
sooner had the art arrived at its greatest height,
than like the arrow describing its parabula, it
already had almost begun its decline*.

The British school only remains to be named.

England first gave proof that the genius of
painting was not confined to continental Europe,
by the works which she could produce, of a Ho-
garth, a Reynolds, and a Wilson; and the full
meed of praise is due to the talent of those eminent
painters, who first brought this school into distin-
guished repute. To what extent of excellence the
art of painting may still be carried by the native
talent of this country, or how long its period may
endure, must be matter of speculative considera-
tion, regarding which every connoisseur is at
liberty to form his own opinion.�That it may
yet rival the best periods of Rome, of Florence,
of Lombardy, and of Venice, must be the sincere
wish of every amateur of this fine art.

* The elegant introductory discourse to the Schools of
Painting, by the Rev. Mr. James, offers some just and
solid reasoning as to the causes of this decline.

MEMOIRS OF PAINTING.

THE INTRODUCTION OF COLLECTIONS INTO

The late Mr. President West used to remark,
that next to the merit of having painted a picture
which should do honour to the art, and become an
ornament to the state wherein it was produced,
was the credit of having brought from foreign
countries works of the great masters.�The im-
portation of such works tends to enrich the nation
which receives them, it holds out a bright ex-
ample for imitation, and rouses and calls into
action the native talents of those who feel the
sacred flame of emulation.

The irreparable loss which this country sustained
in the dispersion of the magnificent collection
which had belonged to King Charles the First, a

10 ORLEANS COLLECTION.

collection formed upon the soundest principles of
good judgment, aided by the elegant and refined taste
of the monarch himself; the subsequent diminu-
tion of its riches in the transfer of Ihe Houghton
collection to a northern Potentate, the meagre
state of the collections which remained to us, in
works of the Italian school, made us strongly feel
in our own case the truth of the worthy president's
remark, and the public was prepared to avail itself
of the first opportunity which should occur, to
remedy in part these heavy losses.

The period was not far distant which offered
such an occasion. The public mind of France had
for a long time been in a state of great agitation ;
those best acquainted with it foresaw a storm
approaching, and many, among others Monsieur
de Calonne, who had been recently Minister of
Finance, took an early opportunity of disposing
of their valuable effects, or of transporting them
into foreign states.

Others again, from motives of a different de-
scription, also disposed of their moveable property
for the express purpose of providing means for
corrupting and inflaming the national spirit of
the French people. Among those was the Duke
of Orleans, generally known by the name of Philip
d'Egalite, whose life afterwards paid the forfeit of
his ambition.

In 1792, the Duke d'Orleans gave orders for
disposing of his magnificent collection of pictures,
as will be found particularised in the subsequent
details; and the casualties of the times afterwards
forced the purchasers to send it for protection to
our more happy shores. The storm of Revolu-
tion at last burst forth with all its terrors, and
with it sprung up those causes, which in a measure
forced upon us a species of remuneration in the
Arts, for our former heavy losses.

As the introduction of a collection of so much
importance as that of the Orleans into this country
formed of itself an era, it cannot but be in-
teresting to trace it to its origin, to observe the
new turn which it gave to the prevailing taste
of the day; to know the objects of which it was
composed, with the value attached to each; and
to learn the names of those men who first gave its
reception into this country, a marked patronage
and encouragement: matters almost as interesting
to those who appreciate a correct knowledge of
chronological events, as to the lover of art himself.

The gallery of the Palais Royal was always
regarded as one of the finest in Europe.

In 1639, the Cardinal Richelieu either from
vanity, or gratitude for the favours which he
had received from the king, ceded to him by a
deed inter vivos his palace, with the furniture and

other valuables which it contained; and he con-
firmed this gift by his testament executed at
Narbonne in May, 1642.

In the year 1643, Anne of Austria, Queen of
France and Regent of the Kingdom, accompanied
by her two young sons, Louis XIV. and the Duke
D'Anjou, quitted the palace of the Louvre to take
possession of that of the Cardinal, and to establish
her residence there. The Marquis of Toiiville,
who was then great marechal of the king's house-
hold, conceiving that it was not fit that her ma-
jesty should inhabit a palace which bore the name
of a subject, prevailed upon herio change its title,
and substitute that of the Palais Royal�at the
intercession however of the Duchess D'Arguillers,
this name was afterwards for a time suppressed,
and the original inscription of Palais Cardinal
replaced.

Louis XIV. ceded this palace to Philip his only
brother, afterwards Regent of France, and by him
this collection was rendered the finest and the
most important private collection at that time
existing in Europe,�from that period this palace
again bore the name of Palais Royal.

Philip Regent Duke of Orleans was a man of
a high and proud spirit, of a refined and cul-
tivated taste,�he considered that no man could
perpetuate his name so effectually with posterity,

as by a just and liberal patronage of the fine arts,
�he fully appreciated the high value which had
been attached to the name of DeMedicis,�a family,
which, having sprung from the commercial classes
of society, had, by a liberal and refined encourage-
ment of literature, and of the arts and sciences,
founded for themselves a reputation which may be
deemed immortal; neither did he lose sight of
the splendid example which Francois Premier,
one of his illustrious predecessors, had left in his
own country.

Philip with the power which he possessed in
the state, joined to his own wealth, had ample
means afforded him of gratifying his taste, as well
as his ambition. He employed some of the most
celebrated artists of the day to select for him by
purchase, the finest works of the great masters
which could be procured in the various countries
of Europe, while many of the minor states desiring
to pay their court to him, made presents to the
regent of such works as were likely to yield him
satisfaction, or to secure his favour and protection,
�and in general, the whole collection was formed
upon the broad and liberal view of rendering it
one of the most splendid and consequential in
Europe;�Philip employed twenty years of his life
in forming this magnificent gallery.

Queen Christina of Sweden was possessed of

14 ORLEANS COLLECTION.

forty-seven pictures of the highest importance,
which her father had possessed himself of on the
reduction of Prague. Among these were ten by
Correggio. When she abdicated the crown she
retired to Rome, and carried with her this precious
collection of chefs-d'oeuvres. Out of this collection
she presented to Louis XIV. the famous picture of
the Leda of Correggio, and on her death these
pictures were sold in Rome and purchased by
Livio Odeschalchi, Duke of Bracciano, nephew of
Pope Innocent XI., from whose heirs again, the
Regent Philip made the purchase of this rich col-
lection.

The other cabinets from which the Regent made
acquisitions in the formation of his gallery, were
those of the Cardinals de Richelieu, Mazarin, and
Dubois; of Lord Melford, of the Duke de Gram-
mont, the Abbe" de Maisainville, Deval, Forest de
Nancre\ de Nosse, de Seignelay, Tambonceau,
Paillet, de Lannay, de la Ravois, of the Duke de
Noailles, de Menars, de Hautefeuille, of the Duke
de Vendome, Corberon, de Bretonvilliers, du
Cher, de Lorraine, TAbbe" de Camps, Dorigny,
&t. &c.

The above list of amateurs proves the high and
general regard in which the art of painting was
held in France, at the period at which this collec-
tion was forming; and it is worthy of remark,

ORLEANS COLLECTION. 15

that it was principally composed of the works of
the ancient masters.

Among the different pictures which were pur-
chased for the regent, the prices which he paid
for some of these have come down to us. For the
celebrated picture of the raising of Lazarus, now
in the Angerstein collection, he paid to the chapter
of monks at Narbonne the sum of �4,000 francs;
a sum certainly much under its value even in those
days, when it is considered that for the Seven
Sacraments of Poussin now in the Stafford gallery,
he paid 120,000 francs ; and it was well known,
that price never was the bar to the acquisition of
whatever was truly excellent; the good fathers no
doubt had their reasons for ceding this celebrated
picture for so small a sum.

For the Saint Roch and Angel by An. Caracci,
which was formerly in the Church de St. Eustache
of Paris, he paid 20,000 francs ; and for the Saint
John in the Desert by Raphael, he paid likewise
20,000 francs; but it has been asserted, that had this
last picture been indubitable, it must even at that
period have cost four times that sum, as the works
of Correggio, which cannot be placed above those
of Raphael, were paid for in that proportion.

By the means of these various acquisitions, the
gallery of the duke regent contained during his

lifetime 485 pictures, of the best choice, and in
the finest state of preservation.

At the death of Philip, his son Louis took the
name of Duke of Orleans. He was a man of weak
understanding, and was guided in all his actions
by priests, and monks. To please the fancy of
these worthies, and prove how much he was
devoted to them, he caused all pictures which
represented " nature unadorned" to be destroyed,
or sold. The fine picture of Leda, by Cor-
reggio, which had been made a present of by the
Queen of Sweden, was among the first objects to
fall a sacrifice to his blind zeal: it was ordered to
be cut into quarters, which was literally obeyed;
but not having been committed to the flames, as
was the case with many others, the director of the
gallery, Coypel, contrived means to secrete the
fragments, and had them put together. At the
death of Coypel it was sold to Pasquier, and, at
his sale of pictures, in 1755, it was purchased for
the King of Prussia at the sum of 21,060 frs. and
afterwards j)laeed in the gallery of Sans Souci.

After these various dilapidations and outrages
committed on the works of these great men, whom
the world has always been taught to regard with
veneration, this collection passed down quietly
until the epoch of the meeting of the National

Convention. In 1792, the Duke d'Orleans, for
the purpose of procuring money to agitate the
national spirit, of which he always hoped ulti-
mately to profit, sold all the pictures of the Palais
Royal. A banker of Brusselles, named Walkuers,
bought those of the Italian and French schools at
the price of 750,000 livres, who again sold them
to Monsieur Laborde de Mereville, a gentleman
of fortune, for 900,000 frs. This gentleman,
either as an amateur, or guided by feelings of
national pride and philanthropy, made this pur-
chase with the sole view of preserving the collec-
tion for France. For this purpose he gave orders
to build a superb gallery, connected with his own
hotel, in the Rue d'Artois. The works were
already far advanced, when the storm of the revo-
lution burst out in all its force, and obliged Mons.
Laborde, with thousands of other refugees, to seek
safety in England, whither he had the good for-
tune to transport his collection, which proved to
him a resource during this period of his misfor-
tunes. They did not, however, stop here; for,
anxious to revisit his native country, for motives
at present unknown, he was recognised by the
reigning faction of the day, and fell a sacrifice to
the revolutionary cause.

The pictures of the Flemish, Dutch, and Ger-
man schools were likewise sold in 1792, by the

Duke of Orleans to Thomas Moore Slade, Esq. who
paid for them 350,000 francs, and who by great
management succeeded in having them sent to this
country at the moment that matters begun in
France to wear the most serious aspect. This pur-
chase was made for the late Lord Kinnaird, Mr.
Morland, and Mr. Hammersley, in conjunction
with Mr. Slade.

The principal part of this magnificent collec-
tion, consisting of the Italian schools, was con-
signed, on the part of Mons. Laborde de Mereville,
to a house of eminence in the city of London, and
it is believed that they were in the hands of that
house when a treaty was entered into by the late
Mr. Bryan, as authorised by and on the part of
the late Duke of Bridgewater, the present Earl
of Carlisle, and the Earl Gower, now Marquis
of Stafford, for the purchase of that part of
the collection, including also the French school,
which was agreed on at the price of 43,000/.
sterling.

When this important purchase was concluded,
which secured for England one of the richest col-
lections, and at the same time one of the most
valuable acquisitions which had presented itself in
modern times, it was determined on by these three
noblemen to select a certain proportion of the pic-
tures for their own private collections, and to

allow the remainder to be sold by private contract,
under an exhibition to be made of the entix*e col-
lection.

This exhibition commenced on the 26th of
December, 1798, in the rooms belonging to Mr.
Bryan, in Pall-Mall, and at the Lyceum, in the
Strand, neither of these places being individually
sufficiently extensive to contain the collection. It
continued for six months; at the end of which
time all pictures sold were delivered to the pur-
chasers.

The pictures reserved for the original purchasers
are indicated in the following catalogue, at their
estimated valuation, and amount to 39,000 guineas.
Those sold during the sale by private contract
amounted to 31,000 guineas, while the residue
sold afterwards by Mr. Coxe, joined to the receipts
of exhibition, which were considerable, amounted
to about 10,000/. more, thus leaving a valuable
collection of pictures to the purchasers, as a bonus
and just reward, for securing for this country so
splendid a collection, and enriching it with works
of the first class.

This part of the subject is the more particularly
noticed for the purpose of proving the great ad-
vantage which must always arise to individuals, or
to the public, (were such subjects deemed worthy
of public attention), from the acquisition of works

SO ORLEANS COLLECTION.

of art, which are of a rank to attract the general
attention of the public itself.

When matters of this description are presented
to the world, it is always interesting to know in
what manner they are received at the period, and
likewise to be informed of all circumstances which
tend to throw light upon the subject itself. In
the present instance, the interest which this fa-
mous collection had excited was great beyond any
thing which had preceded it. The amateur was
anxious to secure the genuine works of those
masters which had long been sought for in
England; and the present was among the first
opportunities which had occurred where the same
could be obtained to any extent. The whole pic-
tures of the Bolognese school were engaged in an
incalculably short time, although it formed the
most numerous branch of this collection; and the
amateurs seem to have vied with each other in
gaining possession of the works of particular
masters.

On the first morning of opening for the private
view to the principal amateurs, the late Mr. An-
gerstein became a purchaser of some of the most
important pictures in the collection; in particular,
of the Resurrection of Lazarus, by Sebastian del
Piombo, which he immediately, and without he-
sitation, secured at the price demanded of 3,500

ORLEANS COLLECTION. 21

guineas. The late Sir Francis Baring was like-
wise an early visitor, and named a certain number
of those pictures which were marked for sale, as
objects which would suit his taste. The price
demanded was 10,000 guineas; the offer made
was 10,000/. Mr. Bryan had no power to di-
minish. The worthy Baronet would not advance,
and the treaty was not concluded. This anecdote,
which the author of these sketches had from Mr.
Bryan himself, not only proves the off-handed
decision, and liberality, which always mark the
character of a British merchant, but the intrinsic
value which was attached to the collection itself,
the proprietors not admitting of the principle of
naming a price, greater, than would actually be
taken.

Lord Berwick, the Viscount Fitzwilliam, the
Earl Temple, Mr. Maitland, Mr. Hope, and Mr.
Hibbert, were all early, and considerable pur-
chasers from this collection, as were likewise the
late Mr. Willett, the Earl of Darnley, the Earl of
Suffolk, Mr. T. Hope, Mr. Troward, Mr. W.
Smith, the Baroness Lady Lucas, now Countess
De Grey, Mr. Udney, Mr. Long, Sir A. Hume,
Mr. Fitzhugh, &c. &c. &c. This list sufficiently
proves the great and general interest which this
collection had raised in England; and at the same
time disproves the assertion which foreigners had

22 ORLEANS COLLECTION.

till then made*, that we were a nation possessing
no love for the Fine Arts, nor any knowledge of
them.

Until the arrival of the Orleans Collection in
England, the prevailing taste and fashion had
been for the acquisition of pictures of the Flemish
and Dutch schools; this likewise had for a long-
period been the rage in France. These were much
more easily to be acquired, and came more fre-
quently before the eye of the public than works
of the Italian masters; it might, therefore, be
deemed somewhat singular to see with what avi-
dity the present collection was seized on by the
amateurs of painting in general; and it will not
be deemed surprising, that, from that time, a new
turn was given to the taste for collecting in this
country. Subsequent importations of the works
of the Italian masters, gave an opportunity of im-
proving that taste, and brought the English col-
lections, generally, to a standard of consequence,
which they could not boast of before that period.
In giving a list of the different pictures of which
this collection was composed, of the prices at
which they sold, and the names of the purchasers
thereof, it is not meant to confine the following
pages to the mere detail of these facts, but to

* Montesquieu, Winkelmann, &c. &c.

ORLEANS COLLECTION. 23

intersperse it occasionally with observations in
regard to the different schools, on the character
and excellencies of the leading masters of these
schools, and with critical observations on some of
the pictures themselves. In doing this the author
conceives he may render this work more interest-
ing, and at the same time more useful to the
amateur, as tending to direct his attention to those
objects of real consequence which may improve
his knowledge, or aid him in forming a correct
taste, and judgment, in regard to this fine art.

In the various schools of Italy itself, there are
certain distinctive differences which every ama-
teur ought to make himself acquainted with, to
enable him to form a correct and critical classi-
fication. Every school has its own peculiar marks
of excellence so powerfully impressed upon it, as
at once to be distinguished by the eye of the
experienced connoisseur.

The productions of the Florentine school strike
the observer by their character of boldness, and
by the movement and grandeur of their forms;�
those of the Roman school attract admiration by
the learning and knowledge of the composition,
the correctness of drawing, the elegance of pro-
portions, the truth and refinement of expression,
and by the beauty of their style.�The school of
Venice produces a true and jxist imitation of na-

ture, joined to the most seductive charms of colour-
ing, and a happy contrast of light and shade;�
while that of Lombardy calls and fixes the atten-
tion, as much by its grace and fine taste in design,
as by the suavity of its pencilling, and the great
mass of its colouring.�Leonardo da Vinci, Michael
Angelo, Raphael, Titian, and Correggio, are the
great leaders of these four distinctive manners;
and it is from those great luminaries that we may
expect to receive the most solid instruction ; whose
precepts are to be best learned from the splendid
examples which they themselves have given ; and
by the study of whose works, a pure, a true, and
a refined taste is to be formed.

Although the scholars and cotemporaries of
these illustrious painters rivalled in some measure
the great qualities of their masters, yet passing
the immediate, and the succeeding age in which
they lived; the art itself suffered a progressive
decadence from its high excellence, until it ar-
rived at a species of insipidity, when compared
with the works of those great men from whom its
most brilliant rays had first emanated. Hence does
it become necessary to go to the origin, to draw
our information from the purest source.

This Catalogue is made out to correspond with
the work of Engravings of the Orleans Collec-
tion, so as, that reference may more easily be had
to the particular subject itself; it therefore follows
the classification of the different schools, which is
there observed,

A'short history of some of the principal masters,
or more properly speaking, sketches of their cha-
racters, have been given by the author of these
pages.

Such pictures as are only stated to be valued at
specific sums, were not sold by private contract
during the exhibition, but afterwards by Mr. Coxe.
Those again to which the names of the Duke
of Bridgewater, the Earl of Carlisle, or the Earl
Gower are affixed, are such as were reserved for
these Noblemen as purchasers of this collection, at
a specific valuation, and which were estimated by
the same scale of value, as those which were sold
to the public.

The sizes are not here given, as these will be
found on reference to the Book of Engravings. It
is there given in French measure. A French foot
is about twelve inches and three quarters, English
measure.

Born at the Castle of Vinci, 1452.

Died at Fontainbleau, in . 1519, aged 67,

This great man, to whom the Art of Painting
owed its first and its greatest advance towards
perfection, having had no predecessor who could
point out to him that sublimity of style, that
greatness of character which he bestowed on it,
may be regarded as one of those bright stars which
arose out of the fifteenth century. He was a
painter, a poet, and an architect, most eminently
skilled in the science of fortification, and he ex-
celled in all active and manly exercises.

The great works of this master are now falling
rapidly into decay; his cabinet pictures are rarely
to be met with; time and casualties have reduced
their number, and therefore render more valuable
the few which remain to the world of art. A most
valuable picture by this master was in the pos-

session of the late Earl of Suffolk, and is now
in that of Charles Duncombe, Esq.; and another,
equally valuable, and which was formerly at the
Escurial, is now in the possession of Alexander
Baring, Esq.

A series of drawings for the celebrated work
of the Last Supper, which were formerly in the
Ambrosian Library at Milan, are now in the pos-
session of Sir Thomas Baring, Bart, and from the
great injuries which that sublime composition has
sustained, these may now be considered as among
the precious reliques of this master. The drawing
which represents the head of the Saviour is mag-
nificent, and probably superior to the same head
in the picture itself, which is well known to have
been left unfinished. Whether this circumstance
arose from the troubles which then existed in
Italy, and in which the Sforza family were so
immediately engaged, or from a feeling on the
part of the artist, that he had not been able to
surpass that sublimity of character to which he
had attained in his first design, and therefore left
the same to a more happy moment, may now be
matter of speculative conjecture.

It may appear singular that so few works of
this master should be found in the Orleans col-
lection, especially as Leonardo was the favourite
painter of Francois Premier, and as his works were

FLORENTINE SCHOOL.�Leonardo pa vimci. 29

always so highly prized in the older collections of
France; but this is probably already accounted for
by the fanaticism which one of the proprietors of
this collection was guilty of, and which also proved
so fatal to so many of the capital works of Cor-
reggio, of which it was at one period possessed.

Leonardo became in succession the cotemporary
of Michael Angelo Buonarotti, of Titian, of Ra-
phael, and of Correggio.�The elegance of his
person and manners, as well as his great and
brilliant genius, rendered him always the wel-
come visitor at the most splendid courts of Eu-
rope,�he lived with honour, and he died in the
arms of his patron and friend, Francis Premier.

1. Portrait of a Woman�the Duke of

Bridgewater,�at 60 guineas.

2. La Colombine�sold to Robert Udney,

Esq.�at 250 guineas.

3. Herodias �valued at 80 guineas.

This picture in the English catalogue is given
to Andrea Solario�it passed into the possession
of the late Mr. Cox of Hampstead, and was again
sold at his sale.

A volume of valuable drawings by Leonardo,
with his manuscript observations, is preserved in

30 ORLEANS COLLECTION.

the magnificent library which was lately presented
by his present Majesty to the British Museum.

MICHAEL ANGELO BUONAROTTI.

Born at Chiusi, in Tuscany, in 1474.

Died at Rome, in . . 1564, aged 90.

To compare Michael Angelo with any of his
own cotemporaries, may probably be deemed less
appropriate than to compare him to those who
had long preceded him in a sister art. Leonardo
was the first to imagine a new, and great style,
superior to any thing which had preceded him in
the art of painting. Titian, with a happy fertility
of genius, carried the brilliancy of colouring to
its highest perfection. Correggio delighted with
his fascinating grace, with his mystic chiar-oscuro.
Raphael stood first for the elegance of his com-
position, and in a happy union of the sublime and
beautiful; but to Michael Angelo was given the
great, and the terrible.�He was the Homer of
Epic Painting.

1. Christ in the Garden of Olives�valued

2. The Holy Family�valued at 400 gui-

FLORENTINE SCHOOL.�michael angelo. 31

This picture was afterwards in the collection of
Henry Hope, Esq. and was sold at his sale in
1816: it afterwards passed into Germany.

Although these two pictures carry the name of
M. Angelo in this catalogue, yet like many others
bearing the name of that great master, they are
no doubt by one or other of his scholars,�as Se-
bastian del Piombo, or Marcello Venusti.�Indeed
it is the opinion of the best connoisseurs, that there
is no oil picture of that great master now in ex-
istence, unless it be that in the Florentine gallery,
and this even, it is now said, has been lately dis-
covered to be painted in tempera. Many con-
noisseurs are however persuaded, that the small
picture formerly in the Cavalieri Palace of Rome,
and which was given by M. Angelo himself to his
friend the Cavalier Cavalieri, and always con-
sidered in Rome as by the hand of this great
man, is a true picture; if any picture in oil of this
master does exist at this day. Mr. Ottley pos-
sesses several fine original drawings by M. Angelo,
studies for his great works, in fresco. From what
has been said, it is evident that this great master's
works cannot be judged of out of Italy. It is in
fresco painting alone, that they are to be looked for.

In sculpture, M. Angelo comes nearest to the
ancient Greeks. The tomb of Pope Julius II. is
one of the highest efforts of genius; the figure of
Moses is sublime.

Born at Arezzo, in 1514.

Died in . . 1578, aged 64.

The works of Vasari as a historian, are better
known, and have been more esteemed than those as
a painter.�Notwithstanding this criticism, which
has been often applied to him, his paintings possess
much of that grande gusto of the school in which
he studied, and of those great men whose works
he imitated, and to whom he was cotemporary.

1. The Six Poets of Italy�sold to Thomas
Hope, Esq. for 100 guineas.

One of the most interesting pictures of this
master.

Born at Florence, in 1535.

Died . . . 1607, aged 72.

1. Venus and Cupid�T. Hope, Esq. 150
guineas.

This painter imitated the style of M. Angelo,
and painted portraits in a grand and noble
manner.

Born at Florence, in 1488.

Died in . . 1530, aged 42.

Several of the finest pictures of this esteemed
master were brought to England by the late Arthur
Champernowne, Esq. in conjunction with the au-
thor of these sketches. These works show what
Andrea del Sarto is, in his most excellent manner.
One of these, which was in the Aldobrandini palace
of Rome, is now in the collection of the Rev. Mr.
Carr ; two others, of equal consequence, have been
lately allowed to go out of the country from their
great excellence not having been sufficiently ap-
preciated, and are now in Paris.�In this collection
there was nothing of very great note.

1. The Death of Lueretia�sold to---------

Mitchell, Esq, for 100 guineas.

2. Jupiter and Leda�sold to Mr. Aufrere

The works of Andrea del Sarto possess all that
fine character, correct outline, and noble sentiment,
which are to be found in the works of the great
masters of the same period. He was the friend of
Michael Angelo, and it has been reported that the
outlines for some of his finest compositions were

traced by the hand of that great man:�his exe-
cution, while it is rich toned, is at the same time
delicate, and is founded upon the principles of that
adopted by Leonardo.

CALLED
DANIEL DA VOLTERRA.

Born at Volterra, in 1509.

Died in . . 1566, aged 57.

It is to be regretted that so few of this great
master's works have come down to us. His great
picture of the taking down from the cross, of
which there is a print by Borigny, has always
been rated as one of the finest works in the art,
and has been classed with the Transfiguration of
Raphael, the Communion of St. Jerome by Dome-
nechino, the St. Jerome of Correggio, and other
works of that superlative class. In this collection
there was but one, which is an early picture of
the master.

1. Taking down from the Cross�sold to
the Earl of Suffolk for 100 guineas.

Volterra was selected to cover with light dra-

FLORENTINE SCHOOL. 35

peries the objectionable parts of the celebrated
picture of the Last Judgement, by M. Angelo;
which proves the rank in which his abilities were
held as an artist.�Nicholas Poussin classes him
with the greatest masters of painting.

The interesting scale of relative excellence
among the great masters, composed by Nicholas
Poussin, may be regarded as very superior to that
formed by De Piles, and other French and Flemish
writers, some of whom appear to have had but a
very imperfect idea of the high excellence of the
great masters of the Italian schools. No man was
ever capable of forming a more just opinion of
their true value than Poussin, and his opinions
ought therefore to be received with deference and
respect.

Born at Urbino, in the Roman Territory, 1483.

Died in......1520, aged 37.

Certain illustrious names create in the mind an
impression, which, by the force of moral associa-
tions, make us regard them with a degree of re-
verential awe, blended with love. With such
feelings and with such impressions do we turn
to the name of Raphael, and in contemplating the
portrait of that great man, we say in the language
of the celebrated Cardinal Bembo,

" We hie est Raphael, tirauit quo sospite vinci
Rerum magna parens, et moriente mori.""

It must always be gratifying to contemplate
those objects which approach nearest to perfection;
human nature is too weak in itself to place much
dependence upon its own strength, and mankind
is pleased with an occasion to dwell on whatever
raises it above the standard of humanity.

Raphael, from his earliest years, showed a na-
tural and intuitive taste. He was the favourite

38 ORLEANS COLLECTION.

child of nature, and as he grew up became the
no less favoured son of art. He was elegant in his
person, possessed a countenance of the most beau-
tiful expression, and a mind of the finest and most
benevolent character. The development of his
talents was less rapid, from the dry manner of
the school in which he was educated, but still
a delicacy and a grace appear in his earliest
works. He materially profited by his study of
the antique, and learned from that high source,
that simplicity forms the ground work of beauty.
At a more advanced period he saw the works of
Leonardo, and Michael Angelo Buonarotti; when
his great genius burst forth with all that power
and vigour which raised him to the highest rank
in the art, and led him to adopt a sublimity of
manner, such, as no human being has ever at-
tained.

It is almost above our power to fox'm an idea of
the great excellence of the best works of Raphael,
without having seen those works themselves;
neither can these be sufficiently appreciated, with-
out the mind having previously undergone a course
of preparatory study.�There was a period when
Raphael himself, even after he had attained cele-
brity as a painter, could not have imagined the
perfection to which he should arrive in the deve-
lopment of his sublime ideas.�-It was time and

ROMAN SCHOOL.�Raphael. 39

experience alone, which prepared his mind and
his hand for the execution of these, and three
distinct periods are marked, and defined, in the
progress which he made towards pei'fection. If
such therefore was the case with Raphael him-
self, how much less could any one inferior to him
in knowledge, in science, or in ideality, be enabled
to conceive those excellencies which he has com-
bined in the formation of the sublime composi-
tions which have immortalised his name, and
ranked him above all other painters.

Few collections possess at this day works of
the high class above alluded to*. The pictures
of his third and last manner may be said to
be numbered; Spain possesses three of them,
which were a few years ago in Paris, and which
afforded the amateur an opportunity of forming
his taste upon the most perfect examples of true
excellence. There is no great work of Raphael,
in this country, which is painted in oil, that
passes the best time of his second period, or at
farthest the commencement of his third maimer;
none that can be classed with the Madonna del
Pesche, the Sapazima di Sicilia, or the Elizabeth

* Vide Appendix for some curious information re-
garding the Cartoons of Raphael. A.

receiving the Virgin ^#, all again sent back to the
Spanish capital. The picture known by the name
of the Pearl of Raphael, formerly in the collection
of King Charles the First, also formed a fourth of
the same series of pictures ; but that picture, not-
withstanding its high reputation and great excel-
lence, is nevertheless inferior to the three above
mentioned. It is indeed painted at the commence-
ment of his third, and best period, when he had
adopted a richer and more powerful style of colour-
ing, and thrown off entirely the pale and more
feeble manner of Perugino, but it does not possess
that superlative excellence which is to be found in
the three pictures first above mentioned, nor had
he divested himself entirely of that dryness which
the works of his second manner in some measure
possess, and of which his last and finest works are
totally free. The author of these sketches had
several opportunities of hearing the opinions of the
celebrated Visconti in regard to these pictures,
and of conversing with him on the subject; be-
sides with many of the best connoisseurs of the
French capital.

There was a time when these four magnificent

* Vide Appendix for some interesting particulars re-
garding these pictures. B.

ROMAN SCHOOL.�raphakl. 41

works might have been acquired for this country,
and which would only have been reacquiring what
had in part formerly belonged to it; but those to
whom the writer of these remarks applied, did not
at the moment attach sufficient consequence to the
subject, or did not choose to run the risk of the
acquisition, and the opportunity was unfortunately
allowed to pass by.�Another picture of the same
high class in point of excellence, and coming from
the same source*, was indeed consigned to him
in the year 1813, with many other fine pictures
from Madrid, and was sold in England. It re-
mained in this country for several years ; but that
picture has again been transmitted to the con-
tinent, and is now in the possession of the Prince
Royal of Bavaria, a prince well known for his
refined taste and just discernment in all matters
connected with the arts. His Royal Highness
paid for this picture the sum of 5000/. sterlingt.

* A small picture which had been in the Escurial, the
Madonna, Infant Christ, and St. John.

t Augustus III. King of Poland, Elector of Saxony,
paid 17,000 ducats for the Raphael now in the Dresden
Gallery, called the Madonna del Sisto�a sum equal to
8,500/. He paid 1,200,000 thalers for the collection of
pictures which belonged to the Dukes of Modena, a sum
equal to 200,000?. sterling of our money. In that col-
lection were five pictures by Correggio, which are now in
the Dresden Gallery.

42 ORLEANS COLLECTION.

It was this prince who, a few years ago, pur-
chased the Egina marbles, while our people were
considering about a few thousand pounds. This
economy is much to be regretted, for it was in
reality of very little consequence to a Power like
Great Britain, whether she should give six thou-
sand or ten thousand pounds for objects which
were in themselves unique, and which could no-
where else be acquired on any terms.

When works of the above magnificent class are
from the fate of war, or the casualties of existing
circumstances, rendered attainable, they become
objects worthy the attention of states more than
of individuals; they add to the glory of the country
which secures them ; they become a source of real
as well as of classical and national wealth. Crowds
of strangers from all quarters flock to see them,
and they expend in the country which possesses
them a part of their income and wealth; but when
such occasions are neglected, adieu for ever to the
golden opportunity.



0 MEMOIRS OF PAINTING, WITH A CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY O V ' �f)t importation OF Jittturts 6k tijt Sreat JWasiter* INTO ENGLAND SINCE THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

			BY W. BUCHANAN, ESQ.

	" La chute du trone de Constantin porta dans I'ltalie les debris de 1'ancienne Grece ; la France s'enrichit a son tour de ces precicuses depouilles." J. J. ItOUSSEAU. VOL. I.

		LONDON: PRINTED FOR R. ACKERMANN, STRAND. 1824.



	^v* DEDICATION. now objects of general regard may not be unacceptable to the amateurs of paint- ing. With this view the following compila- tion has been made, interspersed with remarks, historical and critical;�and, to those who delight in seeing their country become the seat of the Arts and Sciences, and the reign of George the Fourth rival the period of Lorenzo de Medici, the following pages are most respectfully dedicated by Their most obedient And very humble servant, THE AUTHOR No. 3, Great George-Street, Euston-Square.

		wm
			^BM^HHHHBHMI
I			^BM^HHHHBHMI



32
32			ORLEANS COLLECTION.
			ORLEANS COLLECTION.

	GEOESIO VASAEI. Born at Arezzo, in 1514. Died in . . 1578, aged 64. The works of Vasari as a historian, are better known, and have been more esteemed than those as a painter.�Notwithstanding this criticism, which has been often applied to him, his paintings possess much of that grande gusto of the school in which he studied, and of those great men whose works he imitated, and to whom he was cotemporary. 1. The Six Poets of Italy�sold to Thomas Hope, Esq. for 100 guineas. One of the most interesting pictures of this master.

		ALEXANDRO ALLORI, CALLED BRONZINO. Born at Florence, in 1535. Died . . . 1607, aged 72. 1. Venus and Cupid�T. Hope, Esq. 150 guineas. This painter imitated the style of M. Angelo, and painted portraits in a grand and noble manner.



		33
	FLORENTINE SCHOOL.	33
	FLORENTINE SCHOOL.

ANDREA DEE SAttTO. Born at Florence, in 1488. Died in . . 1530, aged 42. Several of the finest pictures of this esteemed master were brought to England by the late Arthur Champernowne, Esq. in conjunction with the au- thor of these sketches. These works show what Andrea del Sarto is, in his most excellent manner. One of these, which was in the Aldobrandini palace of Rome, is now in the collection of the Rev. Mr. Carr ; two others, of equal consequence, have been lately allowed to go out of the country from their great excellence not having been sufficiently ap- preciated, and are now in Paris.�In this collection there was nothing of very great note. 1. The Death of Lueretia�sold to--------- Mitchell, Esq, for 100 guineas. 2. Jupiter and Leda�sold to Mr. Aufrere for 200 guineas. The works of Andrea del Sarto possess all that fine character, correct outline, and noble sentiment, which are to be found in the works of the great masters of the same period. He was the friend of Michael Angelo, and it has been reported that the outlines for some of his finest compositions were VOL. 1. D



		43
	ROMAN SCHOOL�baphael.	43
	ROMAN SCHOOL�baphael.

prove the style of a national school of art, by reference to works of the first order. A govern- ment is indeed amply repaid its advances by the policy of such a purchase, and by the benefits which revert, to itself, directly or indirectly. These considerations become probably of more importance in themselves at this moment, in con- sequence of an opportunity again presenting itself of enriching this country with some objects which, in point of real consequence, stand second only to the Raphaels above-mentioned, and the loss of which this country must always regret. The Mareehal Soult, Due de Dalmatie, knowing that the author of these pages had formerly made several most valuable acquisitions of works of art in Spain and Italy, and latterly had purchased the collection of Mons. de Talleyrand in France, com- municated to him, in April last, that he felt dis- posed to part with his pictures as an entire col- lection, if the same could be disposed of in that manner. Mr. Buchanan represented to the Mare- ehal the difficulty of placing an entire collection in that way ; but stated the probability of the eight celebrated pictures by Murillo being purchased for England, if the Mareehal would fix a separate value on them. This, after much difficulty, the Mareehal agreed to do, and in obtaining a note of the value of these, with three other very capital



		LONDON: PRINTED BV THOMAS DAVISOK, WH1TJSFRIARS.

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		TO

	THE AMATEURS of Tin:

At a period when a taste for the Fine Arts is rapidly spreading through every part of the British Dominions : when the Sovereign himself, a Prince of refined taste and extensive attainments, takes a lead in the establishment of Institutions calculated to diffuse a general knowledge thereof and to promote their culture; when Galleries of a public nature are forming in several of the principal cities of the empire, and a desire to cultivate these Arts increases with the growing prosperity of the country; some details concerning those works which arc



			INTRODUCTION

		Whatever can tend to throw light upon the history of our own times, whether as it regards the progress made in the Arts and Sciences, in Politics, or in Commerce, must prove in some degree entertaining for the present, and useful for the future. The introduction of the Tine Arts into every country, and their subsequent culti- vation, have at all periods afforded materials for chronological history, highly interest- ing to the lover of art and to the man of letters. Occurrences connected therewith spring up in succession, and though more or less important in themselves, they often pass unheeded, and from a want of proper notice sink into the general mass of oblivion, which swallows up all that belongs to hu-



		viii INTRODUCTION. man nature. Inquiry succeeds at some future period when it is probably too late, and such is at best followed up with a greater or less degree of certainty, as governed by casual circumstances. The history which we possess of Art among the Egyptians, and our information respecting the extent and duration of their power and greatness, are very limited and uncertain. The flourishing and in- teresting periods of the Grecian republic, and the age of Philip and Alexander, which saw the Arts of Sculpture and of Architecture arrive at their highest per- fection, are somewhat better known to us, not only from documents which have escaped the ravages of time, but from the durable nature of many of those monuments themselves: still, the mass of valuable matter in literature and in art of which no trace exists, leaves the extent of the loss which



		INTRODUCTION. ix the world has sustained in regard to the history of these periods absolutely incal- culable . The Augustan age, which saw the trea- sures of ancient Greece transferred to Rome, and the Arts as existing among the Romans themselves, are but imperfectly known to us. It might, indeed, have been expected, that among the many eminent writers of that period we should have found ample details of every thing relating to a subject which so much engrossed the attention of the Court and the Nobles; their best au- thors have, however, given us but scanty and unsatisfactory information on these points; and even Pliny, the most copious of their writers on this subject, in his treatise De Artibus, chapters 34, 35, and 36, appears rather as a dry and epigrammatic historian, adverting from necessity to this topic, than as an amateur of the fine arts, or as under- standing much of the matter himself



		x INTRODUCTION. The subsequent change of the seat of the Koman government to Constantinople ; the decline and ultimate downfall of the empire, carrying along with it the total destruction of Arts and of learning, de- stroyed all the past, obscured all the future, and plunged the whole western world into one great mass of darkness, in which it remained sunk for a succession of ages, in ignorance and in barbarism. The wealth of the Venetians as a mer- cantile people ; their connexion and com- merce with the East; and the crusades un- dertaken to those countries for the purpose of recovering the Holy Land, first opened the eyes of darkened Europe to that state of cultivation and refinement of man- ners which existed in the eastern coun- tries, and to which it had so long been a stranger. The dawn of learning itself again began to appear in Italy towards the begin- ning of the thirteenth century ; Petrarch



		INTRODUCTION. XI and his followers redeemed literature from the ignorance which had so long obscured it, and gave a new turn and a taste for pursuits of that nature. At last the cele- brated era of the fifteenth century arrived, to reanimate, restore, and give fresh vigour to every thing connected with the Arts and Sciences. To Cosmo and to Lorenzo de Medici the world was first indebted for that general stimulus which was given to learning, and for that patronage which was afforded to Art; which they nursed in its cradle, reared to maturity, and ultimately raised to a degree of strength and splendour, which, in the Art of Painting in particular, eclipsed all preceding ages. To Lorenzo 11 Magnifico succeeded other great and illustrious patrons; Leo X. the Emperor Charles V. and Francis I. were the promoters of Art, and the protectors



		xu INTRODUCTION. of men of talent and genius. Under their munificent auspices flourished a Leonardo da Vinci, a Michael Angelo Buonarotti, a Raphael, a Titian, and a Correggio. The sound and enlightened policy of Leo, the ambition and pride of Charles, and the real love of Francis for the Arts, pro- duced an era which will ever be regarded as the golden age of Art. From this inte- resting period we may trace more correctly the general history of literature and of the Fine Arts; still, however, the history of the lives of some of the most eminent painters of that day is much enveloped in darkness, while many of their finest works have been, lost sight of, or have entirely disappeared.�Another century, and time will have laid a heavy hand on almost all that remains of that line and glorious age� as the Italians say, la he/la Cinque Cento! The last thirty years have produced



		INTRODUCTION. xui events in the history of Europe, which for a considerable length of time not only revo- lutionised her ancient politics, and impeded or diverted the natural current of her trade and commerce, but forced from their ancient sanctuaries those treasures of Science and of Art, that had long been the pride and glory of the states to which they belonged. " La chute du trone de Constantin porta dans l'ltalie les debris de 1'ancienne Grece; la France s'enrichit a son tour de ces pre- cieuses depouilies."�What Rousseau has said of Constantinople we may apply to France and Italy;�from these sources have our principal riches in art been derived. During the conflicting storms which ravaged the continent of Europe, Great Britain alone presented a bulwark to which foreign nations looked with awe and with respect; and although at war with her politically, they still confided in her honour



		Xiv INTRODUCTION. and in her strength: they transmitted their moneyed wealth to her public funds, and their collections of art to private individuals, either for protection, or to be disposed of for their use. The collections of Monsieur de Calonne, and of the Duke of Orleans, with many selections of the highest importance from the palaces of Rome, Florence, Bo- logna, and Genoa, which had escaped the plunder of an invading army, were imported into this country, and roused an emulation and a taste for the acquisition of works of Art, which had been almost dormant in England since the days of its illustrious patron and protector, Charles the First. From this period may be dated a new and a distinct era in the art, with reference to modern times:�the collections of Great Britain, heretofore possessing but few ge- nuine works of the Italian schools, were now enabled to enrich themselves from



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		*>-s



		*mi/^H*



		INTRODUCTION. xv their precious stores, and were soon placed on a par with those of Rome herself. That the introduction of such interesting objects into this country should be marked by some chronological notice, while facts and dates are still in the remembrance of every lover of the art, is a matter which may be deemed worthy of our notice and attention;�to fix their history,�to ascer- tain their origin,�is to enhance and to ensure their value. With this view princi- pally, the following pages have been thrown together, as being likely to prove acceptable to those, who may either now or in future possess these objects ; while to the public in general they will present a series of curious and interesting documents, and will, in so far as regards the fine arts, form a history of our own times. While the importation of works of art into England since the period of the French



		XVI INTRODUCTION. revolution constitutes one of the leading features of the following pages, the amateur will likewise find the subject illustrated by sketches of character of the principal paint- ers of the various schools, and his at- tention invariably directed to those works which have been always regarded as the chefs-d'oeuvre of art, on which he may with confidence form a correct taste and judg- ment.

			(



		ORLEANS COLLECTION. 5 be ranked with those of the most classic re- putation. The Flemish school, like that of Venice, draws its principal excellence from the splendour of its colouring. Rubens and Vandyck are its leaders. To that high colouring for which the early Ger- man schools had long been celebrated, Rubens in- troduced a facility of execution, and a general harmony, founded upon the principles of the Ve- netian school, which reclaimed painting from the Gothic style in which he found it. No painter ever surpassed Rubens in richness of inventive powers, or in that unity which is so necessary to form a grand and harmonious whole. The more extensive his scale, the more vast appears to have been his genius. Vandyck, in portrait, stands among the great leaders of painting in that par- ticular branch. The works of D. Teniers may likewise be classed among the chief ornaments of this school. The Dutch school, although inferior to the others in point of character, and having no pre- tensions whatever to sentiment, has nevertheless strong claims to the attention of the amateur, from the true stamp of nature which is impressed upon the works of many of its best painters. A general brilliancy of colouring, joined to a perfect know- ledge of the clair obscure; a lively imagination,



		MEMOIRS OF PAINTING.

	THE INTRODUCTION OF COLLECTIONS INTO ENGLAND.

THE ORLEANS. The late Mr. President West used to remark, that next to the merit of having painted a picture which should do honour to the art, and become an ornament to the state wherein it was produced, was the credit of having brought from foreign countries works of the great masters.�The im- portation of such works tends to enrich the nation which receives them, it holds out a bright ex- ample for imitation, and rouses and calls into action the native talents of those who feel the sacred flame of emulation. The irreparable loss which this country sustained in the dispersion of the magnificent collection which had belonged to King Charles the First, a



		10 ORLEANS COLLECTION. collection formed upon the soundest principles of good judgment, aided by the elegant and refined taste of the monarch himself; the subsequent diminu- tion of its riches in the transfer of Ihe Houghton collection to a northern Potentate, the meagre state of the collections which remained to us, in works of the Italian school, made us strongly feel in our own case the truth of the worthy president's remark, and the public was prepared to avail itself of the first opportunity which should occur, to remedy in part these heavy losses. The period was not far distant which offered such an occasion. The public mind of France had for a long time been in a state of great agitation ; those best acquainted with it foresaw a storm approaching, and many, among others Monsieur de Calonne, who had been recently Minister of Finance, took an early opportunity of disposing of their valuable effects, or of transporting them into foreign states. Others again, from motives of a different de- scription, also disposed of their moveable property for the express purpose of providing means for corrupting and inflaming the national spirit of the French people. Among those was the Duke of Orleans, generally known by the name of Philip d'Egalite, whose life afterwards paid the forfeit of his ambition.



		14 ORLEANS COLLECTION. forty-seven pictures of the highest importance, which her father had possessed himself of on the reduction of Prague. Among these were ten by Correggio. When she abdicated the crown she retired to Rome, and carried with her this precious collection of chefs-d'oeuvres. Out of this collection she presented to Louis XIV. the famous picture of the Leda of Correggio, and on her death these pictures were sold in Rome and purchased by Livio Odeschalchi, Duke of Bracciano, nephew of Pope Innocent XI., from whose heirs again, the Regent Philip made the purchase of this rich col- lection. The other cabinets from which the Regent made acquisitions in the formation of his gallery, were those of the Cardinals de Richelieu, Mazarin, and Dubois; of Lord Melford, of the Duke de Gram- mont, the Abbe" de Maisainville, Deval, Forest de Nancre\ de Nosse, de Seignelay, Tambonceau, Paillet, de Lannay, de la Ravois, of the Duke de Noailles, de Menars, de Hautefeuille, of the Duke de Vendome, Corberon, de Bretonvilliers, du Cher, de Lorraine, TAbbe" de Camps, Dorigny, &t. &c. The above list of amateurs proves the high and general regard in which the art of painting was held in France, at the period at which this collec- tion was forming; and it is worthy of remark,



			�

		ORLEANS COLLECTION. 15 that it was principally composed of the works of the ancient masters. Among the different pictures which were pur- chased for the regent, the prices which he paid for some of these have come down to us. For the celebrated picture of the raising of Lazarus, now in the Angerstein collection, he paid to the chapter of monks at Narbonne the sum of �4,000 francs; a sum certainly much under its value even in those days, when it is considered that for the Seven Sacraments of Poussin now in the Stafford gallery, he paid 120,000 francs ; and it was well known, that price never was the bar to the acquisition of whatever was truly excellent; the good fathers no doubt had their reasons for ceding this celebrated picture for so small a sum. For the Saint Roch and Angel by An. Caracci, which was formerly in the Church de St. Eustache of Paris, he paid 20,000 francs ; and for the Saint John in the Desert by Raphael, he paid likewise 20,000 francs; but it has been asserted, that had this last picture been indubitable, it must even at that period have cost four times that sum, as the works of Correggio, which cannot be placed above those of Raphael, were paid for in that proportion. By the means of these various acquisitions, the gallery of the duke regent contained during his



		SO ORLEANS COLLECTION. of art, which are of a rank to attract the general attention of the public itself. When matters of this description are presented to the world, it is always interesting to know in what manner they are received at the period, and likewise to be informed of all circumstances which tend to throw light upon the subject itself. In the present instance, the interest which this fa- mous collection had excited was great beyond any thing which had preceded it. The amateur was anxious to secure the genuine works of those masters which had long been sought for in England; and the present was among the first opportunities which had occurred where the same could be obtained to any extent. The whole pic- tures of the Bolognese school were engaged in an incalculably short time, although it formed the most numerous branch of this collection; and the amateurs seem to have vied with each other in gaining possession of the works of particular masters. On the first morning of opening for the private view to the principal amateurs, the late Mr. An- gerstein became a purchaser of some of the most important pictures in the collection; in particular, of the Resurrection of Lazarus, by Sebastian del Piombo, which he immediately, and without he- sitation, secured at the price demanded of 3,500



		ORLEANS COLLECTION. 21 guineas. The late Sir Francis Baring was like- wise an early visitor, and named a certain number of those pictures which were marked for sale, as objects which would suit his taste. The price demanded was 10,000 guineas; the offer made was 10,000/. Mr. Bryan had no power to di- minish. The worthy Baronet would not advance, and the treaty was not concluded. This anecdote, which the author of these sketches had from Mr. Bryan himself, not only proves the off-handed decision, and liberality, which always mark the character of a British merchant, but the intrinsic value which was attached to the collection itself, the proprietors not admitting of the principle of naming a price, greater, than would actually be taken. Lord Berwick, the Viscount Fitzwilliam, the Earl Temple, Mr. Maitland, Mr. Hope, and Mr. Hibbert, were all early, and considerable pur- chasers from this collection, as were likewise the late Mr. Willett, the Earl of Darnley, the Earl of Suffolk, Mr. T. Hope, Mr. Troward, Mr. W. Smith, the Baroness Lady Lucas, now Countess De Grey, Mr. Udney, Mr. Long, Sir A. Hume, Mr. Fitzhugh, &c. &c. &c. This list sufficiently proves the great and general interest which this collection had raised in England; and at the same time disproves the assertion which foreigners had



		22 ORLEANS COLLECTION. till then made, that we were a nation possessing no love for the Fine Arts, nor any knowledge of them. Until the arrival of the Orleans Collection in England, the prevailing taste and fashion had been for the acquisition of pictures of the Flemish and Dutch schools; this likewise had for a long- period been the rage in France. These were much more easily to be acquired, and came more fre- quently before the eye of the public than works of the Italian masters; it might, therefore, be deemed somewhat singular to see with what avi- dity the present collection was seized on by the amateurs of painting in general; and it will not be deemed surprising, that, from that time, a new turn was given to the taste for collecting in this country. Subsequent importations of the works of the Italian masters, gave an opportunity of im- proving that taste, and brought the English col- lections, generally, to a standard of consequence, which they could not boast of before that period. In giving a list of the different pictures of which this collection was composed, of the prices at which they sold, and the names of the purchasers thereof, it is not meant to confine the following pages to the mere detail of these facts, but to Montesquieu, Winkelmann, &c. &c.



		ORLEANS COLLECTION. 23 intersperse it occasionally with observations in regard to the different schools, on the character and excellencies of the leading masters of these schools, and with critical observations on some of the pictures themselves. In doing this the author conceives he may render this work more interest- ing, and at the same time more useful to the amateur, as tending to direct his attention to those objects of real consequence which may improve his knowledge, or aid him in forming a correct taste, and judgment, in regard to this fine art. In the various schools of Italy itself, there are certain distinctive differences which every ama- teur ought to make himself acquainted with, to enable him to form a correct and critical classi- fication. Every school has its own peculiar marks of excellence so powerfully impressed upon it, as at once to be distinguished by the eye of the experienced connoisseur. The productions of the Florentine school strike the observer by their character of boldness, and by the movement and grandeur of their forms;� those of the Roman school attract admiration by the learning and knowledge of the composition, the correctness of drawing, the elegance of pro- portions, the truth and refinement of expression, and by the beauty of their style.�The school of Venice produces a true and jxist imitation of na-



			THE CATALOGUE.

		This Catalogue is made out to correspond with the work of Engravings of the Orleans Collec- tion, so as, that reference may more easily be had to the particular subject itself; it therefore follows the classification of the different schools, which is there observed, A'short history of some of the principal masters, or more properly speaking, sketches of their cha- racters, have been given by the author of these pages. Such pictures as are only stated to be valued at specific sums, were not sold by private contract during the exhibition, but afterwards by Mr. Coxe. Those again to which the names of the Duke of Bridgewater, the Earl of Carlisle, or the Earl Gower are affixed, are such as were reserved for these Noblemen as purchasers of this collection, at a specific valuation, and which were estimated by the same scale of value, as those which were sold to the public. The sizes are not here given, as these will be found on reference to the Book of Engravings. It is there given in French measure. A French foot is about twelve inches and three quarters, English measure.



	ORLEANS COLLECTION.

		FLORENTINE SCHOOL.

LEONARDO DA VINCI. Born at the Castle of Vinci, 1452. Died at Fontainbleau, in . 1519, aged 67, This great man, to whom the Art of Painting owed its first and its greatest advance towards perfection, having had no predecessor who could point out to him that sublimity of style, that greatness of character which he bestowed on it, may be regarded as one of those bright stars which arose out of the fifteenth century. He was a painter, a poet, and an architect, most eminently skilled in the science of fortification, and he ex- celled in all active and manly exercises. The great works of this master are now falling rapidly into decay; his cabinet pictures are rarely to be met with; time and casualties have reduced their number, and therefore render more valuable the few which remain to the world of art. A most valuable picture by this master was in the pos-



		30 ORLEANS COLLECTION. the magnificent library which was lately presented by his present Majesty to the British Museum. MICHAEL ANGELO BUONAROTTI. Born at Chiusi, in Tuscany, in 1474. Died at Rome, in . . 1564, aged 90. To compare Michael Angelo with any of his own cotemporaries, may probably be deemed less appropriate than to compare him to those who had long preceded him in a sister art. Leonardo was the first to imagine a new, and great style, superior to any thing which had preceded him in the art of painting. Titian, with a happy fertility of genius, carried the brilliancy of colouring to its highest perfection. Correggio delighted with his fascinating grace, with his mystic chiar-oscuro. Raphael stood first for the elegance of his com- position, and in a happy union of the sublime and beautiful; but to Michael Angelo was given the great, and the terrible.�He was the Homer of Epic Painting. 1. Christ in the Garden of Olives�valued at 200 guineas. 2. The Holy Family�valued at 400 gui- neas.



			FLORENTINE SCHOOL.�michael angelo. 31 This picture was afterwards in the collection of Henry Hope, Esq. and was sold at his sale in 1816: it afterwards passed into Germany. Although these two pictures carry the name of M. Angelo in this catalogue, yet like many others bearing the name of that great master, they are no doubt by one or other of his scholars,�as Se- bastian del Piombo, or Marcello Venusti.�Indeed it is the opinion of the best connoisseurs, that there is no oil picture of that great master now in ex- istence, unless it be that in the Florentine gallery, and this even, it is now said, has been lately dis- covered to be painted in tempera. Many con- noisseurs are however persuaded, that the small picture formerly in the Cavalieri Palace of Rome, and which was given by M. Angelo himself to his friend the Cavalier Cavalieri, and always con- sidered in Rome as by the hand of this great man, is a true picture; if any picture in oil of this master does exist at this day. Mr. Ottley pos- sesses several fine original drawings by M. Angelo, studies for his great works, in fresco. From what has been said, it is evident that this great master's works cannot be judged of out of Italy. It is in fresco painting alone, that they are to be looked for. In sculpture, M. Angelo comes nearest to the ancient Greeks. The tomb of Pope Julius II. is one of the highest efforts of genius; the figure of Moses is sublime.

		^



		FLORENTINE SCHOOL. 35 peries the objectionable parts of the celebrated picture of the Last Judgement, by M. Angelo; which proves the rank in which his abilities were held as an artist.�Nicholas Poussin classes him with the greatest masters of painting. The interesting scale of relative excellence among the great masters, composed by Nicholas Poussin, may be regarded as very superior to that formed by De Piles, and other French and Flemish writers, some of whom appear to have had but a very imperfect idea of the high excellence of the great masters of the Italian schools. No man was ever capable of forming a more just opinion of their true value than Poussin, and his opinions ought therefore to be received with deference and respect.

			D 2



			37
		ORLEANS COLLECTION.	37
		ORLEANS COLLECTION.

	ROMAN SCHOOL.

RAPHAEL DA URBINO. Born at Urbino, in the Roman Territory, 1483. Died in......1520, aged 37. Certain illustrious names create in the mind an impression, which, by the force of moral associa- tions, make us regard them with a degree of re- verential awe, blended with love. With such feelings and with such impressions do we turn to the name of Raphael, and in contemplating the portrait of that great man, we say in the language of the celebrated Cardinal Bembo, " We hie est Raphael, tirauit quo sospite vinci Rerum magna parens, et moriente mori."" It must always be gratifying to contemplate those objects which approach nearest to perfection; human nature is too weak in itself to place much dependence upon its own strength, and mankind is pleased with an occasion to dwell on whatever raises it above the standard of humanity. Raphael, from his earliest years, showed a na- tural and intuitive taste. He was the favourite



		38 ORLEANS COLLECTION. child of nature, and as he grew up became the no less favoured son of art. He was elegant in his person, possessed a countenance of the most beau- tiful expression, and a mind of the finest and most benevolent character. The development of his talents was less rapid, from the dry manner of the school in which he was educated, but still a delicacy and a grace appear in his earliest works. He materially profited by his study of the antique, and learned from that high source, that simplicity forms the ground work of beauty. At a more advanced period he saw the works of Leonardo, and Michael Angelo Buonarotti; when his great genius burst forth with all that power and vigour which raised him to the highest rank in the art, and led him to adopt a sublimity of manner, such, as no human being has ever at- tained. It is almost above our power to fox'm an idea of the great excellence of the best works of Raphael, without having seen those works themselves; neither can these be sufficiently appreciated, with- out the mind having previously undergone a course of preparatory study.�There was a period when Raphael himself, even after he had attained cele- brity as a painter, could not have imagined the perfection to which he should arrive in the deve- lopment of his sublime ideas.�-It was time and



		ROMAN SCHOOL.�Raphael. 39 experience alone, which prepared his mind and his hand for the execution of these, and three distinct periods are marked, and defined, in the progress which he made towards pei'fection. If such therefore was the case with Raphael him- self, how much less could any one inferior to him in knowledge, in science, or in ideality, be enabled to conceive those excellencies which he has com- bined in the formation of the sublime composi- tions which have immortalised his name, and ranked him above all other painters. Few collections possess at this day works of the high class above alluded to. The pictures of his third and last manner may be said to be numbered; Spain possesses three of them, which were a few years ago in Paris, and which afforded the amateur an opportunity of forming his taste upon the most perfect examples of true excellence. There is no great work of Raphael, in this country, which is painted in oil, that passes the best time of his second period, or at farthest the commencement of his third maimer; none that can be classed with the Madonna del Pesche, the Sapazima di Sicilia, or the Elizabeth Vide Appendix for some curious information re- garding the Cartoons of Raphael. A.



		ROMAN SCHOOL.�raphakl. 41 works might have been acquired for this country, and which would only have been reacquiring what had in part formerly belonged to it; but those to whom the writer of these remarks applied, did not at the moment attach sufficient consequence to the subject, or did not choose to run the risk of the acquisition, and the opportunity was unfortunately allowed to pass by.�Another picture of the same high class in point of excellence, and coming from the same source, was indeed consigned to him in the year 1813, with many other fine pictures from Madrid, and was sold in England. It re- mained in this country for several years ; but that picture has again been transmitted to the con- tinent, and is now in the possession of the Prince Royal of Bavaria, a prince well known for his refined taste and just discernment in all matters connected with the arts. His Royal Highness paid for this picture the sum of 5000/. sterlingt. A small picture which had been in the Escurial, the Madonna, Infant Christ, and St. John. t Augustus III. King of Poland, Elector of Saxony, paid 17,000 ducats for the Raphael now in the Dresden Gallery, called the Madonna del Sisto�a sum equal to 8,500/. He paid 1,200,000 thalers for the collection of pictures which belonged to the Dukes of Modena, a sum equal to 200,000?. sterling of our money. In that col- lection were five pictures by Correggio, which are now in the Dresden Gallery.