Buchanan, William: Memoirs of painting: with a chronological history of the importation of pictures by the great masters into England since the French Revolution (Band 1) (London: Ackermann, 1824)

LOMBARD SCHOOL.—domenichino.

99

Volterra, Poussin considered to be the third work
of that superlative class which existed in art.
Three of the capital pictures above named, the
Transfiguration by Raphael, the St. Jerome by
Domenichino, and the Communion of St. Jerome
by Agostino, from Bologna, were a few years ago
placed near each other in the National Museum
of France, for the purpose of enabling the con-
noisseur to draw his own conclusions as to the
relative excellencies of each ; and a general opinion
appears to have prevailed, that the Communion of
St. Jerome was the first picture in the magnificent
assemblage of works of art which was at that
period exhibited at the Louvre.
It may here be deemed not uninteresting, to
give an extract from the catalogue of the Musee
Central des Arts, printed shortly after the arrival
of these pictures from Italy; for which purpose the
reader may refer to the Appendix, letter D, under
the title, Domenichino—Communion of St. Jerome.
In the collection of the Louvre, two other ce-
lebrated pictures by Domenichino were exhibited,
viz. La Madonna della Rosario, and the Mar-
tyrdom of St. Agnes, from the church of Santa
Agatha at Bologna, thus creating a brilliant dis-
play of the eminent abilities of this great master.
The works of Domenichino are exceedingly
precious. Those in fresco remain as clear as when
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