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 2) (London: Ackermann, 1824)

MR. BUCHANAN’S IMPORTATIONS. Ill

years. It is now in the possession of His Majesty.
The fine Claude, representing a View of the Bay
of Naples, and surrounding scenery, was sold to
the late Earl of Wemyss for £1500. The Plague
of Poussin, from the Colonna Gallery of Rome,
was sold to Mr. Harris for £800. A beautiful
small Ludovico Caracci was sold to Lady Lucas,
now Countess de Grey. The fine picture of the
Marriage of St. Catharine by Francesco Parmi-
giano, from the Colonna Palace, for which Mr.
Buchanan paid £1000 in Rome, was afterwards
sent back to Italy, in consequence of not fetching
the price set upon it in England, and as it had been
sought after for Lucien Buonaparte; and the
pictures by Raphael purchased by Mr. Irvine for
Mr. Buchanan at Florence, were for the same
reason also sent back to that country.
This formed the commencement of the numerous
purchases made for Mr. Buchanan, at subsequent
periods, as well in Italy by Mr. Irvine, as in Spain
by Mr. Wallis, and in France, Flanders, and
Holland, by himself; and which he is proud to
have it in his power to say comprise many of the
most capital pictures of all the schools of painting
which came to this country during the late war.
But to proceed with an account of the purchases
of importance, made by Mr. Irvine in Italy for
Mr. Buchanan, and which shows the numerous