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.—italy. 161
again presented themselves. Mr. Irvine’s letter
states—
Rome, QQth December, 1804.
“ I have been again to C., who opened his
hidden treasures, and showed me the Esther be-
fore Ahasuerus, by Guercino, of the Barberini (en-
graved by Strange), and a very fine Annibal Caracci
nearly of the same size, with figures of about five
feet, representing a subject from Tasso, with a land-
scape back-ground in fine preservation. For these
he asks £600 sterling a piece, and does not seem
inclined to separate them. The Guercino has
suffered considerably, and, on that account, as well
as the price, I wished to get the other alone, and
offered £500 sterling for it and three other pic-
tures, viz. two heads of a young Christ and St.
John, on one canvas, by Guido (rather slight); a
beautiful small Guercino, from the Borghese, on
copper, and a sketch with many figures by Vero-
nese, which perhaps would make a companion to
that by Rubens, lately sent over, and is clear and
spirited. This he refused, but agreed to give the
small ones for £200, a sum for which he insists
the Guercino alone would sell in England ; and,
perhaps, he is not far wrong, as it is in his best
manner, well preserved, and precious. Being
anxious to get at the Caracci, I would not close for
VOL. II. M