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.—spain. 229
written to you almost every week, and sometimes
twice a week, and never received any answer
whatever, so that I have been almost in despair;
however, you must be well convinced, that the
present moment is still more favourable, and will
continue to be so for two or three months, on ac-
count of the great expenses of the present war ;
besides which the government will sell all the
property of the noblemen who have taken the
French party.
“ Of the Spanish school we have no idea what-
ever in England. If they could see the two or
three best Murillos of the St. Iago family, and
some of the fine pictures of Velasquez, Alonzo
Canno, Pereda, Zuberan, Caregni, and del Greco,
really first-rate men, whose works are quite unknown
out of Spain, some estimate of the high excellence of
this school might then be formed, This school is
rich beyond idea, and its painters are all great
colourists : some of their colossal works are sur-
prising. If you had time and could bear the hor-
rors of travelling in Spain it would be worth
while to visit this country. After all, I must
own I have, as an artist, learnt a great deal from
this admirable school.
“ If I had had five or six thousand crowns at
my command a short time past, I should have