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. 231
In consequence of the many fine objects which
at this period presented themselves for sale in the
Spanish capital, and the succession of disappoint-
ments which arose to Mr. Wallis from the various
credits sent him on houses established in Spain
having proved useless, while bills on England were
of little avail and bore a high discount, he was
obliged to form a union of interests with Mr.
Coesvelt, a gentleman who had been for some time
in Madrid on matters of a mercantile nature, and
was connected with the banking house of Messrs.
Hopes of Amsterdam. All pictures therefore that
Mr. Wallis purchased came to be a joint account
of Mr. Coesvelt and Mr. Buchanan, owing to the
facilities which he could render in furnishing
money on bills drawn on England, &c. while Mr.
Coesvelt, on his part, had the advantage of the
knowledge and judgment of Mr. Wallis as an
artist, in making a selection of objects of art.
Before giving a list of the purchases which were
made by Mr. Wallis, or the consignments of pic-
tures which afterwards came to England through
his means, one of those letters which Mr. Wallis
wrote at the time of sending off these purchases
will here be given. In this letter, he advises
having drawn on Mr. Buchanan for the price of
the pictures by Rubens, purchased from the con-
vent of Loeches, and of having had these pictures