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)

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In regard to other collections of high import-
ance and value, they are no longer, as formerly,
to be found. The Emperor Alexander, the King
of Prussia, the Prince Royal of Bavaria, the
Prince Royal of the Netherlands, have all been
liberal purchasers for these several years past, and
have swept the continent of every thing fine of the
Italian masters which could be procured; while
the princes and nobles of Italy, having again re-
covered from the effects of war and revolution
which had so long desolated that fine country,
will no longer part with those treasures, which
they have ever considered to be their principal
wealth. The author of this work has only known
of three collections of paintings of a fine class to
be sold on the continent for these last three
years ; and of these, in point of number, one
only is important; the others are but small, and
consist entirely of the Flemish and Dutch schools.
When we consider with what avidity every
species of information is sought after, regarding
those works of art which were brought to this
country during the period of Charles the First, or
which were at his death carried abroad in conse-
quence of the dispersion of the royal collection;
when we see that a simple catalogue of that mo-
narch’s pictures; of the pictures of the Duke of