DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42863#0305
WITH A ROMAN DEALER
275
in declaring to be genuine. Upon this, the
Marchesa wrote to Francesco Gonzaga, who had
returned to Rome with the Pope, begging him to
inquire into the matter, and obtain the restoration
of her ducats, or, if these are not forthcoming, of
the statues, since to lose both would be “ an unfair
and iniquitous thing.” “ If M. Raphael,” she adds
in a postscript, “ persists in saying that these figures
are antique, you can give him the opinions of M.
Giacomo Sansovino the sculptor, of Colombo the
antiquarian, and of a sculptor called Lorenzo, all
of whom pronounced the said figures to be modern.
All three are highly skilled in the art of sculpture,
so that their opinion is of great weight.” M.
Raphael, however, still declared that his statues
were antiques, and that one was lost, but begged
the Marchesa to accept the remaining figure,
together with two majolica vases which had been
ordered by Monsignore Palmieri before the siege, but
were now left on his hands. Isabella replied that, if she
could not have her ducats, she would prefer to have
a certain fine medal which he had shown her in
Rome. But this medal, the dealer said, had been
lost, with many others of his most valuable objects,
during the occupation of Rome by the Imperialists,
so that he was left almost penniless. The Marchesa,
however, would not be so easily satisfied, and ad-
dressed another letter to her ambassador on the
14th of August.
“ It is all very well,” she wrote, “ for M. Raphael
to plead poverty, and make himself out so destitute,
but our belief is that he does not choose to satisfy
us in any form. Neither can we understand the
truth of his excuse, since we know that, when the
275
in declaring to be genuine. Upon this, the
Marchesa wrote to Francesco Gonzaga, who had
returned to Rome with the Pope, begging him to
inquire into the matter, and obtain the restoration
of her ducats, or, if these are not forthcoming, of
the statues, since to lose both would be “ an unfair
and iniquitous thing.” “ If M. Raphael,” she adds
in a postscript, “ persists in saying that these figures
are antique, you can give him the opinions of M.
Giacomo Sansovino the sculptor, of Colombo the
antiquarian, and of a sculptor called Lorenzo, all
of whom pronounced the said figures to be modern.
All three are highly skilled in the art of sculpture,
so that their opinion is of great weight.” M.
Raphael, however, still declared that his statues
were antiques, and that one was lost, but begged
the Marchesa to accept the remaining figure,
together with two majolica vases which had been
ordered by Monsignore Palmieri before the siege, but
were now left on his hands. Isabella replied that, if she
could not have her ducats, she would prefer to have
a certain fine medal which he had shown her in
Rome. But this medal, the dealer said, had been
lost, with many others of his most valuable objects,
during the occupation of Rome by the Imperialists,
so that he was left almost penniless. The Marchesa,
however, would not be so easily satisfied, and ad-
dressed another letter to her ambassador on the
14th of August.
“ It is all very well,” she wrote, “ for M. Raphael
to plead poverty, and make himself out so destitute,
but our belief is that he does not choose to satisfy
us in any form. Neither can we understand the
truth of his excuse, since we know that, when the