DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61252#0030
xxvi
GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
venor Gallery; the Pordenone, in the Sutherland Gallery;
the Jan Steen and the Van Dyck, in the Queen’s Gallery;
and eight sea pieces of Vander Velde. In the collection of
Sir Gregory Page were two fine pictures by Rubens, now
in the Grosvenor Gallery, and twelve pictures of the His-
tory of Cupid and Psyche, now at Hampton Court; also, I
believe, the two great Landscapes by Francesco Mille, now
in the Bridgewater Gallery. This Sir Gregory Page was
a personal friend and great admirer of Adrian Vander
Werff, and had twelve of his best pictures: eight were
purchased for the Louvre, at the price of 33,000fs. ; one
is now in Her Majesty’s Gallery.*
All these collections were formed previous to 1765,
about which time the first Earl Grosvenor laid the founda-
tion of the magnificent Grosvenor Gallery. The collec-
tions of the Duke of Devonshire, at Devonshire House, of
Lord Methuen,f of Agar Ellis,! ^ie Marquess of
Lansdowne § and Lady Holderness,|| were formed between
1760 and 1790. Mr. Hope, of Amsterdam, brought over
his fine gallery of Dutch pictures from Amsterdam to
England about 1790.
This enumeration goes to prove that the purchase of
pictures had by this time become a fashion. But was it
anything more? In looking over the catalogues it is im-
possible not to feel, that with no want of money or zeal,
there was a want of elevated taste, as well as a want of
knowledge. “ A Landscape,” Claude; “ a Holy Family,”
Raphael; a “sea-piece,” Vander Velde; “an Old Man’s
Head,” Rembrandt; “a Riposo,” Ludovico Carracci or
* No. 162. The pictures of Sir Gregory Page Turner were sold at Black-
heath in 1816.
+ Now at Corsham.
i Merged in the Grosvenor collection. See p. 229.
$ Sold and dispersed. See p. 287.
|| Sold in 1802. She was by birth a Dutch woman, and possessed, by pur-
chase or inheritance, many exquisite pictures of the Dutch school.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
venor Gallery; the Pordenone, in the Sutherland Gallery;
the Jan Steen and the Van Dyck, in the Queen’s Gallery;
and eight sea pieces of Vander Velde. In the collection of
Sir Gregory Page were two fine pictures by Rubens, now
in the Grosvenor Gallery, and twelve pictures of the His-
tory of Cupid and Psyche, now at Hampton Court; also, I
believe, the two great Landscapes by Francesco Mille, now
in the Bridgewater Gallery. This Sir Gregory Page was
a personal friend and great admirer of Adrian Vander
Werff, and had twelve of his best pictures: eight were
purchased for the Louvre, at the price of 33,000fs. ; one
is now in Her Majesty’s Gallery.*
All these collections were formed previous to 1765,
about which time the first Earl Grosvenor laid the founda-
tion of the magnificent Grosvenor Gallery. The collec-
tions of the Duke of Devonshire, at Devonshire House, of
Lord Methuen,f of Agar Ellis,! ^ie Marquess of
Lansdowne § and Lady Holderness,|| were formed between
1760 and 1790. Mr. Hope, of Amsterdam, brought over
his fine gallery of Dutch pictures from Amsterdam to
England about 1790.
This enumeration goes to prove that the purchase of
pictures had by this time become a fashion. But was it
anything more? In looking over the catalogues it is im-
possible not to feel, that with no want of money or zeal,
there was a want of elevated taste, as well as a want of
knowledge. “ A Landscape,” Claude; “ a Holy Family,”
Raphael; a “sea-piece,” Vander Velde; “an Old Man’s
Head,” Rembrandt; “a Riposo,” Ludovico Carracci or
* No. 162. The pictures of Sir Gregory Page Turner were sold at Black-
heath in 1816.
+ Now at Corsham.
i Merged in the Grosvenor collection. See p. 229.
$ Sold and dispersed. See p. 287.
|| Sold in 1802. She was by birth a Dutch woman, and possessed, by pur-
chase or inheritance, many exquisite pictures of the Dutch school.