Mengs, Anton Raphael; Nibiano, José Nicolás de Azara de [Hrsg.]; Mengs, Anton Raphael [Mitarb.]: The works of Anthony Raphael Mengs: first painter to His Catholic Majesty Charles III. (Band 2) (London: Faulder, 1796)

RAPHAEL MENGS. 53

—

LETTER

OF

ANTHONY RAPHAEL MENGS

TO

DON ANTONIO PONTZ.

ADVERTISEMENT.
The following letter was printed four years ago at Madrid, ii>
the work of Anthony Pontz, entitled Viaxes d' Espana
or travels in Spain. Mengs having also wished that they should
publish it, wrote it in Spanish, in which language he had not a
great facility of writing, therefore various things remain some-
what confused. To remedy this defeat, means have been taken
to correct it as much as possible; however, without retouching
it so muchas to alter the original style. A few notes are adjoin-
ed to explain the signification of various words proper to the
arts.
This same letter was printed at Turin, translated into Italian,
but so badly, that it gave great grief both to myself and Mengs,
who, is death had not prevented him, was determined to have
translated it himself, and to publish it, to do away the bad opinion
which he thought the world must have of it from that translation;
because, to the want of clearness which is in the Spanish, there
are added, errors, and manifest contradictions.