DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22422#0288
276
APSLBY HOUSE.
Letter XIX.
sold for 500 scudi. Vasari, who saw it at Reggio, describes it in
terms of the highest admiration, and calls it " la piu bella cosa
che si possa vederc di suo," that is of Correggio. Subsequently
it came into the possession of the King of Spain. At the time
of Mengs, who in his letter to Ponz speaks of it with the
greatest admiration, it was in a cabinet of the Princess of the
Asturias, in the Royal Palace at Madrid. After the battle of
Vittoria it was found, with other valuable pictures, in the imperial
of the captured carriage of Joseph Bonaparte. The Duke of
Wellington restored it to the King of Spain, who, however, sent it
back to him as a present. It was engraved as early as 1560 by
Curti.
An old picture of the Annunciation, from a very spirited com-
position by Michael Angelo, engraved by Beatrizet, is here. This
little picture is carefully executed in a warm brownish tone, and
in a spirit akin to that of the great master.
Sogliani.—A pleasing picture, the Adoration of the Shepherds,
here commonly called Perugino, but conceived quite in the manner
of Lorenzo di Credi, master of Sogliani, who is well known to
have been a fellow-pupil of Perugino in the atelier of Verocchio.
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, in which the figures in the
middle distance are taken from Raphael's cartoon, and others
added in the foreground, is a carefully executed picture, in a
glowing tone, by one of the best Ferrarese masters.
Spagnoletto.—-A picture taken from the engraving of Aogos-
tino Veneziano, called Lo Stregozzo, of the same size, executed
with great care and spirit, and well coloured. This is a very
interesting work. The inscription, " R. V. inventor, Joseph J. de
Ribera pingit, 1641," proves that this fantastic composition, in
which a witch, seated in an enormous skeleton, is the principal
figure, was even then ascribed to Raphael, an opinion which
Bartsch has lately supported, contrary to the testimony of Lo-
mazzo, who affirms that the engraving was from a drawing by
Michael Angelo.
Velasquez.—1. The Water-seller (Aguador). A celebrated
work of the early period of the master. His truth of conception is
already evident in a high degree, both in the old man and in a
lad to whom he is giving a draught of water; but the colouring,
on the other hand, is still heavy and dark, and in the shadows
APSLBY HOUSE.
Letter XIX.
sold for 500 scudi. Vasari, who saw it at Reggio, describes it in
terms of the highest admiration, and calls it " la piu bella cosa
che si possa vederc di suo," that is of Correggio. Subsequently
it came into the possession of the King of Spain. At the time
of Mengs, who in his letter to Ponz speaks of it with the
greatest admiration, it was in a cabinet of the Princess of the
Asturias, in the Royal Palace at Madrid. After the battle of
Vittoria it was found, with other valuable pictures, in the imperial
of the captured carriage of Joseph Bonaparte. The Duke of
Wellington restored it to the King of Spain, who, however, sent it
back to him as a present. It was engraved as early as 1560 by
Curti.
An old picture of the Annunciation, from a very spirited com-
position by Michael Angelo, engraved by Beatrizet, is here. This
little picture is carefully executed in a warm brownish tone, and
in a spirit akin to that of the great master.
Sogliani.—A pleasing picture, the Adoration of the Shepherds,
here commonly called Perugino, but conceived quite in the manner
of Lorenzo di Credi, master of Sogliani, who is well known to
have been a fellow-pupil of Perugino in the atelier of Verocchio.
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, in which the figures in the
middle distance are taken from Raphael's cartoon, and others
added in the foreground, is a carefully executed picture, in a
glowing tone, by one of the best Ferrarese masters.
Spagnoletto.—-A picture taken from the engraving of Aogos-
tino Veneziano, called Lo Stregozzo, of the same size, executed
with great care and spirit, and well coloured. This is a very
interesting work. The inscription, " R. V. inventor, Joseph J. de
Ribera pingit, 1641," proves that this fantastic composition, in
which a witch, seated in an enormous skeleton, is the principal
figure, was even then ascribed to Raphael, an opinion which
Bartsch has lately supported, contrary to the testimony of Lo-
mazzo, who affirms that the engraving was from a drawing by
Michael Angelo.
Velasquez.—1. The Water-seller (Aguador). A celebrated
work of the early period of the master. His truth of conception is
already evident in a high degree, both in the old man and in a
lad to whom he is giving a draught of water; but the colouring,
on the other hand, is still heavy and dark, and in the shadows