70 Mr. Richard B. Holmes [Feb. 17, 



and by order of the late Prince Consort have been mounted so as to 

 ensure their safety, and are kept in portfolios. Among these are 

 drawings by Angelico, Perugino, Pinturicchio, Signorelli, Mantegna, 

 and Fra Bartolommeo. The drawings by Raphael are numerous, and 

 some may be classed among the finest specimens of his work now 

 extant. 



Second only in importance to the unique collection of drawings 

 by Leonardo comes the series by Michael Angelo. In fact it is no 

 exaggeration to declare that until the student has seen these purchases 

 of George III. he can have no proper insight into the marvellous 

 power of that extraordinary man, for in no other collection are to be 

 found specimens so complete in design and of such minute and elaborate 

 finish. 



Great artists of other countries such as Durer, Claude, Poussin, 

 with many of the Dutch School, are also represented by choice 

 examples. 



Of the pictures collected by or painted by order of the King, a 

 large number remain in the Royal Palaces ; the historical pictures 

 painted by West for His Majesty commended themselves at the time 

 to a few, but are now forgotten. The King's best bestowal of his 

 patronage was upon the portrait painters who flourished during his 

 reign, and were the money value of the portraits as they exist to be 

 computed, the amount would be fabulous. The full-length portraits 

 by Beechey and .Reynolds are of great importance, supplemented by 

 those by Romney and Hoppner ; but the principal treasures are the 

 portraits by Gainsborough, which are of exquisite purity and freshness, 

 the series of ovals of the King and Queen, and their children in a 

 series, being almost matchless in charm of execution. 



Whilst encouraging the painters of his own day, George III., by 

 his purchase from Consul Smith, enriched the galleries of the Crown 

 by a number of the works of the Venetian painter Antonio Canal, 

 commonly known as Canaletto. Those who only know this Master 

 by his smaller works, have very little idea of the magnificent qualities 

 which he could develop. Smith was the possessor of most of his 

 finest pictures ; he bought everything which came from the Master's 

 easel. For the smaller works he seems to have had a ready sale, but 

 the greater and finer pictures remained on his hands, and these came 

 all into the possession of George III. Of the fifty pictures thus 

 added, all are fine, but some twenty are of exceptional size, and of 

 equal power and beauty. With the pictures came also a volume of 

 drawings, 150 in number, many of them studies for these pictures. 



The King was also a great admirer of miniatures, and added to 

 his collection many of the works of Cosway and Ozias Humphry, to 

 whom he gave many commissions, and their works are not an un- 

 worthy supplement to the great historical series which is one of the 

 treasures of the library at Windsor. In the same room where these 

 exquisite specimens of a lost art are preserved, is stored the vast group 

 of engravings also collected by the King. Few public museums, and 

 perhaps no private cabinet, can rival this in the number and value 



