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Detail View: Mary Hamilton Papers:

Image Number: 
HAM1449.pdf
Reference Number: 
HAM/1/4/4/9
Link to Catalogue: 
Series Title: 
Correspondence from the Hamilton Family
Parent Work Title: 
Letter from Sir William Hamilton to Mary Hamilton
Creator: 
Hamilton, William, Sir, 1730-1803
Creator Role: 
Author
Date Created: 
1784-01-04
Description: 
The letter relates to Sir William Hamilton selling some of his artworks and antiquities to the Duchess of Portland. He writes that his 'Vase, the Head of Jupiter & my picture of Coregio [sic] are the cream of all the Virtu I have ever possessed in my life, & I believe in my conscience there do not exist three finer Specimens of the perfection of Art'. The Correggio was once owned by Christiana, Queen of Sweden, and he believes that it was owned at one time by Charles 1st as a catalogue of his collection mentions a Venus of Correggio which was sold for ?3000 by Cromwell and to his knowledge there is only one Venus by Correggio. The letter details how much Sir William Hamilton is willing to accept from the Duchess of Portland for these works and the amounts that he had originally purchased the items for. He believes that for the Vase alone, the Empress of Russia would pay highly for it but he could not bear 'the thought of it going out of England now it is once safe here, for there is not such a monument of Antiquity in the World'. Sir William is convinced that the Duchess will not lose by her purchase. He asks his niece to convey this information to the Duchess and to assure her that he will not 'open his lips upon the subject' without first getting her consent.
Language Code: 
eng-GB
Subject: 
Letters
Subject: 
Art
Subject: 
Art History
Subject: 
Great Britain--Social life and customs
Category of Material: 
Archives
Sub-Category: 
Correspondence
Technique Used: 
Handwriting
Medium: 
Ink
Support: 
Paper
Time Period Covered: 
18th Century CE
People Covered: 
Portland, Margaret Cavendish Holles Harley Bentinck, Duchess of, 1715-1785
People Covered: 
Hamilton, William, Sir, 1730-1803
People Covered: 
Cromwell, Oliver, 1599-1658
People Covered: 
Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649
People Covered: 
Correggio, 1489?-1534
Current Repository: 
The University of Manchester Library, U.K.
Rights Holder - Image: 
The University of Manchester Library
Rights Holder - Work: 
Copyright restrictions may apply
Date Captured (yyyy-mm-dd): 
2011-03-23
Image Creation Technique: 
Digital capture by The University of Manchester Library
Access Rights: 
Creative Commons License
Date Image Added (yyyy-mm): 
2011-08
Metadata Language: 
eng-GB
Collection Code: 
Mary Hamilton Papers