The entombing of Christ, by Federico Barocci: the dead body is rather disagreeable, but some of the characters are very fine. This was out of the Duke D’Auvergne’s collection at Paris.
The adoration of the Magi, by Rubens: this is only a sketch for a large picture, yet it is so finished, that at a proper distance the characters are as expressive, and the colouring as rich as in a finish’d picture.
St. Thomas, who disbelieves putting his finger in the wound in Christ’s side, by Michael Angelo Caravaggio. This is also a sketch, but the dignity in the characters, and the fine large folds of drapery, shew it to be the work of a great master. Mr. Barnard has a print of this picture etch’d by the master himself, which is extremely scarce.
The stoning of St. Stephen, by Filippo Lauri. Though the figures in this picture are rather larger than those which are in his very best manner, yet they are finely drawn, and the gaiety and beauty of the colouring, together with the fine keeping observed in the distant figures, make it a very pleasing and fine picture.
Christ’s agony in the garden, by the same master. The figures in this are smaller than in the preceding; and the fine characters, and correctness of drawing of the figures, joined to the beautiful colouring, have always made this picture, though a very small one, esteemed by the greatest judges as one of his best.
The same subject in a round, about a foot diameter, by Carlo Maratti; the angels heads are fine, and the colouring pleasing. This picture belonged to Mr. Jarvis the painter, who had a companion to it by the same hand, the subject a dead Christ; he valued them very highly.
A holy family, by the same master, about one foot seven inches high; this is painted in his best time and finest colouring.
A Silence, by Nicolo Poussin: the subject a landskip, the evening, in which a little boy is running away with a Satyr’s musical instrument as he lies asleep; other figures are lying and leaning in a reposed manner. Though this picture is only about seventeen inches wide, and the figures but small, yet they are as genteel, and as correctly drawn, as in any of his finest pictures.
The woman taken in adultery, by Sebastian Ricci. The greatness of the design the dignity and propriety of the characters, particularly the woman, and the harmony of the colours, shew him to be (tho’ a modern master) equal to most of the greatest that went before him.
Two misers counting and setting down their money; the same subject, but with some variation as that at Windsor, by Quintin Matsys of Antwerp, who repeated this picture several times.