FINE ARTS.

TIIF: LAWRENCE COLLECTION OF DRAWINGS.

TIIE memorial to the Lords of the Treasury, praying for the purchase of the Drawing's Of RAFFAELLE and MICHAEL ANGELO for the Ni.. doted Gallery, has had due influence with the Government ; and nego- tiutions are now pending for the accomplishment of this most desirable object. Thus stands the affair at present. Messrs. WOODBURN, the proprietors, ask for these drawings 20,000/. ; but this price being ob- jected to as excessive they proposed to abide by the award of five connoisseurs whom they twined. The Government very naturally declined being bound by the judgment of parties, however disinterested and respectable, nominated by the vendors ; and proposed to submit the matter to five other persons whom the Government should appoint. To this Messrs. WoonuiraN replied, that they reserved their option of agreeing to the terms offered by these gentlemen ; not knowing their qualifications to form an opinion of the value of the drawings. The best way to settle the matter seems to us to be to appoint a jury of competent persons, in whose judgment both parties would have confi- dence, to assess the value.

In the mean time, a brief recapitulation of the circumstances under which the drawings came into the market, may not be amiss, especially as they are not correctly known to the public generally. When, in pursuance of the directions contained in the will of Sir TholtAs LAW- RENCE, the entire collection was offered to Lord GREY'S Government for 18,000/., Messrs. WOODBURN urged their claim to compensation for the loss they should sustain as creditors of Sir THOMAS LAWRENCE 1.0 the amount of 10,000/. and upwards,—a debt incurred for some of the very drawings forming the collection. This suspended the decision of the Government; and in the mean while, Messrs. WOODBURN, to se- cure theinsulces from loss, made an arrangement with the executors, by which, in consideration of their equitable claim of 10,0001.—for they had no legal lien on the property—they became possessed of the drawings, on payment of about 10,0001. more, which went to the other creditors. Messrs. Woonetate then offered the entire collection, which had cost them upwards of 20,0001., to Sir ROBERT PEEL'S Go- vernment, for 25,000/. ; which, all circumstances considered, was not an unreasonable profit. This being declined, they had no alternative but to dispose of the collection piecemeal : but being desirous to keep it together as nnich as possible, they have endeavoured to dispose of the drawings of each master in the mass, thinking the Government would be likely to select the choicer portions for the National Gallery. The following is a list of the drawings forming the collection, and the prices asked for each portion. Those marked " are sold.

Masters. Number of DrilW lugs. alma 1Vhalabilynske 75 150

* Rembrandt 10 N. Poussin 740 • Claude 120 l'armigiano 175 Correggio 60 * Julio Romano 80 Primaticcio 50 Leonardo da Vinci 75 Merino del Vaga 85 M • Ludovico, Anmbale, and} 160 Agostino Caracei Fra Bartolonien 430 Andrea del Sarto 30

Polidore Carava 130 ,egio

Zuechero Titian GO • Albert Differ 100 Raffaelle 190 Michael Angelo 140 Gross total , Total Price.

1000 1500 800 1800 lot

800 600 1500 300 1500 1200 800 250 400 600 800 £3000

Average Sam per

n •

Drawiug, about

172013 10 00 15 0 0

11 0 0 15

8 10 0

18 10 0

10 0 0 12 0 0

20 0 0

3 10 0

9 7 6

2 15 0 10 0 0 8 7 0 5 0 0 10 0 0 8 0 0

63 0 0

57 0 0

18,850 12,000 8000 £38,830

13y this statement it appears, that more is asked for the RAFFAELLES arid MICHAEL ANGELOS than for the whole of the rest of the collec- tion put together, or than the entire collection was valued at by Sir THOMAS LAWRENCE; and as much as Messrs. WooDeuares gave for the whole, including their debt of 10,000/. which was in jeopardy before the arrangement was effected by which the drawings became theirs. The prices set upon the mass of the collection we think are fair, and in some cases low—the TITIANS and FRA BARTOLOMEOS especially. For the DA VINCIS and RUBENSES, 20/. each, is not at all too much : but 601. each for slight sketches even by RAFFAELLE, and for studies by MicitA EL ANGELO is enormous, and more than we think ought to be given for them—for the latter especially. The RAFFAELLES are, abstractedly speaking, of priceless value : but it will not do to translate a sentimental estimate into figures. We have been reminded, that in all collections of original drawings, some of questionable authenticity will creep in ; and it has been hinted to us that the hand of PELLEGRINO TIBALDI, a clever artist, and an imitator of MICHAEL ANGELO, may be traced in many of the drawings attributed to this great master. We pretend to no skill in connoisseur. ship ourselves, and only repeat the suggestion made to us, without giving any opinion of our own. We were certainly disappoutted with the MICHAEL ANGELOS ; but we only sought evidences of genius and invention : we did not scrutinize the handling minutely. That the mass of the drawings are true originals, we believe : there may be many that were the work of pupils, or contemporary artists, or even of engravers; but these, in all probability, were mostly done under the eye of the painter himself, and perhaps touched upon by hica. The inajority.of the RAFFAELLES proclaim their own originality: their beauty is inimitable Still, these consideratiotta quiltt to enter into the coeition of value; and they are of greater weight in proportion to the largeness of the price demanded. The opportunity of getting the entire collection for a moderate price having been let slip, however, we must expect to pay the penalty of neglect. Why not purchase all the rest ? or at least the choicest portions that yet remain? The drawings of LEONARDO DA Irma are absolutely precious ; and those of 'tunas, CORREGGIO, TITIAN, VANDYKE, N. POUBSIN, and ANDREA DEL SARTO, are little inferior in interest and excellence. They are all valued at fair and moderate prices ; and to include them would be an inducement to the proprietors to be content with a less price for the RAEFAELLES and MICHAEL ANGELOS,—say 12,0001., under such circumstances. The others which we have named are procurable for 8,2001. : thus, for 20,0001. the nation would possess a rich and choice collection of really fine drawings, valuable for their intrinsic excellence, and objects of ad. Duration to the amateur as well as of study for the artist. By such an arrangement Messrs. WOODBURN would realize a handsome profit to remunerate them for their expenditure of time, trouble, and money, and have besides a number of beautiful drawingsPin their possession as a bonus. In asking so large a stun for the RAFFAELLES and Micuaer. ANGELOS, they are of course influenced by the consideration that these are the two great prizes of the collection. The name of MICHAEL ANGELO gives great additional value to that one portion, while the fame Of RAFFAELLE derives fresh lustre from the other. Under any dr- cumstances, we hope the RAFFAELLE drawings, and the cartoon heads for the Last Supper of LEONARDO Da VINCI, will be secured to the nation.