Book of hand-written copies of the letters and notes of George Augustus Wallis

The book includes:

A copy of a letter from George Augustus Walles, professor of the first class of painting at the Imperial and Royal Academy of Florence to a friend on the subject of the neglect of the fine arts by the government of England (Siena, 16 June 1837);

Copy of opinion of George Augustus Wallis on the originality of the picture of the Holy Family by Raffael in the collection of the Reverend John Sanford (Florence 1835);

Copy and translation of opinion of Signor Bartolini of the Bust of Lorenzo Il Magnifico (Florence, 5 January 1837);

A list of artists composing the gallery of paintings collected by the Reverend John Sanford since the year 1815 (undated and in different hand).

The leaves of the book are sewn together without a cover. An accompanying note mentions that the original paper was watermarked variously: 'M & M, W. King, 1837'. Front leaf has annotated notes in ink about the material; text of first letter is underlined in places; annotation on the back leaf reads 'Catalogue of Mr Sanford's paintings' and a second annotation in ink reads 'Deposited by Lord Monteagle 1936/1937.