Letter from Baron Bunsen to Dr. Ernst Becker reporting that a Raphael drawing belonging to the late August Kestner is in Hanover.

In reply to a letter from Dr Becker (not present), Baron Bunsen reports that his enquiries have revealed that the Raphael drawing belonging to the late August Kestner, the art connoisseur, was left under his will to the city of Hanover, where he was born, with the rest of his collection. It is now there, in the care of Kestner's nephew Hermann Kestner, who Bunsen is sure would be delighted to have a photograph of it made for the Prince Consort's collection.

Bunsen goes on to sympathise with Dr Becker over the amount of work he still has to do, but says his pupils do him and their parents great credit. As for himself, he is about to return [to Germany] from Cannes, where he finds the scenery and climate stimulating and has achieved more than he could in three winters in Germany. Added to this is the exciting prospect of freedom and order coming to Italy; the Emperor [Napoleon] sailed past Cannes the previous day with a splendid escort and his troops are massing in Piedmont. Austria's battle fever is cooling; the stance taken by Prussia, England and Russia will do the rest; the campaign will be short and the outcome is beyond doubt.

Bunsen asks Becker to thank the Prince Consort for his gracious consideration of Bunsen's recommendation of two sculptors. He concludes by saying that he intends to return to Cannes in October, and go on a pilgrimage to Tuscany if freedom is established there.

Related Material: See VIC/ADDA10/85/425, for material regarding Becker's attempt to track down this drawing in Hanover.