Letter from Edmond Fierlants to Charles Ruland agreeing to photograph the Raphael cartoon owned by Comte Charles d'Oultremont, and sending a photograph of the picture claimed to be by Raphael but which he dismisses as worthless

Fierlants writes that he will be happy to photograph Comte Charles d'Oultremont's Raphael cartoon for the Prince Consort, and that Jules Devaux has written to the Count ask when he may come to the Château de Presle. Fierlants asks what size the photograph should be, and promises to send the plate and some prints as soon as possible.

He goes on to comment on the picture (of Ceres) whose owner attributes it to Raphael, and which is on sale in Brussels. He says that the best connaisseurs in the city consider it mediocre, and it has twice been withdrawn from auctions where it did not reach a high price. He hears that it has been seized by the creditors of the owner, who owes several thousand francs to the hotel where he is staying, and that it will be sold at any price. He does not think it worth photographing but is willing to do so if the Prince wishes; meanwhile he encloses a poor reproduction of it (see VIC/ADDA10/85//519), which he states in a postscript to have been made by the photographer Michiels.

In the postscript he adds that he has just met the Count, who promised to write to him as soon as he returns to Presle, as he wishes to remove some marks from the drawing before it is photographed. Fierlants asks if he may make a second plate and sell prints from it.

Related Material: For enclosed photograph, see VIC/ADDA10/85/519.