Letter from the curator of drawings at the Louvre to Dr. Ernst Becker concerning two volumes, owned by Prince Albert and the Louvre respectively, of engravings from the drawings collection of M. de Bourgevin Vialart de St. Morys, a French emigré.

Reiset states that the 'facsimiles' in the volume [belonging to Prince Albert] which Dr. Becker has sent him [and which he is returning] are not the same as those in the volume held by the Louvre. He explains that M. de Bourgevin Vialart de St Morys emigrated [during the French Revolution] and his drawings collection was confiscated and placed in the Louvre. Reiset conjectures that M. de St Morys made the engravings in Prince Albert's volume while living in London; all are inscribed 'London' with the date 1793 or 1794. The engravings in the Louvre volume are dated 1774 - 1789 and were made in France. He adds that St Morys had a very large collection, which contained some fine drawings among many bad ones. He supposes that the drawings engraved in London were in the collection, and that St Morys took these drawings with him when he left France. He does not believe the drawings reproduced in the Prince's volume are in the Louvre, with the exception of a small sketch of the Virgin by Raphael - a fragment which St Morys may have reproduced from memory, and of which a more complete engraving is in the Louvre's volume; the drawing from which it was taken is in the Louvre. He cites the Passavant reference for it, and has put a marker in the Prince's volume to show which is the corresponding engraving. Reiset offers to send the Louvre volume to England if the Prince wishes to compare the two. A note by Becker on the letter records his reply accepting this offer. Reiset adds a note that the drawings specified by Dr. Becker have long since been made available for the photographer, who has not yet been to the Louvre to photograph them, but who is apparently coming soon.