Letter from William Russell to Charles Ruland expressing surprise that his 'Raffaelism' should be included in the Prince Consort's collection, and reporting on his son's illness.

Russell writes that he never expected his 'Raffaelism' (presumably the etching mentioned in VIC/ADDA10/85/151) to go into the Prince Consort's Raphael collection, and states that the Adoration of the Shepherds in Ottley's 'Italian School of Design' was his source. He is glad to hear that HRH is taking an interest in the Raphael photographs, but shocked at the disappearance of the Perugian altarpiece in Naples. He adds a note reporting that his son's illness seems to have been traced to arsenic in the wallpaper of his office.

Russell is evidently responding to a letter from Ruland thanking for the etching he sent with his previous letter (see VIC/ADDA10/85/151), and answering Russell's enquiry in that letter about the effect on the Prince Consort of the 'sadness of the time' - presumably the death of the Duchess of Kent on 16 March.

Related Material: For related correspondence, see VIC/ADDA10/85/151.