Hans Holbein the Younger, Volume 2 (of 2)Chamberlain, Arthur B. (Arthur Bensley)
History
Hans Holbein the Younger, Volume 2 (of 2)
Chamberlain, Arthur B. (Arthur Bensley)
Holbein, Hans, 1497-1543 -- Criticism and interpretation; Painters -- Germany -- Biography
See _Gallia Christiana_ (Lutetiæ, 1715), vol. xiii. (1722), p. 344.
_Ecclesia Vaurensis_, No. xxi., Georgius de Selve. (Quoted by Miss
Hervey, p. 13.)
This document is confirmed by a further discovery by Miss Hervey of a
_Mémoire_ preserved in the Bibliothèque de l’Institut at Paris, which
gives a summary of three letters concerning the picture. The letters
themselves, which so far, with possibly one exception, have not yet been
discovered, were addressed by Nicolas Camusat, the antiquary, canon of
Troyes, and an intimate friend of the Dinteville family for many years,
to his friends the Godefroy brothers, to whom and to others he
constantly supplied antiquarian and genealogical information. His
letters relating to Polisy extended from 1607 to 1655.
The following is a translation of the memorandum:
“Memoir in explanation of three letters sent by Monsr. Camusat,
Canon of St. Pierre at Troyes, [touching a picture made in
England of George de Selve, Bp. of Lavaur, who had gone thither
to visit the Bailly of Troies, Sr. de Polizi, Jean d’Inteville,
at that time the King’s ambassador].
“There are two relating to the Bishop of Lavaur, George de
Selve, son of Mr. le Premier President de Selve, which Bishop
had been invited by Mr. de Polizy, bailly of Troyes, ambassador
in England in the years 1532 [O.S.] and 1533, to visit him in
England, which he did, having first taken leave of the King. And
being in England, they had made the excellent picture by a Dutch
painter, Holben, which picture was preserved in the House of
Polizy, distant but one league from Bar-sur-Seine, a hundred and
forty [_sic_] years and more, as belonging to the Seigneur of
the place, Sr. de Sessac, until the year 1653, when he had it
removed to Paris, to his house near the parish of St. Sulpice;
the said picture representing the said Sr. de Polizy, Jean de
d’Inteville, and the said Sr. Bishop of Lavaur, who was
afterwards ambassador with Charles V; and the said Bishop died
in 1541. The said picture is considered the finest piece of
painting in France in the opinion of the best painters. M. le
Mareschal du Plessis-Praslain not long since bought the estate
of Polisy for three hundred thousand livres from the said Sr. de
Sessac.
“Mr. de Vic, garde des sceaux, formerly said that it was the
most beautiful piece of painting in France.
“Mr. George de Selve, and his brothers, worthily served France
in various embassies and legations.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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