HCR, Plowden Buildings, London, to Spring Rice, 3 June 1835.  

My dear Sir

      You desired me to remind you in writing of our short conversation on the subject of Mr Flaxman’s plaister models, of which a large collection remains in the hands of Miss Denman  I take the liberty therefore of sending you a catalogue of those models.*[1]

      It would be all but impertinent, and certainly superfluous in me to endeavour to enforce the one obvious thought which a sight of this catalogue suggests. As the models which come from the hand of a great sculptor are more truly his works than the marble afterwards executed, whenever Flaxman shall be as universally deemed in England as he already is on the continent our great national artist, a collection of his models will be considered as the greatest treasure of national art we have to exhibit. There can be no doubt that they would be most anxiously preserved at Rome, Florence, Naples, Paris Vienna or Berlin. You will be of opinion that they ought not to be allowed to perish in London; yet they cannot be long preserved except as national property. There is a trouble and even expence in the more warehousing such bulky articles, and unless set up in a gallery erected for the purpose, are lost to the public –

      You know in what estimation the gallery of casts is held in Dresden, even in the vicinity of the gallery of paintings Flaxman’s casts would become the National gallery in the correctest sense of that expression –

      I should add that the government would not have any bargaining necessary in order to obtain these works. On the subject of compensation, Miss Denman feels with a disinterestedness on which you would not be willing that the government should for its credits sake act. I have said more than I intended and beg your pardon for the three minutes time I have occupied.

      I am

              Your obedt hble Servant

                                    H. C. Robinson

NB: Miss Denman resides 74 Upper Norton St a few casts are seen advantageously in her drawing room

Mr Denman’s Studio is No 7 Buckingham St Fitzroy Sqre:  with whom are the models, but not set up for sight – Except the marble bas-relief mentioned in the catalogue

Text: Add. MS. 45224, fol. 91, British Library. The catalogue, dated May 1835, of the original plaister models of John Flaxman follows in this volume, fols. 93-99.