The Spanish acquisition of King Charles I's art collection: The letters of Alonso de Cárdenas, 164951

The letters of Alonso de Cárdenas, the Spanish diplomatic representative in London from the 1630s to the 1650s, offer an unrivalled account of the everyday activities involved in the Commonwealth sale of King Charles I's art collection from 1649 to Cárdenas's diplomatic expulsion from England in 1655. Previously published in the original Spanish, this article provides the first complete English translation of Cárdenas's letters during this period. It also offers an account of Cárdenas's dealings with the republican authorities and private dealers and situates the Spanish diplomat as central to the development of an English art market under the Commonwealth. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]