,,anecdotes ,,of ,,painters1 ,,engravers ,sculptors and ,architects1 ,,and ,,curiosities ,,of ,,art4 ,,by ,s4 ,,spooner1 ,m4,d41 ,,author ,,of ,a ,,biographical ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,fine ,,arts4 ,,in ,,three ,,volumes4 ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,new ,,york3 ,r4 ,,worthington1 ,,publisher1 #ggj ,broadway4 ,,copyright1 ,s4 ,,spooner1 #ahec4 ,rentered1 ,g4 ,b41 #ahhj4 ,,contents4 ,titian--,sketch of his ,life1 #a ,titian's ,manners1 #e ,titian's ,works1 #f ,titian's ,imitators1 #g ,titian's ,venus and ,adonis1 #h ,titian and the ,emperor ,charles ,v41 #aj ,titian and ,philip ,,ii41 #ac ,titian's ,last ,supper and ,el ,mudo1 #ad ,titian's ,old ,age1 #ae ,monument to ,titian1 #ae ,horace ,vernet1 #af ,the ,colosseum1 #bi ,nineveh and its ,remains1 #cd ,description of a ,palace ,exhumed at ,nimroud1 #cg ,origin and ,antiquity of the ,arch1 #da ,antiquities of ,herculaneum1 ,pompeii1 and ,stabi1 #dc ,ancient ,fresco and ,mosaic ,painting1 #ee ,mosaic of the ,battle of ,plata1 #ee ,the ,aldobrandini ,wedding1 #ef ,the ,portland ,vase1 #ef ,ancient ,pictures on ,glass1 #eh ,henry ,fuseli2 his ,birth1 #ei ,fuseli's early ,love of ,art1 #ei ,fuseli's ,literary and ,poetical ,taste1 #fj ,fuseli1 ,lavater1 and the ,unjust ,magistrate1 #fa ,fuseli's ,travels and his ,literary ,distinction1 #fb ,fuseli's ,arrival in ,london1 #fc ,fuseli's change from ,literature to ,painting1 #fc ,fuseli's ,sojourn in ,italy1 #fe ,fuseli's ,nightmare1 #ff ,fuseli's ,o,edipus and his ,daughters1 #ff ,fuseli and the ,shakspeare ,gallery1 #fg ,fuseli's ,hamlet's ,ghost1 #fh ,fuseli's ,titania1 #fi ,fuseli's ,election as a ,royal ,academician1 #gj ,fuseli and ,horace ,walpole1 #ga ,fuseli and the ,banker ,coutts1 #gb ,fuseli and ,professor ,porson1 #gc ,fuseli's method of giving vent to his ,passion1 #gc ,fuseli's ,love for ,terrific ,subjects1 #gc ,fuseli's and ,lawrence's ,pictures from the ,tempest1 #gd ,fuseli's estimate of ,reynolds' ,abilities in ,historical ,painting1 #ge ,fuseli and ,lawrence1 #ge ,fuseli as ,keeper of the ,royal ,academy1 #gf ,fuseli's ,jests and ,oddities with the ,students of the ,academy1 #gg ,fuseli's ,sarcasms on ,northcote1 #gh ,fuseli's ,sarcasms on various rival ,artists1 #gi ,fuseli's ,retorts1 #hj ,fuseli's ,suggestion of an ,emblem of ,eternity1 #hb ,fuseli's ,retort in ,mr4 ,coutts' ,banking ,house1 #hb ,fuseli's ,sarcasms on ,landscape and ,portrait ,painters1 #hc ,fuseli's ,opinion of his own ,attainment of ,happiness1 #hd ,fuseli's ,private ,habits1 #hd ,fuseli's ,wife's method of ,curing his fits of ,despondency1 #he ,fuseli's ,personal ,appearance1 his ,sarcastic ,disposition1 and ,quick ,temper1 #hf ,fuseli's near ,sight1 #hg ,fuseli's ,popularity1 #hh ,fuseli's ,artistic ,merits1 #hh ,fuseli's ,milton ,gallery1 the ,character of his ,works1 and the ,permanency of his ,fame1 #hi ,salvator ,rosa1 #ia ,salvator ,rosa and ,cav4 ,lanfranco1 #ia ,salvator ,rosa at ,rome and ,florence1 #ib ,salvator ,rosa's ,return to ,rome1 #ic ,salvator ,rosa's ,subjects1 #ic ,flagellation of ,salvator ,rosa1 #ie ,salvator ,rosa and the ,higgling ,prince1 #if ,salvator ,rosa's ,opinion of his own ,works1 #ih ,salvator ,rosa's ,banditti1 #ih ,salvator ,rosa and ,massaniello1 #ajj ,salvator ,rosa and ,cardinal ,sforza1 #ajj ,salvator ,rosa's ,manifesto ,concerning his ,satirical ,picture1 ,la ,fortuna1 #aja ,salvator ,rosa's ,banishment from ,rome1 #ajb ,salvator ,rosa's ,wit1 #ajc ,salvator ,rosa's ,reception at ,florence1 #ajc ,histrionic ,powers of ,salvator ,rosa1 #ajd ,salvator ,rosa's ,reception at the ,palazzo ,pitti1 #aje ,satires of ,salvator ,rosa1 #aje ,salvator ,rosa's ,harpsichord1 #ajf ,rare ,portrait by ,salvator ,rosa1 #ajf ,salvator ,rosa's ,return to ,rome1 #aji ,salvator ,rosa's ,love of ,magnificence1 #aji ,salvator ,rosa's ,last ,works1 #aaa ,salvator ,rosa's ,desire to be ,considered an ,historical ,painter1 #aab ,don ,mario ,ghigi1 his ,physician1 and ,salvator ,rosa1 #aac ,death of ,salvator ,rosa1 #aae ,domenichino1 #aba ,the ,dulness of ,domenichino in ,youth1 #aba ,domenichino's ,scourging of ,st4 ,andrew1 #abc ,the ,communion of ,st4 ,jerome1 #abd ,domenichino's ,enemies at ,rome1 #abe ,decision of ,posterity on the ,merits of ,domenichino1 #abf ,proof of the ,merits of ,domenichino1 #abg ,domenichino's ,caricatures1 #abg ,intrigues of the ,neapolitan ,triumvirate of ,painters1 #abh ,giuseppe ,ribera1 called ,il ,spagnoletto--his early ,poverty and ,industry1 #acc ,ribera's ,marriage1 #acd ,ribera's ,rise to ,eminence1 #ace ,ribera's ,discovery of the ,philosopher's ,stone1 #ace ,ribera's ,subjects1 #acf ,ribera's ,disposition1 #acg ,singular ,pictorial ,illusions1 #acg ,raffaelle's ,skill in ,portraits1 #ach ,jacopo da ,ponte1 #aci ,giovanni ,rosa1 #aci ,cav4 ,giovanni ,centarini1 #aci ,guercino's ,power of ,relief1 #adj ,bernazzano1 #adj ,invention of ,oil ,painting1 #ada ,foreshortening1 #ade ,method of ,transferring ,paintings from ,walls and ,panels to ,canvass1 #adf ,works in ,scagliola1 #adg ,the ,golden ,age of ,painting1 #adi ,golden ,age of the ,fine ,arts in ,ancient ,rome1 #aeb ,nero's ,golden ,palace1 #aee ,names of ,ancient ,architects ,designated by ,reptiles1 #aef ,triumphal ,arches1 #aeg ,statue of ,pompey the ,great1 #aei ,antique ,sculptures in ,rome1 #aei ,ancient ,map of ,rome1 #afj ,julian the ,apostate1 #afj ,the ,tomb of ,mausolus1 #afa ,mandrocles' ,bridge ,across the ,bosphorus1 #afb ,the ,colossus of the ,sun at ,rhodes1 #afb ,statues and ,paintings at ,rhodes1 #afd ,sostratus' ,light-,house on the ,isle of ,pharos1 #afd ,dinocrates' ,plan for ,cutting ,mount ,athos into a ,statue of ,alexander the ,great1 #afe ,pope's idea of ,forming ,mount ,athos into a ,statue of ,alexander the ,great1 #aff ,temple with an ,iron ,statue ,suspended in the ,air by ,loadstone1 #afh ,the ,temple of ,jupiter ,olympius at ,athens1 #afh ,the ,parthenon at ,athens1 #agj ,the ,elgin ,marbles1 #aga ,the first ,odeon at ,athens1 #ahb ,perpetual ,lamps1 #ahb ,the ,skull of ,raffaelle1 #ahc ,the ,four ,finest ,pictures in ,rome1 #ahc ,the ,four ,carlos of the #agth ,century1 #ahd ,pietro ,galletti and the ,bolognese ,students1 #ahd tion's ,picture of the ,nuptials of ,alexander and ,roxana1 #ahd ,ageladas1 #ahe ,the ,porticos of ,agaptos1 #ahe ,the ,group of ,niobe and her ,children1 #ahe ,statue of the ,fighting ,gladiator1 #ahg ,the ,group of ,laocon in the ,vatican1 #ahg ,michael ,angelo's ,opinion of the ,laocon1 #aij ,discovery of the ,laocon1 #aij ,sir ,john ,soane1 #aia ,soane's ,liberality and ,public ,munificence1 #aib ,the ,belzoni ,sarcophagus1 #aid ,tasso's ,gerusalemme ,liberata1 #aie ,george ,morland1 #aig ,morland's ,early ,talent #aih ,morland's ,early ,fame1 #aii ,morland's ,mental and ,moral ,education under an ,unnatural ,parent1 #bjj ,morland's ,escape from the ,thraldom of his ,father1 #bja ,morland's ,marriage and ,temporary ,reform1 #bjb ,morland's ,social ,position1 #bjc ,an ,unpleasant ,dilemma1 #bjd ,morland at the ,isle of ,wight1 #bje ,a ,novel ,mode of ,fulfilling ,commissions1 #bjf ,hassel's ,first ,interview with ,morland1 #bjf ,morland's ,drawings in the ,isle of ,wight1 #bjg ,morland's ,freaks1 #bjh ,a ,joke on ,morland1 #bjh ,morland's ,apprehension as a ,spy1 #bji ,morland's ,sign of the ,black ,bull1 #baj ,morland and the ,pawnbroker1 #baa ,morland's idea of a ,baronetcy1 #bab ,morland's ,artistic ,merits14 #bab ,charles ,jervas1 #bac ,jervas the ,instructor of ,pope1 #bad ,jervas and ,dr4 ,arbuthnot1 #bae ,jervas' ,vanity1 #bae ,holbein and the ,fly1 #baf ,holbein's ,visit to ,england1 #baf ,henry ,,viii4's ,opinion of ,holbein1 #bag ,holbein's ,portrait of the ,duchess ,dowager of ,milan1 #bah ,holbein's ,flattery in ,portraits--a ,warning to ,painters1 #bai ,holbein's ,portrait of ,cratzer1 #bai ,holbein's ,portrait of ,sir ,thomas ,more and ,family1 #bbj ,sir ,john ,vanbrugh and his ,critics1 #bba ,anecdote of the ,english ,painter1 ,james ,seymour1 #bbc ,precocity of ,luca ,giordano1 #bbd ,giordano's ,enthusiasm1 #bbe ,luca ,fa ,presto1 #bbf ,giordano's ,skill in ,copying1 #bbf ,giordano's ,success at ,naples1 #bbg ,giordano1 the ,viceroy1 and the ,duke of ,diano1 #bbh ,giordano ,invited to ,florence1 #bbi ,giordano and ,carlo ,dolci1 #bbi ,giordano's ,visit to ,spain1 #bcj ,giordano's ,works in ,spain1 #bca ,giordano at the ,escurial1 #bcb ,giordano's ,habits in ,spain1 #bcc ,giordano's ,first ,picture ,painted in ,spain1 #bcc ,giordano a ,favorite at ,court1 #bcd ,giordano's ,return to ,naples1 #bcf ,giordano's ,personal ,appearance and ,character1 #bcg ,giordano's ,riches1 #bch ,giordano's ,wonderful ,facility of ,hand1 #bci ,giordano's ,powers of ,imitation1 #bdj ,giordano's ,fame and ,reputation1 #bdj ,remarkable ,instance of ,giordano's ,rapidity of ,execution1 #bdb ,revival of ,painting in ,italy1 #bdd ,giovanni ,cimabue1 #bea ,cimabue's ,passion for ,art1 #beb ,cimabue's ,famous ,picture of the ,virgin1 #bec ,the ,works of ,cimabue1 #bee ,death of ,cimabue1 #bef ,giotto1 #beg ,giotto's ,st4 ,francis ,stigmata1 #bei ,giotto's ,invitation to ,rome1 #bfj ,giotto's ,living ,model1 #bfb ,giotto and the ,king of ,naples1 #bfd ,giotto and ,dante1 #bff ,death of ,giotto1 #bff ,buonamico ,buffalmacco1 #bfg ,buffalmacco and his ,master1 #bfg ,buffalmacco and the ,nuns of the ,convent of ,faenza1 #bgj ,buffalmacco and the ,nun's ,wine1 #bgb ,buffalmacco1 ,bishop ,guido and his ,monkey1 #bgc ,buffalmacco's ,trick on the ,bishop of ,arezzo1 #bgg ,origin of ,label ,painting1 #bgh ,utility of ,ancient ,works1 #bhj ,buffalmacco and the ,countryman1 #bhb ,buffalmacco and the ,people of ,perugia1 #bhc ,buffalmacco's ,novel ,method of ,enforcing ,payment1 #bhe ,stefano ,fiorentino1 #bhf ,giottino1 #bhf ,paolo ,uccello1 #bhg ,ucello's ,enthusiasm1 #bhh ,uccello and the ,monks of ,san ,miniato1 #bhi ,uccello's ,five ,portraits1 #bij ,uccello's ,incredulity of ,st4 ,thomas1 #bia ,the ,italian ,schools of ,painting1 #bib ,claude ,joseph ,vernet1 #bie ,vernet's ,precocity1 #bie ,vernet's ,enthusiasm1 #bif ,vernet at ,rome #bih ,vernet's ,alphabet of ,tones1 #bii ,vernet and the ,connoisseur1 #cja ,vernet's ,works1 #cja ,vernet's ,passion for ,music1 #cjf ,vernet's ,opinion of his own ,merits1 #cjg ,curious ,letter of ,vernet1 #cjh ,charles ,vernet1 #caj ,anecdote of ,charles ,vernet1 #caa ,m4 de ,lasson's ,caricature1 #caa ,frank ,hals and ,vandyke1 #cab ,,anecdotes ,,of ,,painters1 ,,engravers1 ,,sculptors1 ,,and ,,architects4 ,,titian1--,,sketch ,,of ,,his ,,life4 ,the name of this illustrious painter was ,tiziano ,vecellio or ,vecelli1 and he is called by the ,italians1 ,tiziano ,vecellio da ,cadore4 ,he was descended of a noble family2 born at the castle of ,cadore in the ,friuli in #adgg1 and died in #aegf1 according to ,ridolfi2 though ,vasari and ,sandrart place his birth in #adhj4 ,lanzi says he died in #aegf1 aged #ii years4 ,he early showed a passion for the art1 which was carefully cultivated by his parents4--,lanzi says in a note1 that it is pretty clearly ascertained that he received his first instruction from ,antonio ,rossi1 a painter of ,cadore2 if so1 it was at a very tender age1 for when he was ten years old he was sent to ,trevigi1 and placed under ,sebastiano ,zuccati4 ,he subsequently went to ,venice1 and studied successively under ,gentile and ,giovanni ,bellini4 ,giorgione was his fellow-student under the last named master1 with whom ,titian made extraordinary progress1 and attained such an exact imitation of his style that their works could scarcely be distinguished1 which greatly excited the jealousy of ,bellini4 ,on the death of ,giorgione1 ,titian rose rapidly into favor4 ,he was soon afterwards invited to the court of ,alphonso1 ,duke of ,ferrara1 for whom he painted his celebrated picture of ,bacchus and ,ariadne1 and two other fabulous subjects1 which still retain somewhat of the style of ,giorgione4 ,it was there that he became acquainted with ,ariosto1 whose portrait he painted1 and in return the poet spread abroad his fame in the ,orlando ,furioso4 ,in #aebc1 the ,senate of ,venice employed him to decorate the ,hall of the ,council ,chamber1 where he represented the famous ,battle of ,cadore1 between the ,venetians and the ,imperialists--a grand performance1 that greatly increased his reputation4 ,this work was afterwards destroyed by fire1 but the composition has been preserved by the burin of ,fontana4 ,his next performance was his celebrated picture of ,st4 ,pietro ,martire1 in the church of ,,ss4 ,giovanni e ,paolo1 at ,venice1 which is generally regarded as his master-piece in historical painting4 ,this picture was carried to ,paris by the ,french1 and subsequently restored by the ,allies4 ,notwithstanding the importance of these and other commissions1 and the great reputation he had acquired1 it is said1 though with little probability of truth1 that he received such a small remuneration for his works1 that he was in actual indigence in #aecj1 when the praises bestowed upon him in the writings of his friend ,pietro ,aretino1 recommended him to the notice of the ,emperor ,charles ,v41 who had come to ,bologna to be crowned by ,pope ,clement ,,vii4 ,titian was invited thither1 and painted the portrait of that monarch1 and his principal attendants1 for which he was liberally rewarded4--,about this time1 he was invited to the court of the ,duke of ,mantua1 whose portrait he painted1 and decorated a saloon in the palace with a series of the ,twelve ,csars1 beneath which ,giulio ,romano afterwards painted a subject from the history of each4 ,in #aedc1 ,paul ,,iii4 visited ,ferrara1 where ,titian was then engaged1 sat for his portrait and invited him to ,rome1 but previous engagements with the ,duke of ,urbino1 obliged him to decline or defer the invitation4 ,having completed his undertakings for that prince1 he went to ,rome at the invitation of the ,cardinal ,farnese in #aedh1 where he was received with marks of great distinction4 ,he was accommodated with apartments in the palace of the ,belvidere1 and painted the ,pope1 ,paul ,,iii41 a second time1 whom he represented seated between the ,cardinal ,farnese and ,prince ,ottavio4 ,he also painted his famous picture of ,dana1 which caused ,michael ,angelo to lament that ,titian had not studied the antique as accurately as he had nature1 in which case his works would have been inimitable1 by uniting the perfection of coloring with correctness of design4 ,it is said that the ,pope was so captivated with his works that he endeavored to retain him at ,rome1 and offered him as an inducement the lucrative office of the ,leaden ,seal1 then vacant by the death of ,fr ,sebastiano del ,piombo1 but he declined on account of conscientious scruples4 ,titian had no sooner returned from ,rome to ,venice1 than he received so pressing an invitation from his first protector1 ,charles ,v41 to visit the court of ,spain1 that he could no longer refuse2 and he accordingly set out for ,madrid1 where he arrived at the beginning of #aeej1 and was received with extraordinary honors4 ,after a residence of three years at ,madrid1 he returned to ,venice1 whence he was shortly afterwards invited to ,inspruck1 where he painted the portrait of ,ferdinand1 king of the ,romans1 his queen and children1 in one picture4--,though now advanced in years1 his powers continued unabated1 and this group was accounted one of his best productions4 ,he afterwards returned to ,venice1 where he continued to exercise his pencil to the last year of his long life4 ,,titian',s ,,manners4 ,most writers observe that ,titian had four different manners1 at as many different periods of his life3 first that of ,bellini1 somewhat stiff and hard1 in which he imitated nature1 according to ,lanzi1 with a greater precision than even ,albert ,durer1 so that the hairs might be numbered1 the skin of the hands1 the very pores of the flesh1 and the reflection of objects in the pupils seen3 second1 an imitation of ,giorgione1 more bold and full of force2 ,lanzi says that some of his portraits executed at this time1 cannot be distinguished from those of ,giorgione3 third1 his own inimitable style1 which he practiced from about his thirtieth year1 and which was the result of experience1 knowledge1 and judgment1 beautifully natural1 and finished with exquisite care3 and fourth1 the pictures which he painted in his old age4 ,sandrart says that1 at first he labored his pictures highly1 and gave them a polished beauty and lustre1 so as to produce their effect full as well when they were examined closely1 as when viewed at a distance2 but afterwards1 he so managed his penciling that their greatest force and beauty appeared at a more remote view1 and they pleased less when they were beheld more nearly2 so that many of those artists who studied to imitate him1 being misled by appearances which they did not sufficiently consider1 imagined that ,titian executed his works with readiness and masterly rapidity2 and concluded that they should imitate his manner most effectually by a freedom of hand and a bold pencil2 whereas ,titian in reality took abundance of pains to work up his pictures to so high a degree of perfection1 and the freedom that appears in the handling was entirely effected by a skillful combination of labor and judgment1 and a few bold1 artful strokes of the pencil to conceal his labor4 ,,titian',s ,,works4 ,the works of ,titian1 though many of his greatest productions have been destroyed by terrible conflagrations at ,venice and ,madrid1 are numerous1 scattered throughout ,europe1 in all the royal collections1 and the most celebrated public galleries1 particularly at ,venice1 ,rome1 ,bologna1 ,milan1 ,florence1 ,vienna1 ,dresden1 ,paris1 ,london1 and ,madrid4 ,the most numerous are portraits1 ,madonnas1 ,magdalens1 ,bacchanals1 ,venuses1 and other mythological subjects1 some of which are extremely voluptuous4 ,two of his grandest and most celebrated works are the ,last ,supper in the ,escurial1 and ,christ crowned with ,thorns at ,milan4 ,it is said that the works of ,titian1 to be appreciated1 should be seen at ,venice or ,madrid1 as many claimed to be genuine elsewhere are of very doubtful authenticity4 ,he painted many of his best works for the ,spanish court1 first for the ,emperor ,charles ,v41 and next for his successor1 ,philip ,,ii41 who is known to have given him numerous commissions to decorate the ,escurial and the royal palaces at ,madrid4 ,there are numerous duplicates of some of his works1 considered genuine1 some of which he is supposed to have made himself1 and others to have been carefully copied by his pupils and retouched by himself2 he frequently made some slight alterations in the backgrounds1 to give them more of the look of originals2 thus the original of his ,christ and the ,pharisees1 or the ,tribute ,money1 is now in the ,dresden ,gallery1 yet ,lanzi says there are numerous copies in ,italy1 one of which he saw at ,st4 ,saverio di ,rimini1 inscribed with his name1 which is believed to be a duplicate rather than a copy4 ,there are more than six hundred engravings from his pictures1 including both copper-plates and wooden cuts4 ,he is said to have engraved both on wood and copper himself1 but ,bartsch considers all the prints attributed to him as spurious1 though a few of them are signed with his name1 only eight of which he describes4 ,,titian',s ,,imitators4 ,titian1 the great head of the ,venetian school1 like ,raffaelle1 the head of the ,roman1 had a host of imitators and copyists1 some of whom approached him so closely as to deceive the best judges2 and many works attributed to him1 even in the public galleries of ,europe1 were doubtless executed by them4 ,,titian',s ,,venus ,,and ,,adonis4 ,this chef-d'oeuvre of ,titian1 so celebrated in the history of art1 represents ,venus endeavoring to detain ,adonis from the fatal chase4 ,titian is known to have made several repetitions of this charming composition1 some of them slightly varied1 and the copies are almost innumerable4 ,the original is supposed to have been painted at ,rome as a companion to the ,dana1 for the ,farnese family1 about #aedh1 and is now in the royal gallery at ,naples4 ,the most famous of the original repetitions is that at ,madrid1 painted for ,king ,philip ,,ii41 when prince of ,spain1 and about the period of his marriage with ,queen ,mary of ,england4 ,there is a fine duplicate of this picture in the ,english ,national ,gallery1 another in the ,dulwich gallery1 and two or three more in the private collections of ,england4 ,ottley thus describes this picture3-- ,the figure of ,venus1 which is seen in a back view1 receives the principal light1 and is without drapery1 save that a white veil1 which hangs from her shoulder1 spreads itself over the right knee4 ,the chief parts of this figure are scarcely less excellent in respect of form than of coloring4 ,the head possesses great beauty1 and is replete with natural expression4 ,the fair hair of the goddess1 collected into a braid rolled up at the back of her head1 is entwined by a string of pearls1 which1 from their whiteness1 give value to the delicate carnation of her figure4 ,she throws her arms1 impassioned1 around her lover1 who1 resting with his right hand upon his javelin1 and holding with the left the traces which confine his dogs1 looks upon her unmoved by her solicitations1 and impatient to repair to the chase4 ,cupid1 meantime1 is seen sleeping at some distance off1 under the shadow of a group of lofty trees1 from one of which are suspended his bow and quiver2 a truly poetic thought1 by which1 it is scarcely necessary to add1 the painter intended to signify that the blandishments and caresses of beauty1 unaided by love1 may be exerted in vain4 ,in the coloring1 this picture unites the greatest possible richness and depth of tone1 with that simplicity and sobriety of character which ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds so strongly recommends in his lectures1 as being the best adapted to the higher kinds of painting4 ,the habit of the goddess1 on which she sits1 is of crimson velvet1 a little inclining to purple1 and ornamented with an edging of gold lace1 which is1 however1 so subdued in tone as not to look gaudy1 its lining being of a delicate straw color1 touched here and there with a slight glazing of lake4 ,the dress of ,adonis1 also1 is crimson1 but of a somewhat warmer hue4 ,there is little or no blue in the sky1 which is covered with clouds1 and but a small proportion of it on the distant hills2 the effect altogether appearing1 to be the result of a very simple principle of arrangement in the coloring1 namely1 that of excluding almost all cold tints from the illuminated parts of the picture4 ,,titian ,,and ,,the ,,emperor ,,charles ,v4 ,one of the most pleasant things recorded in the life of ,titian1 is the long and intimate friendship that subsisted between him and the great and good ,emperor ,charles ,v41 whose name is known in history as one of the wisest and best sovereigns of ,europe4 ,according to ,vasari1 ,titian1 when he was first recommended to the notice of the ,emperor by ,pietro ,aretino1 was in deep poverty1 though his name was then known all over ,italy4 ,charles1 who appreciated1 and knew how to assist genius without wounding its delicacy1 employed ,titian to paint his portrait1 for which he munificently rewarded him4 ,he afterwards invited him to ,madrid in the most pressing and flattering terms1 where he was received with extraordinary honors4 ,he was appointed gentleman of the ,emperor's bed-chamber1 that he might be near his person2 ,charles also conferred upon him the order of ,st4 ,jago1 and made him a ,count ,palatine of the empire4 ,he did not grace the great artist with splendid titles and decorations only1 but showed him more solid marks of his favor1 by be stowing upon him life-rents in ,naples and ,milan of two hundred ducats each1 besides a munificent compensation for each picture4 ,these honors and favors were1 doubtless1 doubly gratifying to ,titian1 as coming from a prince who was not only a lover of the fine arts1 but an excellent connoisseur4 ,the ,emperor1 says ,palomino1 having learned drawing in his youth1 examined pictures and prints with all the keenness of an artist2 and he much astonished neas ,vicus of ,parma1 by the searching scrutiny that he bestowed on a print of his own portrait1 which that famous engraver had submitted to his eye4 ,stirling1 in his ,annals of ,spanish ,artists1 says1 that of no prince are recorded more sayings which show a refined taste and a quick eye4 ,he told the ,burghers of ,antwerp that1 the light and soaring spire of their cathedral deserved to be put under a glass case4 ,he called ,florence the ,queen of the ,arno1 decked for a perpetual holiday4 ,he regretted that he had given his consent for the conversion of the famous mosque of ,abderahman at ,cordova into a cathedral1 when he saw what havoc had been made of the forest of fairy columns by the erection of the ,christian choir4 ,had ,i known1 said he to the abashed improvers1 of what you were doing1 you should have laid no finger on this ancient pile4 ,you have built a something1 such as is to be found anywhere1 and you have destroyed a wonder of the world4 ,the ,emperor delighted to frequent the studio of ,titian1 on which occasions he treated him with extraordinary familiarity and condescension4 ,the fine speeches which he lavished upon him1 are as well known as his more substantial rewards4 ,the painter one day happening to let fall his brush1 the monarch picked it up1 and presented it to the astonished artist1 saying1 ,it becomes ,csar to serve ,titian4 ,on another occasion1 ,csar requested ,titian to retouch a picture which hung over the door of the chamber1 and with the assistance of his courtiers moved up a table for the artist to stand upon1 but finding the height insufficient1 without more ado1 he took hold of one corner1 and calling on those gentlemen to assist1 he hoisted ,titian aloft with his own imperial hands1 saying1 ,we must all of us bear up this great man to show that his art is empress of all others4 ,the envy and displeasure with which men of pomp and ceremonies viewed these familiarities1 that appeared to them as so many breaches in the divinity that hedged their king and themselves1 only gave their master opportunities to do fresh honors to his favorite in these celebrated and cutting rebukes3 ,there are many princes1 but there is only one ,titian2 and again1 when he placed ,titian on his right hand1 as he rode out on horseback1 ,i have many nobles1 but ,i have only one ,titian4 ,not less valued1 perhaps1 by the great painter1 than his titles1 orders1 and pensions1 was the delicate compliment the ,emperor paid him when he declared that no other hand should draw his portrait1 since he had thrice received immortality from the pencil of ,titian4 ,palomino1 perhaps carried away by an artist's enthusiasm1 asserts that ,charles regarded the acquisition of a picture by ,titian with as much satisfaction as he did the conquest of a province4 ,at all events1 when the ,emperor parted with all his provinces by abdicating his throne1 he retained some of ,titian's pictures4 ,when he betook himself to gardening1 watchmaking1 and manifold masses at ,san ,yuste1 the sole luxury to be found in his simple apartments1 with their hangings of sombre brown1 was that master's ,st4 ,jerome1 meditating in a cavern scooped in the cliffs of a green and pleasant valley--a fitting emblem of his own retreat4 ,before this appropriate picture1 or the ,glory1 which hung in the church of the convent1 and which was removed in obedience to his will1 with his body to the ,escurial1 he paid his orisons and schooled his mind to forgetfulness of the pomps and vanities of life4 ,,titian ,,and ,,philip ,,ii4 ,titian was not less esteemed by ,philip ,,ii41 than by his father1 ,charles ,v4 ,when ,philip married ,mary1 ,queen of ,england1 he presented him his famous picture of ,venus and ,adonis1 with the following letter of congratulation1 which may be found in ,ticozzi's ,life of ,titian3 ,to ,philip1 ,king of ,england1 greeting3 ,most sacred ,majesty6 ,i congratulate your ,majesty on the kingdom which ,god has granted to you2 and ,i accompany my congratulations with the picture of ,venus and ,adonis1 which ,i hope will be looked upon by you with the favorable eye you are accustomed to cast upon the works of your servant ,,titian4 ,according to ,palomino1 ,philip was sitting on his throne1 in council1 when the news arrived of the disastrous conflagration of the palace of the ,prado1 in which so many works by the greatest masters were destroyed4 ,he earnestly demanded if the ,titian ,venus was among those saved1 and on being informed it was1 he exclaimed1 ,then every other loss may be supported6 ,,titian',s ,,last ,,supper ,,and ,,el ,,mudo4 ,palomino says that when ,titian's famous painting of the ,last ,supper arrived at the ,escurial1 it was found too large to fit the panel in the refectory1 where it was designed to hang4 ,the king1 ,philip ,,ii41 proposed to cut it to the proper size4 ,el ,mudo 7the dumb painter71 who was present1 to prevent the mutilation of so capital a work1 made earnest signs of intercession with the king1 to be permitted to copy it1 offering to do it in the space of six months4 ,the king expressed some hesitation1 on account of the length of time required for the work1 and was proceeding to put his design in execution1 when ,el ,mudo repeated his supplications in behalf of his favorite master with more fervency than ever1 offering to complete the copy in less time than he at first demanded1 tendering at the same time his head as the punishment if he failed4 ,the offer was not accepted1 and execution was performed on ,titian1 accompanied with the most distressing attitudes and distortions of ,el ,mudo4 ,,titian',s ,,old ,,age4 ,titian continued to paint to the last year of his long life1 and many writers1 fond of the marvellous1 assert that his faculties and his powers continued to the last4 ,vasari1 who saw him in #aeff for the last time1 said he could no longer recognize ,titian in ,titian4 ,lanzi says1 ,there remains in the church of ,s4 ,salvatore1 one of these pictures 7executed towards the close of his life71 of the ,annunciation1 which attracts the attention only from the name of the master4 ,yet when he was told by some one that it was not1 or at least did not appear to have been executed by his hand1 he was so much irritated that1 in a fit of senile indignation1 he seized his pencil and inscribed upon it1 ',tizianus fecit1 fecit4' ,still the most experienced judges are agreed that much may be learned1 even from his latest works1 in the same manner as the poets pronounce judgment upon the ,odyssey1 the product of old age1 but still by ,homer4 ,,monument ,,to ,,titian4 ,a monument to ,titian1 from the studio of the brothers ,zandomenghi1 was erected in ,venice in #aheb2 and the civil1 ecclesiastical1 and military authorities were present at the ceremony of inauguration4 ,it represents ,titian1 surrounded by figures impersonating the ,fine ,arts2 below are impersonations of the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries4 ,the basement is adorned with five bas-reliefs1 representing as many celebrated paintings by the great artist4 ,,horace ,,vernet4 ,among all the artists of our day1 is one standing almost alone1 and singularly characterized in many respects4 ,he is entirely wanting in that lofty religious character which fills with pureness and beauty the works of the early masters2 he has not the great and impressive historical qualities of the school of ,raffaelle1 nor the daring sublimity of ,michael ,angelo2 he has not the rich luxury of color that renders the works of the great ,venetians so gorgeous1 nor even that sort of striking reality which makes the subjects rendered by the ,flemish masters incomparably life-like4 ,yet he is rich in qualities deeply attractive and interesting to the people1 especially the ,french people1 of our own day4 ,he displays an astonishing capacity and rapidity of execution1 an almost unparalleled accuracy of memory1 a rare life and motion on the canvass1 a vigorous comprehension of the military tactics of the time1 a wonderful aptitude at rendering the camp and field potent subjects for the pencil1 notwithstanding the regularity of movement1 and the unpicturesque uniformity of costume demanded by the military science of our day4 ,before a battle-piece1 of ,horace ,vernet 7and only his battle-pieces are his masterpieces71 the crowd stands breathless and horrified at the terrible and bloody aspect of war2 while the military connoisseur admires the ability and skill of the feats of arms1 so faithfully rendered that he forgets he is not looking at real soldiers in action4 ,in the landscapes and objects of the foreground or background1 there are not that charm of color and arial depth and transparency in which the eye revels1 yet there is a hard vigorous actuality which adds to the force and energy of the actors1 and strengthens the idea of presence at the battle1 without attracting or charming away the mind from the terrible inhumanities principally represented4 ,no poetry1 no romance1 no graceful and gentle beauty2 but the stern dark reality as it might be written in an official bulletin1 or related in a vigorous1 but cold and accurate1 page of history4 ,such is the distinguishing talent of ,horace ,vernet--talent sufficient1 however1 to make his pictures the attractive centres of crowds at the ,louvre ,exhibitions1 and to make himself the favorite of courts and one of the illustrissimi of ,europe4 ,the ,vernets have been a family of painters during four generations4 ,the great-grandfather of ,horace was a well-known artist at ,avignon1 a hundred and fifty years ago4 ,his son and pupil1 ,claude ,joseph ,vernet1 was the first marine painter of his time2 and occupies1 with his works alone1 an entire apartment of the ,french ,gallery at the ,louvre1 besides great numbers of sea-pieces and landscapes belonging to private galleries4 ,he died in #aghi1 but his son and pupil1 ,antoine ,charles ,horace ,vernet1 who had already during two years sat by his side in the ,royal ,academy1 continued the reputation of the family during the ,consulate and ,empire4 ,he was particularly distinguished for cavalry-battles1 hunting scenes1 and other incidents in which the horse figured largely as actor4 ,in some of these pictures the hand of the son already joined itself to that of the father1 the figures being from the pencil of ,horace2 and before the death of the father1 which took place in #ahcf1 he had already seen the artistic reputation of the family increased and heightened by the fame of his son4 ,horace ,vernet was born at the ,louvre on the #cjth ,june1 #aghi1 the year of the death of his grandfather1 who1 as painter to the king1 had occupied rooms at the ,louvre1 where his father also resided2 so that ,horace not only inherited his art from a race of artist-ancestors1 but was born amid the chef d' oeuvres of the entire race of painters4 ,of course1 his whole childhood and youth were surrounded with objects of ,art2 and it was scarcely possible for him not to be impressed in the most lively manner by the unbroken artist-life in which he was necessarily brought up4 ,it would appear that from his childhood he employed himself in daubing on walls1 and drawing on scraps of paper all sorts of little soldiers4 ,like his father and grandfather1 his principal lessons as a student were drawn from the paternal experience1 and certainly no professor could more willingly and faithfully save him all the loss of time and patience occasioned by the long and often fruitless groping of the almost solitary ,art-student4 ,he was also thus saved from falling into the errors of the school of ,david4 ,certainly no great penchant towards the antique is discoverable in his father's works2 nor in his own do we find painted casts of ,greek statues dressed in the uniforms of the nineteenth century4 ,at twenty1 it is true1 he tried1 but without success1 the classic subject offered to competition at the ,academy for the prize of visiting ,rome4 ,the study of the antique did not much delight him4 ,on the contrary1 he rather joined with the innovators1 whose example was then undermining the over-classic influence of ,david's school1 the most formidable and influential of whom1 a youth about his own age1 and a fellow-student in his father's atelier1 was then painting a great picture1 sadly decried at the time1 but now considered one of the masterpieces of the ,french school in the ,louvre--the ,raft of the ,medusa4 ,gericault was his companion in the studio and in the field1 at the easel and on horseback2 and we might trace here one of the many instances of the influence which this powerful and original genius exercised on the young artists of his time1 and which1 had it not been arrested by his premature death in ,january1 #ahbd1 would have made ,gericault more strikingly distinguished as one of the master-spirits in ,french ,art1 and the head of a school entirely the opposite to that of ,david4 ,horace's youth1 however1 did not pass entirely under the smiles of fortune4 ,he had to struggle with those difficulties of narrow means with which a very large number of young artists are tolerably intimate4 ,he had to weather the gales of poverty by stooping to all sorts of illustrative work1 whose execution we fancy must have been often a severe trial to him4 ,any youth aiming at high art1 and feeling1 though poor1 too proud to bend in order to feed the taste1 7grotesque and unrefined enough1 it must be allowed17 of the good public1 which artists somewhat naturally estimate rather contemptuously1 might get a lesson of patience by looking over an endless series of the most variedly hideous costumes or caricatures of costume which ,horace was glad to draw1 for almost any pecuniary consideration4 ,a series of amusingly naive colored prints1 illustrating the adventures of poor ,la ,vallire with ,louis ,,xiv41 would strengthen the lesson4 ,these were succeeded by lithographs of an endless variety of subjects--the soldier's life in all its phases1 the horse and its rider in all their costumes1 snatches of romances1 fables1 caricatures1 humorous pieces1 men1 beasts1 and things4 ,in short1 young ,horace tried his hand at any thing and every thing in the drawing line1 at once earning a somewhat toughly-woven livelihood1 and perfecting his talent with the pencil4 ,in later years1 the force and freedom of this talent were witnessed to by illustrations of a more important character in a magnificent edition of ,voltaire's ,henriade1 published in #ahbe1 and of the well known ,life of ,napoleon by ,laurent4 ,failing1 as we have said1 and perhaps fortunately for him1 in the achievement of the great ,prize of ,rome1 he turned to the line of ,art for which he felt himself naturally endowed1 the incidents of the camp and field4 ,the ,taking of a ,redoubt2 the ,dog of the ,regiment2 the ,horse of the ,trumpeter2 ,halt of ,french ,soldiers2 the ,battle of ,tolosa2 the ,barrier of ,clichy1 or ,defense of ,paris in #ahad 7both of which last1 exhibited in #ahag1 now hang in the gallery of the ,luxembourg71 the ,soldier-,laborer2 the ,soldier of ,waterloo2 the ,last ,cartridge2 the ,death of ,poniatowski2 the ,defense of ,saragossa1 and many more1 quickly followed each other1 and kept up continually and increasingly the public admiration4 ,the critics of the painted bas-relief school found much to say against1 and little in favor of1 the new talent that seemed to look them inimically in the face1 or rather did not seem to regard them at all4 ,but people in general1 of simple enough taste in matter of folds of drapery or classic laws of composition or antique lines of beauty1 saw before them with all the varied sentiments of admiration1 terror1 or dismay1 the soldier mounting the breach at the cannon's mouth1 or the general1 covered with orders1 cut short in the midst of his fame4 ,little of the romantic1 little of poetical idealization1 little of far-fetched style was there on these canvasses1 but the crowd recognized the soldier as they saw him daily1 in the midst of the scenes which the bulletin of the army or the page of the historian had just narrated to them4 ,they were content1 they were full of admiration1 they admired the pictures1 they admired the artist2 and1 the spleen of critics notwithstanding1 ,horace ,vernet was known as one of the favorite painters of the time4 ,in #ahai appeared the ,massacre of the ,mamelukes at ,cairo1 now in the ,luxembourg4 ,we do not know how the public accepted this production4 ,we have no doubt1 however1 that they were charmed at the gaudy clat of the bloodthirsty tyrant1 with his hookah and lion in the foreground1 and dismayed at the base assassinations multiplied in the background4 ,nor do we doubt that the critics gave unfavorable judgments thereupon1 and that most of those who loved ,art seriously1 said little about the picture4 ,we would at all events express our own regret that the authorities do not find some better works than this and the ,battle of ,tolosa1 to represent in a public gallery the talent of the most famous battle-painter of ,france4 ,the ,battles of ,jemmapes1 ,valmy1 ,hanau1 and ,montmirail1 executed at this time1 and hung till lately in the gallery of the ,palais ,royal 7now1 we fear1 much1 if not entirely1 destroyed by the mob on the #bdth ,february71 were much more worthy of such a place4 ,whether it was by a considerate discernment that the mob attacked these1 as the property of the ex-king1 or by a mere goth-and-vandalism of revolution1 we do not know2 but certainly we would rather have delivered up to their wrath these others1 the property of the nation4 ,the same hand would hardly seem to have executed both sets of paintings4 ,it is not only the difference in size of the figures on the canvass1 those of the ,luxembourg being life-sized1 and those of the ,palais ,royal only a few inches in length1 but the whole style of the works is different4 ,the first seem painted as if they had been designed merely to be reproduced in gay silks and worsteds at the ,gobelins1 where we have seen a copy of the ,massacre of the ,mamelukes1 in tapestry1 which we would1 for itself1 have preferred to the original4 ,but the latter four battles1 notwithstanding the disadvantage of costume and arrangement necessarily imposed by the difference of time and country1 produce far more satisfactory works of ,art1 and come much nearer to historical painting4 ,they are painted without pretension1 without exaggeration4 ,the details are faithfully and carefully1 though evidently rapidly1 executed4 ,the generals and personages in the front are speaking portraits2 and the whole scene is full of that sort of life and action which impresses one at once as the very sort of action that must have taken place4 ,now it is a battery of artillery backed against a wood1--now it is a plain over which dense ranks of infantry march in succession to the front of the fire4 ,here it is a scene where in the full sunlight shows the whole details of the action2 there it is night--and a night of cloud and storm1 draws her sombre veil over the dead and wounded covering the field4 ,a historian might find on these canvasses1 far better than in stores of manuscript1 wherewith to fill many a page of history with accurate and vivid details of these bloody days2 or rather1 many a page of history would not present so accurate and vivid a conception of what is a field of battle4 ,in #ahbb1 entry to the exhibition at the ,louvre being refused to his works1 ,horace ,vernet made an exhibition-room of his atelier1 had a catalogue made out 7for what with battles1 hunts1 landscapes1 portraits1 he had a numerous collection71 and the public were admitted4 ,in #ahbf he was admitted a ,member of the ,institute1 and in #ahcj was appointed ,director of the ,academy at ,rome1 so that the young man who could not so far decline his antiques as to treat the classic subject of the ,royal ,academy1 and thus gain the ,academy at ,rome1 now went there as chief of the school1 and as one of the most distinguished artists of his time4 ,this residence for five years among the best works of the great masters of ,italy naturally inspired him with ideas and desires which it had not been hitherto in his circumstances to gratify4 ,and once installed in the ,villa ,medici1 which he made to resound with the voices of joy and revelry1 splendid ftes and balls1 he set himself to study the ,italian school4 ,a series of pictures somewhat new in subject and manner of treatment was the result of this change of circumstances and ideas4 ,to the ,paris ,exhibition of #ahca he sent a ,judith and ,holofernes1 which is one of the least successful of his pictures in the ,luxembourg1 where it hangs still1 with another sent two years after1 ,raffaelle and ,michael ,angelo in the ,vatican4 ,this is perhaps the best of his works at the ,luxembourg1 all being inferior2 but it has a certain dry gaudiness of color1 and a want of seriousness of design1 which render it unfit to be considered a master-work4 ,one unquestionably preferable1 the ,arresting of the ,princes at the ,palais ,royal by order of ,anne of ,austria1 found its way to the ,palais ,royal1 so that in this1 as in the other we have remarked1 the king seemed to know how to choose better than the ,art-authorities of the ,gallery of ,living ,painters4 ,a number of other pictures testified to the activity of the artist's pencil at ,rome3--,combat of ,brigands against the ,pope's ,riflemen1 ,confession of the ,dying ,brigand1 also at the ,palais ,royal1 but also we fear destroyed by the popular vandalism of the #bdth ,february2 a ,chase in the ,pontine ,marshes1 ,pope ,leo ,,xii4 carried into ,st4 ,peter's4 ,the favor of the public1 however1 still turned to the usual subject of ,horace ,vernet--the ,french soldier's life2 finding which1 on his return from ,rome1 he recurred to his original study4 ,in #ahcf he exhibited four new battle-pieces1 ,friedland1 ,wagram1 ,jena1 and ,fontenoy1 in which were apparent all his usual excellencies4 ,the occupation of the ,algerine territory by the ,french troops afforded the artist an opportunity of exhibiting his powers in that department most suited to them4 ,a whole gallery at ,versailles was set apart for the battle-painter1 called the ,constantine ,gallery1 after the most important feat of arms yet performed by the ,french troops in ,africa1 the ,taking of the town of ,constantine4 ,some of the solitary and extraordinary1 we might say accidental1 military exploits in ,europe of ,louis ,philippe's reign1 are also commemorated there4 ,the ,occupation of ,ancona1 the ,entry of the ,army into ,belgium1 the ,attack of the ,citadel of ,antwerp1 the ,fleet forcing the ,tagus1 show that nothing is forgotten of the ,continental doings4 ,the ,african feats are almost too many to enumerate4 ,in a ,sortie of the ,arab ,garrison of ,constantine1 the ,duke de ,nemours is made to figure in person4 ,then we have the ,troops of ,assault receiving the ,signal to leave the ,trenches1 and ,the ,scaling of the ,breach4 ,there are the ,occupation of the ,defile of ,teniah1 ,combat of the ,habrah1 of the ,sickak1 of ,samah1 of ,afzoum4 ,in fine1 there is the largest canvass in existence1 it is said1 the ,taking of the ,smalah1 that renowned occasion when the army was so very near taking ,abd-el-,kader2 and the ,battle of ,isly1 which gained that splendid trophy1 the parasol of command4 ,besides these great subjects there are decorations of military trophies and allegorical figures1 which seem to have been painted by some pupil of ,vernet4 ,these battles were first of all exhibited to the admiration of ,paris in the various salons after their execution1 and were then sent off to decorate ,versailles4 ,there are also1 in the ,gallery of ,french ,history1 at ,versailles1 several others of his1 such as the ,battle of ,bouvines2 ,charles ,x4 reviewing the ,national ,guard2 the ,marshal ,st4 ,cyr1 and some others among those we have already named4 ,in them the qualities of the artist are manifested more fully1 we think1 than in any others of his works4 ,they are full of that energy1 vivacity1 and daguerreotypic verity which he so eminently displays4 ,there is none of that pretension after high ,art which has injured the effect of some of his pictures4 ,the rapidity of their execution too in general was such1 that the public had hardly finished reading the last news of the combats1 when the artist1 returned in many cases from witnessing the scenes1 had placed them on the canvass1 and offered them to popular gaze4 ,yet the canvasses are in many cases of great extent1 and often1 the figures of life-size4 ,but the artist rarely employs the model1 painting mostly from memory1 a faculty most astonishingly developed in him4 ,he generally also saves himself the trouble of preparing a smaller sketch to paint after1 working out his subject at once in the definitive size4 ,of course with more serious and elevated subjects1 worked out in a more serious and elevated spirit1 such a system would not do4 ,but for the style of subject and execution required by ,horace ,vernet's artistic organization1 these careful preparations would not answer4 ,they would only tend to diminish the sweeping passion of the fiery mele1 and freeze the swift impulsive rush of the attack or flight4 ,vernet has several times attempted ,biblical subjects1 but they have never succeeded so well as to add anything to his fame as a battle-painter4 ,judah and ,tamar1 ,agar dismissed by ,abraham1 ,rebecca at the ,fountain1 ,judith with the head of ,holofernes1 ,the ,good ,samaritan1 have rather served to illustrate ,arab costume and manners1 7which he makes out to be the same as1 or very similar to1 those of old ,biblical times17 than to illustrate his own power in the higher range of ,art4 ,in the midst of painting all these1 ,horace ,vernet has found time1 which for him is the smallest requisite in painting1 to produce an innumerable mass of pictures for private galleries1 or at the command of various crowned heads2 which1 with many of those already mentioned1 are well known all over ,europe by engravings4 ,the ,post of the ,desert1 ,the ,prayer in the ,desert1 ,the ,lion ,hunt in the ,desert1 ,council of ,arabs1 ,episode of the ,pest of ,barcelona1 ,the ,breach of ,constantine1 ,mazeppa1 and a host of others1 together with landscapes1 portraits1 c41 have served both to multiply his works in the galleries of every country in ,europe1 and to make him one of the most popular of living artists4 ,,the ,,colosseum4 ,the ,colosseum1 or ,coliseum1 was commenced by ,vespasian1 and completed by ,titus1 7,a4 ,d4 #gi47 ,this enormous building occupied only three years in its erection4 ,cassiodorus affirms that this magnificent monument of folly cost as much as would have been required to build a capital city4 ,we have the means of distinctly ascertaining its dimensions and its accommodations from the great mass of wall that still remains entire2 and although the very clamps of iron and brass that held together the ponderous stones of this wonderful edifice were removed by ,gothic plunderers1 and succeeding generations have resorted to it as to a quarry for their temples and their palaces--yet the enormous skeleton still stands to show what prodigious works may be raised by the skill and perseverance of man1 and how vain are the mightiest displays of his physical power when compared with those intellectual efforts which have extended the empire of virtue and of science4 ,the ,colosseum1 which is of an oval form1 occupies the space of nearly six acres4 ,it may justly be said to have been the most imposing building1 from its apparent magnitude1 in the world2 the ,pyramids of ,egypt can only be compared with it in the extent of their plan1 as they each cover nearly the same surface4 ,the greatest length1 or major axis1 is #fbj feet2 the greatest breadth1 or minor axis1 is #eac feet4 ,the outer wall is #aeg feet high in its whole extent4 ,the exterior wall is divided into four stories1 each ornamented with one of the orders of architecture4 ,the cornice of the upper story is perforated for the purpose of inserting wooden masts1 which passed also through the architrave and frieze1 and descended to a row of corbels immediately above the upper range of windows1 on which are holes to receive the masts4 ,these masts were for the purpose of attaching cords to1 for sustaining the awning which defended the spectators from the sun or rain4 ,two corridors ran all round the building1 leading to staircases which ascended to the several stories2 and the seats which descended towards the arena1 supported throughout upon eighty arches1 occupied so much of the space that the clear opening of the present inner wall next the arena is only #bhg feet by #ahj feet4 ,immediately above and around the arena was the podium1 elevated about twelve or fifteen feet1 on which were seated the emperor1 senators1 ambassadors of foreign nations1 and other distinguished personages in that city of distinctions4 ,from the podium to the top of the second story were seats of marble for the equestrian order2 above the second story the seats appear to have been constructed of wood4 ,in these various seats eighty thousand spectators might be arranged according to their respective ranks2 and indeed it appears from inscriptions1 as well as from expressions in ,roman writers1 that many of the places in this immense theatre were assigned to particular individuals1 and that each might find his seat without confusion4 ,on extraordinary occasions1 #aaj1jjj persons could crowd into it4 ,gibbon has given a splendid description1 in his twelfth book1 of the exhibitions in the ,colosseum2 but he acknowledges his obligations to ,montaigne1 who1 says the historian1 gives a very just and lively view of ,roman magnificence in these spectacles4 ,our readers will1 we doubt not1 be gratified by the quaint but most appropriate sketch of the old philosopher of ,france3-- ,it was doubtless a fine thing to bring and plant within the theatre a great number of vast trees1 with all their branches in their full verdure1 representing a great shady forest1 disposed in excellent order1 and the first day to throw into it a thousand ostriches1 a thousand stags1 a thousand boars1 and a thousand fallow deer1 to be killed and disposed of by the people3 the next day to cause an hundred great lions1 an hundred leopards and three hundred bears to be killed in his presence3 and for the third day1 to make three hundred pair of fencers to fight it out to the last1--as the ,emperor ,probus did4 ,it was also very fine to see those vast amphitheatres1 all faced with marble without1 curiously wrought with figures and statues1 and the inside sparkling with rare decorations and enrichments2 all the sides of this vast space filled and environed from the bottom to the top1 with three or four score ranks of seats1 all of marble also1 and covered with cushions1 where an hundred thousand men might sit placed at their ease2 and the place below1 where the plays were played1 to make it by art first open and cleave into chinks1 representing caves that vomited out the beasts designed for the spectacle2 and then secondly1 to be overflowed with a profound sea1 full of sea-monsters1 and loaded with ships of war1 to represent a naval battle3 and thirdly1 to make it dry and even again for the combats of the gladiators2 and for the fourth scene1 to have it strewed with vermilion and storax1 instead of sand1 there to make a solemn feast for all that infinite number of people--the last act of only one day4 ,sometimes they have made a high mountain advance itself1 full of fruit-trees and other flourishing sorts of woods1 sending down rivulets of water from the top1 as from the mouth of a fountain3 other whiles1 a great ship was seen to come rolling in1 which opened and divided itself2 and after having disgorged from the hold four or five hundred beasts for fight1 closed again1 and vanished without help4 ,at other times1 from the floor of this place1 they made spouts of perfumed water dart their streams upward1 and so high as to besprinkle all that infinite multitude4 ,to defend themselves from the injuries of the weather1 they had that vast place one while covered over with purple curtains of needle-work1 and by-and-by with silk of another color1 which they could draw off or on in a moment1 as they had a mind4 ,the net-work also that was set before the people to defend them from the violence of these turned-out beasts1 was also woven of gold4 ,if there be anything excusable in such excesses as these1 continues ,montaigne1 it is where the novelty and invention creates more wonder than expense4 ,fortunately for the real enjoyments of mankind1 even under the sway of a ,roman despot1 the novelty and invention had very narrow limits when applied to matters so utterly unworthy and unintellectual as the cruel sports of the amphitheatre4 ,probus indeed1 transplanted trees to the arena1 so that it had the appearance of a verdant grove2 and ,severus introduced four hundred ferocious animals in one ship sailing in the little lake which the arena formed4 ,but on ordinary occasions1 profusion1--tasteless1 haughty1 and uninventive profusion1--the gorgeousness of brute power1 the pomp of satiated luxury--these constituted the only claim to the popular admiration4 ,if ,titus exhibited five thousand wild beasts at the dedication of the amphitheatre1 ,trajan bestowed ten thousand on the people at the conclusion of the ,dacian war4 ,if the younger ,gordian collected together bears1 elks1 zebras1 ostriches1 boars1 and wild horses1 he was an imitator only of the spectacles of ,carus1 in which the rarity of the animals was as much considered as their fierceness4 ,,nineveh ,,and ,,its ,,remains4 ,for very many centuries1 the hoary monuments of ,egypt--its temples1 its obelisks1 and its tombs--have presented to the eye of the beholder strange forms of sculpture and of language2 the import of which none could tell4 ,the wild valleys of ,sinai1 too1 exhibited upon their rocky sides the unknown writings of a former people2 whose name and existence none could trace4 ,among the ruined halls of ,persepolis1 and on the rock-hewn tablets of the surrounding regions1 long inscriptions in forgotten characters seemed to enrol the deeds and conquests of mighty sovereigns2 but none could read the record4 ,thanks to the skill and persevering zeal of scholars of the #aith century1 the key of these locked up treasures has been found2 and the records have mostly been read4 ,the monuments of ,egypt1 her paintings and her hieroglyphics1 mute for so many ages1 have at length spoken out2 and now our knowledge of this ancient people is scarcely less accurate and extensive than our acquaintance with the classic lands of ,greece and ,rome4 ,the unknown characters upon the rocks of ,sinai have been deciphered1 but the meagre contents still leave us in darkness as to their origin and purpose4 ,the cuneiform or arrow-headed inscriptions of the ,persian monuments and tablets1 have yielded up their mysteries1 unfolding historical data of high importance2 thus illustrating and confirming the few and sometimes isolated facts preserved to us in the ,scriptures and other ancient writings4 ,of all the works1 in which the progress and results of these discoveries have been made known1 not one has been reproduced or made generally accessible in this country4 ,the scholar who would become acquainted with them1 and make them his own1 must still have recourse to the ,old ,world4 ,the work of ,mr4 ,layard brings before us still another step of progress4 ,here we have not to do1 with the hoary ruins that have borne the brunt of centuries in the presence of the world1 but with a resurrection of the monuments themselves4 ,it is the disentombing of temple-palaces from the sepulchre of ages2 the recovery of the metropolis of a powerful nation from the long night of oblivion4 ,nineveh1 the great city 'of three days' journey1' that was 'laid waste1 and there was none to bemoan her1' whose greatness sank when that of ,rome had just begun to rise1 now stands forth again to testify to her own splendor1 and to the civilization1 and power1 and magnificence of the ,assyrian ,empire4 ,this may be said1 thus far1 to be the crowning historical discovery of the nineteenth century4 ,but the century as yet1 is only half elapsed4 ,nineveh was destroyed in the year #fjf before ,christ2 less than #aej years after ,rome was founded4 ,her latest monuments1 therefore1 date back not less than five-and-twenty centuries2 while the foundation of her earliest is lost in an unknown antiquity4 ,when the ten thousand ,greeks marched over this plain in their celebrated retreat1 7#djd ,b4,c47 they found in one part1 a ruined city called ,larissa2 and in connection with it1 ,xenophon1 their leader and historian1 describes what is now the pyramid of ,nimroud4 ,but he heard not the name of ,nineveh2 it was already forgotten in its site2 though it appears again in the later ,greek and ,roman writers4 ,even at that time1 the widely extended walls and ramparts of ,nineveh had perished1 and mounds1 covering magnificent palaces1 alone remained at the extremities of the ancient city1 or in its vicinity1 much as at the present day4 ,of the site of ,nineveh1 there is scarcely a further mention1 beyond the brief notices by ,benjamin of ,tudela and ,abulfeda1 until ,niebuhr saw it and described its mounds nearly a century ago4 ,in #ahbj1 ,mr4 ,rich visited the spot2 he obtained a few square sun-dried bricks with inscriptions1 and some other slight remains2 and we can all remember the profound impression made upon the public mind1 even by these cursory memorials of ,nineveh and ,babylon4 ,,description ,,of ,a ,,palace ,,exhumed ,,at ,,nimroud4 ,during the winter1 ,mr4 ,longworth1 and two other ,english travelers1 visited me at ,nimroud4 ,as they were the only ,europeans1 7except ,mr4 ,ross7 who saw the palace when uncovered1 it may be interesting to the reader to learn the impression which the ruins were calculated to make upon those who beheld them for the first time1 and to whom the scene was consequently new4 ,mr4 ,longworth1 in a letter1 thus graphically describes his visit3-- ',i took the opportunity1 whilst at ,mosul1 of visiting the excavations of ,nimroud4 ,but before ,i attempt to give a short account of them1 ,i may as well say a few words as to the general impression which these wonderful remains made upon me1 on my first visit to them4 ,i should begin by stating1 that they are all under ground4 ,to get at them1 ,mr4 ,layard has excavated the earth to the depth of twelve to fifteen feet1 where he has come to a building composed of slabs of marble4 ,in this place1 which forms the northwest angle of the mound1 he has fallen upon the interior of a large palace1 consisting of a labyrinth of halls1 chambers1 and galleries1 the walls of which are covered with bas-reliefs and inscriptions in the cuneiform character1 all in excellent preservation4 ,the upper part of the walls1 which was of brick1 painted with flowers1 c1 in the brightest colors1 and the roofs1 which were of wood1 have fallen2 but fragments of them are strewed about in every direction4 ,the time of day when ,i first descended into these chambers happened to be towards evening2 the shades of which1 no doubt1 added to the awe and mystery of the surrounding objects4 ,it was of course with no little excitement that ,i suddenly found myself in the magnificent abode of the old ,assyrian ,kings2 where1 moreover1 it needed not the slightest effort of imagination to conjure up visions of their long departed power and greatness4 ,the walls themselves were covered with phantoms of the past2 in the words of ,byron1',three thousand years their cloudy wings expand1' unfolding to view a vivid representation of those who conquered and possessed so large a portion of the earth we now inhabit4 ,there they were1 in the ,oriental pomp of richly embroidered robes1 and quaintly-artificial coiffure4 ,there also were portrayed their deeds in peace and war1 their audiences1 battles1 sieges1 lion-hunts1 c4 ,my mind was overpowered by the contemplation of so many strange objects2 and some of them1 the portly forms of kings and vizirs1 were so life-like1 and carved in such fine relief1 that they might almost be imagined to be stepping from the walls to question the rash intruder on their privacy4 ,then mingled with them were other monstrous shapes--the old ,assyrian deities1 with human bodies1 long drooping wings1 and the heads and beaks of eagles2 or1 still faithfully guarding the portals of the deserted halls1 the colossal forms of winged lions and bulls1 with gigantic human faces4 ,all these figures1 the idols of a religion long since dead and buried like themselves1 seemed in the twilight to be actually raising their desecrated heads from the sleep of centuries2 certainly the feeling of awe which they inspired me with1 must have been something akin to that experienced by their heathen votaries of old4'--,layard's ,nineveh and its ,remains1 vol4 ,i4 p4 #bih4 ,the interior of the ,assyrian palace must have been as magnificent as imposing4 ,i have led the reader through its ruins1 and he may judge of the impression its halls were calculated to make upon the stranger who1 in the days of old1 entered for the first time into the abode of the ,assyrian ,kings4 ,he was ushered in through the portal guarded by the colossal lions or bulls of white alabaster4 ,in the first hall he found himself surrounded by the sculptured records of the empire4 ,battles1 sieges1 triumphs1 the exploits of the chase1 the ceremonies of religion1 were portrayed on the walls1 sculptured in alabaster1 and painted in gorgeous colors4 ,under each picture were engraved1 in characters filled up with bright copper1 inscriptions describing the scenes represented4 ,above the sculptures were painted other events--the king attended by his eunuchs and warriors1 receiving his prisoners1 entering into alliances with other monarchs1 or performing some sacred duty4 ,these representations were enclosed in colored borders1 of elaborate and elegant design4 ,the emblematic tree1 winged bulls1 and monstrous animals were conspicuous among the ornaments4 ,at the upper end of the hall was the colossal figure of the king in adoration before the supreme deity1 or receiving from his eunuch the holy cup4 ,he was attended by warriors bearing his arms1 and by the priests or presiding divinities4 ,his robes1 and those of his followers1 were adorned with groups of figures1 animals1 and flowers1 all painted with brilliant colors4 ,the stranger trod upon the alabaster slabs1 each bearing an inscription1 recording the titles1 genealogy1 and achievements of the great ,king4--,several door-ways1 formed by gigantic winged lions or bulls1 or by the figures of guardian deities1 led into other apartments1 which again opened into more distant halls4 ,in each were new sculptures4 ,on the walls of some were processions of colossal figures--armed men and eunuchs following the king1 warriors laden with spoil1 leading prisoners1 or bearing presents and offerings to the gods4 ,on the walls of others were portrayed the winged priests1 or presiding divinities1 standing before the sacred trees4 ,the ceilings above him were divided into square compartments1 painted with flowers1 or with the figures of animals4 ,some were inlaid with ivory1 each compartment being surrounded by elegant borders and mouldings4 ,the beams as well as the sides of the chambers1 may have been gilded1 or even plated1 with gold and silver2 and the rarest woods1 in which the cedar was conspicuous1 were used for the wood work4 ,square openings in the ceilings of the chambers admitted the light of day4 ,a pleasing shadow was thrown over the sculptured walls1 and gave a majestic expression to the human features of the colossal figures which guarded the entrances4 ,through these apertures was seen the bright blue of an eastern sky1 enclosed in a frame on which were painted1 in varied colors1 the winged circle1 in the midst of elegant ornaments1 and the graceful forms of ideal animals4 ,these edifices1 as it has been shown1 were great national monuments1 upon the walls of which were represented in sculpture1 or inscribed in alphabetic characters1 the chronicles of the empire4 ,he who entered them might thus read the history1 and learn the glory and triumphs of the nation4 ,they served at the same time to bring continually to the remembrance of those who assembled within them on festive occasions1 or for the celebration of religious ceremonies1 the deeds of their ancestors1 and the power and majesty of their gods4--,layard's ,nineveh and its ,remains1 vol4 ,,ii4 p #bfb4 ,,origin ,,and ,,antiquity ,,of ,,the ,,arch4 ,the origin of the ,arch is very uncertain4 ,it was unknown to the ,egyptians1 for their chambers were roofed with long flat stones1 and sometimes the upper layers of stones form projections1 so as to diminish the roof surface4 ,it is also supposed that it was unknown to the ,greeks1 when they constructed their most beautiful temples1 in the #eth1 #dth1 and #c;d centuries ,b4 ,c41 as no structure answering to the true character of the ,arch has been found in any of these works4 ,minutoli has given specimens of arches at ,thebes2 circular1 and formed of four courses of bricks1 and it is maintained that these belonged to a very ancient period1 long before the ,greek occupancy of that country4 ,the ,macedonians were a civilized people long before the rest of the ,greeks1 and were1 in fact1 their instructors2 but the ,greeks afterwards so far excelled them that they regarded them as barbarians4 ,some say that ,etruria was the true birth-place of the ,arch2 it was doubtless from them that the ,romans learned its use4 ,tarquinius ,priscus conquered the ,etrurians1 and he it was who first introduced and employed the ,arch in the construction of the cloac1 or sewers of ,rome4 ,the cloaca maxima1 or principal branch1 received numerous other branches between the ,capitoline1 ,palatine1 and ,quirinal hills4 ,it is formed of three consecutive rows of large stones piled above each other without cement1 and has stood nearly #b1ejj years1 surviving without injury the earthquakes and other convulsions that have thrown down temples1 palaces1 and churches of the superincumbent city4 ,from the time of ,tarquin1 the ,arch was in general use among the ,romans in the construction of aqueducts1 public edifices1 bridges1 c4 ,the ,chinese understood the use of the ,arch in the most remote times1 and in such perfection as to enable them to bridge large streams with a single span4 ,mr4 ,layard has shown that the ,ninevites knew its use at least #cjjj years ago2 he not only discovered a vaulted chamber1 but that arched gate-ways are continually represented in the bas-reliefs4 ,diodorus ,siculus relates that the tunnel from the ,euphrates at ,babylon1 ascribed to ,semiramis1 was vaulted4 ,there are vaults under the site of the temple at ,jerusalem1 which are generally considered as ancient as that edifice1 but some think them to have been of more recent construction1 as they suppose the ,jews were ignorant of the ,arch2 but it is evident that it was well known in the neighboring countries before the ,jewish exile1 and at least seven or eight centuries before the time of ,herod4 ,it seems highly probable1 that the ,arch was discovered by several nations in very remote times4 ,,antiquities ,,of ,,herculaneum1 ,,pompeii1 ,,and ,,stabi4 ,the city of ,herculaneum1 distant about #aa1jjj paces from ,naples1 was so completely buried by a stream of lava and a shower of ashes from the first known eruption of ,vesuvius1 during the reign of ,titus1 ,a4 ,d4 #gi1 that its site was unknown for many ages4 ,the neighboring city of ,pompeii1 on the river ,sarno1 one of the most populous and flourishing towns on the coast1 as well as ,stabi1 ,oplontia1 and ,teglanum1 experienced the same fate4 ,earlier excavations had already been forgotten1 when three female figures1 7now in the ,dresden ,gallery7 were discovered while some workmen were digging a well for ,prince ,elbeuf at ,portici1 a village situated on the site of ancient ,herculaneum4 ,in #agch the well was dug deeper1 and the theatre of ,herculaneum was first discovered4 ,in #agej1 ,pompeii and ,stabi were explored2 the former place being covered with ashes rather than lava1 was more easily examined4 ,here was discovered the extensive remains of an amphitheatre4 ,in the cellar of a villa twenty-seven female skeletons were found with ornaments for the neck and arms2 lying around1 near the lower door of another villa1 two skeletons were found1 one of which held a key in one hand1 and in the other a bag of coins and some cameos1 and near them were several beautiful silver and bronze vessels4 ,it is probable1 however1 that most of the inhabitants of this city had time to save themselves by flight1 as comparatively few bodies have been found4 ,the excavations since the discovery1 have been continued by the government1 up to the present time1 with more or less interruptions4 ,for the antiquary and the archologist1 antiquity seems here to revive and awaken the sensations which ,schiller has so beautifully described in his poem of ,pompeii and ,herculaneum4 ,the ancient streets and buildings are again thrown open1 and in them we see1 as it were1 the domestic life of the ancient ,romans4 ,we had never before such an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the disposition of their houses1 and of their utensils4 ,whole streets1 with magnificent temples1 theatres1 and private mansions1 have been disentombed4 ,multitudes of statues1 bas-reliefs1 and other sculptures have been found in these buried cities2 also many fresco paintings1 the most remarkable of which are ,andromeda and ,perseus1 ,diana and ,endymion1 the ,education of ,bacchus1 the ,battle of ,platea1 c4 ,in one splendid mansion were discovered several pictures1 representing ,polyphemus and ,galatea1 ,hercules and the three ,hesperdies1 ,cupid and a ,bacchante1 ,mercury and ,io1 ,perseus killing ,medusa1 and other subjects4 ,there were also in the store rooms of the same house1 evidently belonging to a very rich family1 an abundance of provisions1 laid in for the winter1 consisting of dates1 figs1 prunes1 various kinds of nuts1 hams1 pies1 corn1 oil1 peas1 lentils1 c4 ,there were also in the same house1 vases1 articles of glass1 bronze1 and terra-cotta1 several medallions in silver1 on one of which was represented in relief1 ,apollo and ,diana4 ,a great treasure of ancient books or manuscripts1 consisting of papyrus rolls1 has also been discovered1 which has excited the greatest curiosity of the learned1 in the hope of regaining some of the lost works of ancient writers2 but though some valuable literary remains of ,grecian and ,roman antiquity have been more or less completely restored1 the greater part remain yet untouched1 no effectual means having been discovered by which the manuscripts could be unrolled and deciphered1 owing to their charred and decomposed state4 ,the following vivid sketch of the present appearance of these devoted cities1 is from the pen of an ,american traveler3-- ,in the grounds of the ,royal ,palace at ,portici1 which are extensive1 there is a small fortress1 with its angles1 its bastions1 counter-scarps1 and all the geometrical technicalities of ,vauban1 in miniature4 ,it was erected by ,charles ,,iii41 for the instruction1 or perhaps more correctly speaking1 the amusement of his sons4 ,the garden on the front of the palace next to the bay1 is enchanting4 ,here1 amidst statues1 refreshing fountains1 and the most luxurious foliage1 the vine1 the orange1 the fig1 in short1 surrounded by all the poetry of life1 one may while 'the sultry hours away1' till the senses1 yielding to the voluptuous charm1 unfit one for the sober realities of a busy world4 ,the towns of ,portici and ,resinia1 which are in fact united1 are very populous4 ,the shops1 at the season of my visit1 ,christmas1 particularly those where eatables were sold1 exhibited a very gay appearance2 and gilt hams1 gilt cheese1 festoons of gilt sausages1 intermixed with evergreens1 and fringes of maccaroni1 illuminated ,virgin ,marys1 and gingerbread ,holy ,families1 divided the attention of the stranger1 with the motley crowds in all the gay variety of ,neapolitan costume4 ,at the depth of seventy or eighty feet beneath these crowded haunts of busy men1 lies buried1 in a solid mass of hard volcanic matter1 the once splendid city of ,herculaneum1 which was overthrown in the first century of the ,christian era1 by a terrible eruption of ,vesuvius4 ,it was discovered about the commencement of the last century1 by the digging of a well immediately over the theatre4 ,for many years the excavations were carried on with spirit2 and the forum1 theatres1 porticos1 and splendid mansions1 were successively exposed1 and a great number of the finest bronzes1 marble statues1 busts1 c41 which now delight the visitor to the ,museum at ,naples1 were among the fruits of these labors4 ,unfortunately1 the parts excavated1 upon the removal of the objects of art discovered1 were immediately filled up in lieu of pillars1 or supports to the superincumbent mass being erected4 ,as the work of disentombment had long since ceased1 nothing remained to be seen but part of the theatre1 the descent to which is by a staircase made for the purpose4 ,by the light of a torch1 carried by the custode1 ,i saw the orchestra1 proscenium1 consular seats1 as well as part of the corridors1 all stripped1 however1 of the marbles and paintings which once adorned them4 ,i was shewn the spot where the celebrated manuscripts were found4 ,the reflection that this theatre had held its ten thousand spectators1 and that it then lay1 with the city of which it was an ornament1 so horribly engulphed1 gave rise to feelings in awful contrast to those excited by the elysium of ,portici almost immediately above4 ,about seven miles further along the base of the mountain1 lies the long lost city of ,pompeii4 ,the road passes through1 or rather over ,torre del ,greco1 a town almost totally destroyed by the eruption in #agid4 ,the whole surface of the country for some distance is laid waste by the river of lava1 which flowed in a stream or body1 of twenty feet in depth1 destroyed in its course vineyards1 cottages1 and everything combustible1 consumed and nearly overwhelmed the town1 and at last poured into the sea1 where as it cooled1 it formed a rugged termination or promontory of considerable height4 ,the surface of this mass presented a rocky and sterile aspect1 strongly opposed to the exuberance of vegetation in the more fortunate neighborhood4 ,passing through ,torre del ,annunziata1 a populous village1 the street of which was literally lined with maccaroni hanging to dry1 ,i soon reached ,pompeii4 ,between these last mentioned places1 ,i noticed at the corner of a road a few dwellings1 upon the principal of which1 an ,inn1 was inscribed in formidable looking letters1 ,,gioachinopoli4 ,puzzled at the moment1 ,i inquired what this great word related to1 when lo1 ,i was told that ,i was now in the city of ,gioachinopoli1 so called in compliment to the reigning sovereign1 ,gioachino ,murat1 the termination being added in imitation of the emperor ,constantine1 who gave his name to the ancient ,byzantium6 ,although suffering a similar fate with the sister city ,herculaneum1 the manner of the destruction of ,pompeii was essentially different1 for while the former lies imbedded at a great depth in solid matter1 like mortar or cement1 the latter is merely covered with a stratum of volcanic ashes1 the surface of which being partly decomposed by the atmosphere1 affords a rich soil for the extensive vineyards which are spread over its surface4 ,no scene on earth can vie in melancholy interest with that presented to the spectator on entering the streets of the disinterred city of ,pompeii4 ,on passing through a wooden enclosure1 ,i suddenly found myself in a long and handsome street1 bordered by rows of tombs1 of various dimensions and designs1 from the simple cippus or altar1 bearing the touching appeal of siste viator1 stop traveler1 to the ,patrician mausoleum with its long inscription4 ,many of these latter yet contain the urns in which the ashes of the dead were deposited4 ,several large semicircular stone seats mark where the ancient ,pompeians had their evening chat1 and no doubt debated upon the politics of the day4 ,approaching the massive walls1 which are about thirty feet high and very thick1 and entering by a handsome stone arch1 called the ,herculaneum gate1 from the road leading to that city1 ,i beheld a vista of houses or shops1 and except that they were roofless1 just as if they had been occupied but yesterday1 although near eighteen centuries have passed away since the awful calamity which sealed the fate of their inhabitants4 ,the facilities for excavation being great1 both on account of the lightness of the material and the little depth of the mass1 much of the city has been exposed to view4 ,street succeeds street in various directions1 and porticos1 theatres1 temples1 magazines1 shops1 and private mansions1 all remain to attest the mixture of elegance and meanness of ,pompeii2 and we can1 from an inspection1 not only form a most correct idea of the customs and tastes of the ancient inhabitants1 but are thereby the better enabled to judge of those of contemporary cities1 and learn to qualify the accounts of many of the ancient writers themselves4 ,pompeii is so perfectly unique in its kind1 that ,i flatter myself a rather minute description of the state in which ,i saw it1 will not be uninteresting4 ,the streets1 with the exception of the principal one1 which is about thirty-three feet wide1 are very narrow4 ,they are paved with blocks of lava1 and have raised side-walks for pedestrians1 things very rare in modern ,europe4 ,at the corners of the streets are fountains1 and also stepping-stones for crossing4 ,the furrows worn by the carriage wheels are strongly marked1 and are not more than forty-four inches apart1 thus giving us the width of their vehicles4 ,the houses in general are built with small red bricks1 or with volcanic matter from ,vesuvius1 and are only one or two stories high4 ,the marble counters remain in many of the stores1 and the numbers1 names of the occupiers1 and their occupations1 still appear in red letters on the outside4 ,the names of ,julius1 ,marius1 ,lucius1 and many others1 only familiar to us through the medium of our classic studies1 and fraught with heroic ideas1 we here see associated with the retailing of oil1 olives1 bread1 apothecaries' wares1 and nearly all the various articles usually found in the trading part of ,italian cities even at the present day4 ,all the trades1 followed in these various edifices1 were likewise distinctly marked by the utensils found in them2 but the greater part of these1 as discovered1 were removed for their better preservation to the great ,museum at ,naples2 a measure perhaps indispensable1 but which detracts in some degree from the local interest4 ,we see1 however1 in the magazine of the oil merchant1 his jars in perfect order1 in the bakehouse are the hand mills in their original places1 and of a description which exactly tallies with those alluded to in holy writ2 the ovens scarcely want repairs2 where a sculptor worked1 there we find his marbles and his productions1 in various states of forwardness1 just as he left them4 ,the mansions of the higher classes are planned to suit the delicious climate in which they are situated1 and are finished with great taste4 ,they generally have an open court in the centre1 in which is a fountain4 ,the floors are of mosaic4 ,the walls and ceilings are beautifully painted or stuccoed and statues1 tripods1 and other works of art1 embellished the galleries and apartments4 ,the kitchens do not appear to have been neglected by the artists who decorated the buildings1 and although the painting is of a coarser description than in other parts of the edifices1 the designs are in perfect keeping with the plan4 ,trussed fowls1 hams1 festoons of sausages1 together with the representations of some of the more common culinary utensils1 among which ,i noticed the gridiron1 still adorn the walls4 ,in some of the cellars skeletons were found1 supposed to be those of the inmates who had taken refuge from the shower of ashes1 and had there found their graves1 while the bulk of their fellow citizens escaped4 ,in one vault1 the remains of sixteen human beings were discovered1 and from the circumstance of some valuable rings and a quantity of money being found with the bones1 it is concluded that the master of the house was among the sufferers4 ,in this vault or cellar ,i saw a number of earthen jars1 called ,amphor1 placed against the wall4 ,these1 which once held the purple juice1 perhaps the produce of favorite vintages1 were now filled to the brim with ashes4 ,many of the public edifices are large1 and have been magnificent4 ,the amphitheatre1 which is oval1 upon the plan of that at ,verona1 would contain above ten thousand spectators4 ,this majestic edifice was disentombed by the ,french1 to whose taste and activity1 during their rule in ,italy1 particularly in the district of ,naples1 every lover of the arts stands indebted4 ,i had the good fortune to be present at the clearing of a part of the arena of this colossal erection1 and witnessed the disclosure of paintings which had not seen the light for above seventeen hundred years4 ,they were executed in what is termed fresco1 a process of coloring on wet plaster1 but which1 after it becomes hard1 almost defies the effects of time4 ,the subjects of those ,i allude to were nymphs1 and the coloring of the draperies1 in some instances1 was as fresh as if just applied4 ,not far distant from the amphitheatre are two semicircular theatres1 one of which is supposed to have been appropriated to tragedy and the other to comedy4 ,the first mentioned is large1 and built of stone1 or a substance called tufo1 covered with marble4 ,it had no roof4 ,the ,proscenium and ,orchestra remain4 ,the stage1 or rather the place where it was1 is of considerable width1 but so very shallow that stage effect1 as regards scenery1 could not have been much studied1 nor indeed did the dramas of the ancients require it4 ,the comic theatre is small1 and nearly perfect4 ,it appears to have had a roof or covering4 ,these two theatres are close together4 ,of the public edifices discovered1 the ,temple of ,isis is one of the most interesting4 ,it is of brick1 but coated with a hard and polished stucco4 ,the altars for sacrifice remain unmolested4 ,a hollow pedestal or altar yet exists1 from which oracles were once delivered to the credulous multitude1 and we behold the secret stairs by which the priests descended to perform the office4 ,in the chamber of this ,temple1 which may have been a refectory1 were found some of the remains of eatables1 which are now in the museum4 ,i recollect noticing egg-shells1 bread1 with the maker's name or initials stamped thereon1 bones1 corn1 and other articles1 all burnt black1 but perfect in form4 ,the ,temple of ,hercules1 as it is denominated1 is a ruin1 not one of its massive fragments being left upon another4 ,it was of the ,doric order of architecture1 and is known to have suffered severely by an earthquake some years before the fatal eruption4 ,not far from this temple is an extensive court or forum1 where the soldiers appear to have had their quarters4 ,in what has evidently been a prison1 is an iron frame1 like the modern implements of punishment1 the stocks1 and in this frame the skeletons of some unfortunate culprits were found4 ,on the walls of what are called the soldiers' quarters1 from the helmets1 shields1 and pieces of armor which have been found there1 are scrawled names and rude devices1 just as we find on the walls of the buildings appropriated to the same purpose in the present day4 ,at this point of the city1 travelers who have entered at the other1 usually make their exit4 ,the scene possessed far too great an interest1 however1 in my eyes1 to be hastily passed over1 and on more than one visit1 ,i lingered among the deserted thresholds1 until the moon had thrown her chaste light upon this city of the dead4 ,the feelings excited by a perambulation of ,pompeii1 especially at such an hour1 are beyond the power of my pen to describe4 ,to behold her streets once thronged with the busy crowd1 to tread the forum where sages met and discoursed1 to enter the theatres once filled with delighted thousands1 and the temples whence incense arose1 to visit the mansions of the opulent which had resounded with the shouts of revelry1 and the humbler dwellings of the artisan1 where he had plied his noisy trade1 in the language of an elegant writer and philosopher1 to behold all these1 now tenantless1 and silent as the grave1 elevates the heart with a series of sublime meditations4 ,,ancient ,,fresco ,,and ,,mosaic ,,painting4 ,the ancients well understood the arts of painting both in fresco and mosaic1 as is evinced by the discoveries made at ,rome1 but more especially at ,pompeii4 ,the most remarkable pictures discovered at ,pompeii have been sawed from the walls1 and deposited in the ,royal ,museums at ,naples and ,portici1 for their preservation4 ,not only mosaic floors and pavements are numerous in the mansions of the wealthy at ,pompeii1 but some walls are decorated with pictures in mosaic4 ,,mosaic ,,of ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,plat,a4 ,a grand mosaic1 representing as some say the ,battle of ,plata1 and others1 with more probability one of the victories of ,alexander1 is now in the ,academy at ,naples4 ,it was discovered at ,pompeii1 and covered the whole side of the apartment where it was found4 ,this great work is the admiration of connoisseurs and the learned1 not only for its antiquity1 but for the beauty of its execution4 ,the most probable supposition is1 that it is a copy of the celebrated ,victory of ,arbela1 painted by ,philoxenes1 and described by ,pliny as one of the most remarkable works of antiquity1 with whose description the mosaic accords4 ,,the ,,aldobrandini ,,wedding4 ,this famous antique fresco was discovered in the time of ,clement ,,viii41 not far from the church of ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 in the place where were the gardens of ,mcenas4 ,it was carried from thence into the villa of the princely house of the ,aldobrandini2 hence its name4 ,it is very beautifully executed1 and evidently intended to represent or celebrate a wedding4 ,winckelmann supposes it to be the wedding of ,peleus and ,thetis2 the ,count ,bondi1 that of ,manlius and ,julia4 ,,the ,,portland ,,vase4 ,the most celebrated antique vase is that which1 during more than two centuries1 was the principal ornament of the ,barberini ,palace1 and which is now known as the ,portland ,vase4 ,it was found about the middle of the #afth century1 enclosed in a marble sarcophagus within a sepulchral chamber under ,monte del ,grano1 two miles and a half from ,rome1 supposed to have been the tomb of ,alexander ,severus1 who died in the year #bce4 ,it is ornamented with white opaque figures in bas-relief1 upon a dark blue transparent ground2 the subject of which has not hitherto received a satisfactory elucidation1 though it is supposed to represent the ,eleusinian ,mysteries2 but the design1 and more particularly the execution1 are truly admirable4 ,the whole of the blue ground1 or at least the part below the handles1 must have been originally covered with white enamel1 out of which the figures have been sculptured in the style of a cameo1 with most astonishing skill and labor4 ,this beautiful ,vase is sufficient to prove that the manufacture of glass was carried to a state of high perfection by the ancients4 ,it was purchased by the ,duchess of ,portland for #ajjj guineas1 and presented to the ,british ,museum in #ahaj4 ,the subterranean ruins of ,herculaneum afforded many specimens of the glass manufacture of the ancients3 a great variety of phials and bottles were found1 and these were chiefly of an elongate shape1 composed of glass of unequal thickness1 of a green color1 and much heavier than common glass2 of these the four large cinerary urns in the ,british ,museum are very fine specimens4 ,they are of an elegant round figure1 with covers1 and two double handles1 the formation of which must convince persons capable of appreciating the difficulties which even the modern glass-maker would have in executing similar handles1 that the ancients were well acquainted with the art of making round glass vessels2 although their knowledge appears to have been extremely limited as respects the manufacture of square vessels1 and more particularly of oval1 octagonal1 or pentagonal forms4 ,among a great number of lachrymatories and various other vessels in the ,british ,museum1 there is a small square bottle with a handle1 the rudeness of which sufficiently bears out this opinion4 ,,ancient ,,pictures ,,of ,,glass4 ,a most singular art of forming pictures with colored glass seems to have been practiced by the ancients1 which consisted in laying together fibres of glass of various colors1 fitted to each other with the utmost exactness1 so that a section across the fibres represented the object to be painted1 and then cementing them into a homogeneous mass4 ,in some specimens of this art which were discovered about the middle of the #ahth century1 the painting has on both sides a granular appearance1 and seems to have been formed in the manner of mosaic work2 but the pieces are so accurately united1 that not even with the aid of a powerful magnifying glass can the junctures be discovered4 ,one plate1 described by ,winckelmann1 exhibits a ,duck of various colors1 the outlines of which are sharp and well-defined1 the colors pure and vivid1 and a brilliant effect is obtained by the artist having employed in some parts an opaque1 and in others a transparent glass4 ,the picture seems to be continued throughout the whole thickness of the specimen1 as the reverse corresponds in the minutest points to the face2 so that1 were it to be cut transversely1 the same picture of the ,duck would be exhibited in every section4 ,it is conjectured that this curious process was the first attempt of the ancients to preserve colors by fusing them into the internal part of glass1 which was1 however1 but partially done1 as the surfaces have not been preserved from the action of the atmosphere4 ,,henry ,,fuseli--,,his ,,birth4 ,this eminent historical painter1 and very extraordinary man1 was born at ,zurich1 in ,switzerland1 in #agda1 according to all accounts save his own2 but he himself placed it in #agde1 without adding the day or month4 ,he always spoke of his age with reluctance4 ,once1 when pressed about it1 he peevishly exclaimed1 ,how should ,i know8 ,i was born in ,february or ,march--it was some cursed cold month1 as you may guess from my diminutive stature and crabbed disposition4 ,he was the son of the painter1 ,john ,caspar ,fuseli1 and the second of eighteen children4 ,,fuseli',s ,,early ,,love ,,of ,,art4 ,during his school-boy days1 as soon as released from his class1 he was accustomed to withdraw to a secret place to enjoy unmolested the works of ,michael ,angelo1 of whose prints his father had a fine collection4 ,he loved when he grew old to talk of those days of his youth1 of the enthusiasm with which he surveyed the works of his favorite masters1 and the secret pleasure which he took in acquiring forbidden knowledge4 ,with candles which he stole from the kitchen1 and pencils which his pocket-money was hoarded to procure1 he pursued his studies till late at night1 and made many copies from ,michael ,angelo and ,raffaelle1 by which he became familiar thus early with the style and ruling character of the two greatest masters of the art4 ,,fuseli',s ,,literary ,,and ,,poetical ,,taste4 ,he early manifested strong powers of mind1 and with a two-fold taste for literature and art1 he was placed in ,humanity ,college at ,zurich1 of which two distinguished men1 ,bodmer and ,breitenger1 were professors4 ,here he became the bosom companion of that amiable enthusiast1 ,lavater1 studied ,english1 and conceived such a love for the works of ,shakspeare1 that he translated ,macbeth into ,german4 ,the writings of ,wieland and ,klopstock influenced his youthful fancy1 and from ,shakspeare he extended his affection to the chief masters in ,english literature4 ,his love of poetry was natural1 not affected--he practiced at an early age the art which he admired through life1 and some of his first attempts at composition were pieces in his native language1 which made his name known in ,zurich4 ,,fuseli1 ,,lavater1 ,,and ,,the ,,unjust ,,magistrate4 ,in conjunction with his friend ,lavater1 ,fuseli composed a pamphlet against a ruler in one of the bailiwicks1 who had abused his powers1 and perhaps personally insulted the two friends4 ,the peasantry1 it seems1 conceiving themselves oppressed by their superior1 complained and petitioned2 the petitions were read by young ,fuseli and his companion1 who1 stung with indignation at the tale of tyranny disclosed1 expressed their feelings in a satire1 which made a great stir in the city4 ,threats were publicly used against the authors1 who were guessed at1 but not known2 upon which they distributed placards in every direction1 offering to prove before a tribunal the accusations they had made4 ,nay1 ,fuseli actually appeared before the magistrates--named the offender boldly--arraigned him with great vehemence and eloquence1 and was applauded by all and answered by none4 ,pamphlets and accusations were probably uncommon things in ,zurich2 in some other countries they would have dropped from the author's hands harmless or unheeded2 but the united labors of ,fuseli and ,lavater drove the unjust magistrate into exile1 and procured remuneration to those who had suffered4 ,,fuseli',s ,,travels1 ,,and ,,his ,,literary ,,distinction4 ,fuseli early gained a reputation for scholarship1 poetry1 and painting4 ,he possessed such extraordinary powers of memory1 that when he read a book once1 he thoroughly comprehended its contents2 and he not only wrote in ,latin and ,greek1 but spoke them with the fluency of his native tongue4 ,he acquired such a perfect knowledge of the several modern languages of ,europe1 especially of the ,english1 ,french1 and ,italian1 that it was indifferent to him which he spoke or wrote1 except that when he wished to express himself with most power1 he said he preferred the ,german4 ,after having obtained the degree of ,master of ,arts from the college at ,zurich1 ,fuseli bade farewell to his father's house1 and traveled in company with ,lavater to ,berlin1 where he placed himself under the care of ,sulzer1 author of the ,lexicon of the ,fine ,arts4 ,his talents and learning obtained him the friendship of several distinguished men1 and his acquaintance with ,english poetry induced ,professor ,sulzer to select him as one well qualified for opening a communication between the literature of ,germany and that of ,england4 ,sir ,andrew ,mitchell1 ,british ambassador at the ,prussian court1 was consulted2 and pleased with his lively genius1 and his translations and drawings from ,macbeth and ,lear1 he received ,fuseli with much kindness1 and advised him to visit ,britain4 ,lavater1 who till now had continued his companion1 presented him at parting with a card1 on which he had inscribed in ,german4 ,do but the tenth part of what you can do4 ,hang that up in your bed-head1 said the physiognomist1 obey it--and fame and fortune will be the result4 ,,fuseli',s ,,arrival ,,in ,,london4 ,fuseli arrived in the capital of the ,british ,empire early one morning1 before the people were stirring4 ,when ,i stood in ,london1 said he1 and considered that ,i did not know one soul in all this vast metropolis1 ,i became suddenly impressed with a sense of forlornness1 and burst into a flood of tears4 ,an incident restored me4 ,i had written a long letter to my father1 giving him an account of my voyage1 and expressing my filial affection--now not weakened by distance--and with this letter in my hand1 ,i inquired of a rude fellow whom ,i met1 the way to the ,post ,office4 ,my foreign accent provoked him to laughter1 and as ,i stood cursing him in good ,shaksperian ,english1 a gentleman kindly directed me to the object of my inquiry4 ,,fuseli',s ,,change ,,from ,,literature ,,to ,,painting4 ,fuseli's wit1 learning1 and talents gained him early admission to the company of wealthy and distinguished men4 ,he devoted himself for a considerable time after his arrival in ,london to the daily toils of literature--translations1 essays1 and critiques4 ,among other works1 he translated ,winckelmann's book on ,painting and ,sculpture4 ,one day ,bonnycastle said to him1 after dinner1 ,fuseli1 you can write well1--why don't you write something8 ,something6 exclaimed the other2 you always cry write--,fuseli write6--blastation6 what shall ,i write8 ,write1 said ,armstrong1 who was present1 write on the ,voltaire and ,rousseau ,row--there is a subject6 ,he said nothing1 but went home and began to write4 ,his enthusiastic temper spurred him on1 so that he composed his essay with uncommon rapidity4 ,he printed it forthwith2 but the whole edition caught fire and was consumed6 ,it had1 says one of his friends1 a short life and a bright ending4 ,while busied with his translations and other literary labors1 he had not forgotten his early attachment to ,art4 ,he found his way to the studio of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 and submitted several of his drawings to the ,president's examination1 who looked at them for some time1 and then said1 ,how long have you studied in ,italy8 ,i never studied in ,italy--,i studied at ,zurich--,i am a native of ,switzerland--do you think ,i should study in ,italy8--and1 above all1 is it worth while8 ,young man1 said ,reynolds1 were ,i the author of these drawings1 and were offered ten thousand a year not to practice as an artist1 ,i would reject the proposal with contempt4 ,this very favorable opinion from one who considered all he said1 and was so remarkable for accuracy of judgment1 decided the destiny of ,fuseli2 he forsook for ever the hard and thankless trade of literature--refused a living in the church from some patron who had been struck with his talents--and addressed himself to painting with heart and hand4 ,,fuseli',s ,,sojourn ,,in ,,italy4 ,no sooner had ,fuseli formed the resolution of devoting his talents to painting1 in #aggj1 than he determined to visit ,rome4 ,he resided in ,italy eight years1 and studied with great assiduity the pictures in the numerous galleries1 particularly the productions of ,michael ,angelo1 whose fine and bold imagination1 and the lofty grandeur of his works1 were most congenial to his taste4 ,it was a story which he loved to tell in after life1 how he lay on his back day after day1 and week after week1 with upturned and wondering eyes1 musing on the splendid ceiling of the ,sistine chapel--on the unattainable grandeur of the great ,florentine4 ,during his residence abroad1 he made notes and criticisms on everything he met with that was excellent1 much of which he subsequently embodied in his lectures before the ,royal ,academy4 ,his talents1 acquirements1 and his great conversational powers made his society courted2 and he formed some valuable acquaintances at ,rome1 particularly among the ,english nobility and gentry1 who flocked there for amusement1 and who heralded his fame at home4 ,he also sent some of his choice drawings1 illustrating ,shakspeare and ,milton1 to the annual exhibitions of the ,royal ,academy4 ,in #aggh1 he left ,italy and returned to ,england1 passing through ,switzerland and his native city4 ,,fuseli',s ,,nightmare4 ,soon after his return to ,england1 ,fuseli painted his ,nightmare1 which was exhibited in #aghb4 ,it was unquestionably the work of an original mind4 ,the extraordinary and peculiar genius which it displayed1 says one of his biographers1 was universally felt1 and perhaps no single picture ever made a greater impression in this country4 ,a very fine mezzotinto engraving of it was scraped by ,raphael ,smith1 and so popular did the print become1 that1 although ,mr4 ,fuseli received only twenty guineas for the picture1 the publisher made five hundred by his speculation4 ,this was a subject suitable to the unbridled fancy of the painter1 and perhaps to no other imagination has the ,fiend which murders our sleep ever appeared in a more poetical shape4 ,,fuseli',s ,,oedipus ,,and ,,his ,,daughters4 ,this picture was a work of far higher order than his ,nightmare1 although the latter caught the public fancy most4 ,it is distinguished by singular power1 full of feeling and terror4 ,the desolate old man is seated on the ground1 and his whole frame seems inspired with a presentiment of the coming vengeance of heaven4 ,his daughters are clasping him wildly1 and the sky seems mustering the thunder and fire in which the tragic bard has made him disappear4 ,pray1 sir1 what is that old man afraid of8 said some one to ,fuseli1 when the picture was exhibited4 ,afraid1 sir1 exclaimed the painter1 why1 afraid of going to hell6 ,,fuseli ,,and ,,the ,,shakspeare ,,gallery4 ,his rising fame1 his poetic feeling1 his great knowledge1 and his greater confidence1 now induced ,fuseli to commence an undertaking worthy of the highest genius--the ,shakspeare ,gallery4 ,an accidental conversation at the table of the nephew of ,alderman ,boydell1 started1 as it is said1 the idea2 and ,west1 ,romney1 and ,hayley shared with ,fuseli in the honor4 ,but to the mind of the latter1 such a scheme had been long present2 it dawned on his fancy in ,rome1 even as he lay on his back marveling in the ,sistine1 and he saw in imagination a long and shadowy succession of pictures4 ,he figured to himself a magnificent temple1 and filled it1 as the illustrious artists of ,italy did the ,sistine1 with pictures from his favorite poet4 ,all was arranged according to character4 ,in the panels and accessories were the figures of the chief heroes and heroines--on the extensive walls were delineated the changes of many-colored life1 the ludicrous and the sad--the pathetic and the humorous--domestic happiness and heroic aspirations--while the dome which crowned the whole exhibited scenes of higher emotion--the joys of heaven--the agonies of hell--all that was supernatural and all that was terrible4 ,this splendid piece of imagination was cut down to working dimensions by the practiced hands of ,boydell1 who supported the scheme anxiously and effectually4 ,on receiving #ejj ,reynolds entered1 though with reluctance1 into an undertaking which consumed time and required much thought2 but ,fuseli had no rich commissions in the way--his heart was with the subject--in his own fancy he had already commenced the work1 and the enthusiastic alderman found a more enthusiastic painter1 who made no preliminary stipulations1 but prepared his palette and began4 ,,fuseli',s ,,hamlet',s ,,ghost4 ,this wonderful work1 engraved for ,boydell's ,shakspeare ,gallery1 is esteemed among the best of ,fuseli's works4 ,it is1 indeed1 strangely wild and superhuman--if ever a ,spirit visited earth1 it must have appeared to ,fuseli4 ,the majesty of buried ,denmark is no vulgar ghost such as scares the belated rustic1 but a sad and majestic shape with the port of a god2 to imagine this1 required poetry1 and in that our artist was never deficient4 ,he had fine taste in matters of high import2 he drew the boundary line between the terrible and the horrible1 and he never passed it2 the former he knew was allied to grandeur1 the latter to deformity and disgust4 ,an eminent metaphysician visited the gallery before the public exhibition2 he saw the ,hamlet's ,ghost of ,fuseli1 and exclaimed1 like ,burns' rustic in ,halloween1 ,lord1 preserve me6 ,he declared that it haunted him round the room4 ,,fuseli',s ,,titania4 ,his ,titania 7also engraved in the ,shakspeare ,gallery71 overflows with elvish fun and imaginative drollery4 ,it professes to embody that portion of the first scene in the fourth act where the spell-blinded queen caresses ,bottom the weaver1 on whose shoulders ,oberon's transforming wand has placed an ass' head4 ,titania1 a gay and alluring being1 attended by her troop of fairies1 is endeavoring to seem as lovely as possible in the sight of her lover1 who holds down his head and assumes the air of the most stupid of all creatures4 ,one almost imagines that her ripe round lips are uttering the well-known words1-- ,come sit thee down upon this flowery bed1 ,while ,i thy amiable cheeks do coy1 ,and stick musk roses in thy sleek smooth head1 ,and kiss thy fair large ears1 my gentle joy4 ,the rout and revelry which the fancy of the painter has poured around this spell-bound pair1 baffles all description4 ,all is mirthful1 tricksy1 and fantastic4 ,sprites of all looks and all hues--of all dimensions1 shapes1 and mettles1--the dwarfish elf and the elegant fay--,cobweb commissioned to kill a red-hipped humble-bee on the top of a thistle1 that ,bottom might have the honey-bag--,pease-,blossom1 who had the less agreeable employment of scratching the weaver's head--and that individual fairy who could find the hoard of the squirrel and carry away his nuts--with a score of equally merry companions are swarming everywhere and in full employment4 ,mustard-,seed1 a fairy of dwarfish stature1 stands on tiptoe in the hollow of ,bottom's hand1 endeavoring to reach his nose--his fingers almost touch1 he is within a quarter of an inch of scratching1 but it is evident he can do no more1 and his new master is too much of an ass to raise him up4 ,,fuseli',s ,,election ,,as ,a ,,royal ,,academician4 ,fuseli was elected an ,associate of the ,royal ,academy in #aghh1 and early in #agij became an ,academician--honors won by talent without the slightest coperation of intrigue4 ,his election was nevertheless unpleasant to ,reynolds1 who desired to introduce ,bonomi the architect4 ,fuseli1 to soothe the ,president1 waited on him beforehand1 and said1 ,i wish to be elected an academician4 ,i have been disappointed hitherto by the deceit of pretended friends--shall ,i offend you if ,i offer myself next election8 ,oh1 no1 said ,sir ,joshua with a kindly air1 no offence to me2 but you cannot be elected this time--we must have an architect in4 ,well1 well1 said ,fuseli1 who could not conceive how an architect could be a greater acquisition to the ,academy than himself--,well1 well1 you say that ,i shall not offend you by offering myself1 so ,i must make a trial4 ,the trial was successful4 ,,fuseli ,,and ,,horace ,,walpole4 ,concerning his picture of ,theodore and ,honorio1 ,fuseli used to say1 ,look at it--it is connected with the first patron ,i ever had4 ,he then proceeded to relate how ,cipriani had undertaken to paint for ,horace ,walpole a scene from ,boccaccio's ,theodore and ,honorio1 familiar to all in the splendid translation of ,dryden1 and1 after several attempts1 finding the subject too heavy for his handling1 he said to ,walpole1 ,i cannot please myself with a sketch from this most imaginative of ,gothic fictions2 but ,i know one who can do the story justice--a man of great powers1 of the name of ,fuseli4 ,let me see this painter of yours1 said the other4 ,fuseli was sent for1 and soon satisfied ,walpole that his imagination was equal to the task1 by painting a splendid picture4 ,,fuseli ,,and ,,the ,,banker ,,coutts4 ,while ,fuseli was laboring on his celebrated ,milton ,gallery1 he was frequently embarrassed by pecuniary difficulties4 ,from these he was relieved by a steadfast friend--,mr4 ,coutts--who aided him while in ,rome1 and forsook him not in any of his after difficulties4 ,the grateful painter once waited on the banker1 and said1 ,i have finished the best of all my works--the ,lazar ,house--when shall ,i send it home8 ,my friend1 said ,mr4 ,coutts1 for me to take this picture would be a fraud upon you and upon the world4 ,i have no place in which it could be fitly seen4 ,sell it to some one who has a gallery--your kind offer of it is sufficient for me1 and makes all matters straight between us4 ,for a period of sixty years that worthy man was the unchangeable friend of the painter4 ,the apprehensions which the latter entertained of poverty were frequently without cause1 and ,coutts has been known on such occasions to assume a serious look1 and talk of scarcity of cash and of sufficient securities4 ,away flew ,fuseli1 muttering oaths and cursing all parsimonious men1 and having found a friend1 returned with him breathless1 saying1 ,there6 ,i stop your mouth with a security4 ,the cheque for the sum required was given1 the security refused1 and the painter pulled his hat over his eyes1 ,to hide the tear that fain would fall-- and went on his way4 ,,fuseli ,,and ,,prof4 ,,porson4 ,fuseli once repeated half-a-dozen sonorous and well sounding lines in ,greek1 to ,prof4 ,porson1 and said1-- ,with all your learning now1 you cannot tell me who wrote that4 ,the ,professor1 much renowned in ,greek1 confessed his ignorance1 and said1 ,i don't know him4 ,how the devil should you know him8 chuckled ,fuseli1 ,i made them this moment4 ,,fuseli',s ,,method ,,of ,,giving ,,vent ,,to ,,his ,,passion4 ,when thwarted in the ,academy 7which happened not unfrequently71 his wrath aired itself in a polyglott4 ,it is a pleasant thing1 and an advantageous1 said the painter1 on one of these occasions1 to be learned4 ,i can speak ,greek1 ,latin1 ,french1 ,english1 ,german1 ,danish1 ,dutch1 and ,spanish1 and so let my folly or my fury get vent through eight different avenues4 ,,fuseli',s ,,love ,,for ,,terrific ,,subjects4 ,fuseli knew not well how to begin with quiet beauty and serene grace3 the hurrying measures1 the crowding epithets1 and startling imagery of the northern poetry suited his intoxicated fancy4 ,his ,thor battering the ,serpent was such a favorite that he presented it to the ,academy as his admission gift4 ,such was his love of terrific subjects1 that he was known among his brethren by the name of ,painter in ordinary to the ,devil1 and he smiled when some one officiously told him this1 and said1 ,aye6 he has sat to me many times4 ,once1 at ,johnson the bookseller's table1 one of the guests said1 ,mr4 ,fuseli1 ,i have purchased a picture of yours4 ,have you1 sir2 what is the subject8 ,subject8 really ,i don't know4 ,that's odd2 you must be a strange fellow to buy a picture without knowing the subject4 ,i bought it1 sir1 that's enough--,i don't know what the devil it is4 ,perhaps it is the devil1 replied ,fuseli1 ,i have often painted him4 ,upon this1 one of the company1 to arrest a conversation which was growing warm1 said1 ,fuseli1 there is a member of your ,academy who has strange looks--and he chooses as strange subjects as you do4 ,sir1 exclaimed the ,professor1 he paints nothing but thieves and murderers1 and when he wants a model1 he looks in the glass4 ,,fuseli',s ,,and ,,lawrence',s ,,pictures ,,from ,,the ,,tempest4 ,cunningham says1 ,fuseli had sketched a picture of ,miranda and ,prospero from the ,tempest1 and was considering of what dimensions he should make the finished painting1 when he was told that ,lawrence had sent in for exhibition a picture on the same subject1 and with the same figures4 ,his wrath knew no bounds4 ',this comes1' he cried1 'of my blasted simplicity in showing my sketches--never mind--,i'll teach the face-painter to meddle with my ,prospero and ,miranda4' ,he had no canvas prepared--he took a finished picture1 and over the old performance dashed in hastily1 in one laborious day1 a wondrous scene from the ,tempest--hung it in the exhibition right opposite that of ,lawrence1 and called it 'a sketch for a large picture4' ,sir ,thomas said little1 but thought much--he never afterwards1 ,i have heard1 exhibited a poetic subject4 ,,fuseli',s ,,estimate ,,of ,,reynolds' ,,abilities ,,in ,,historical ,,painting4 ,fuseli mentions ,reynolds in his ,lectures1 as a great portrait painter1 and no more4 ,one evening in company1 ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence was discoursing on what he called the historic grandeur of ,sir ,joshua1 and contrasting him with ,titian and ,raffaelle4 ,fuseli kindled up--,blastation6 you will drive me mad--,reynolds and ,raffaelle6--a dwarf and a giant6--why will you waste all your fine words8 ,he rose and left the room1 muttering something about a tempest in a pint pot4 ,lawrence followed1 soothed him1 and brought him back4 ,,fuseli ,,and ,,lawrence4 ,these two eminent men1 says ,cunningham1 loved one another4 ,the ,keeper had no wish to give permanent offence1 and the ,president had as little desire to be on ill terms with one so bitter and so satirical4 ,they were often together2 and ,i have heard ,sir ,thomas say1 that he never had a dispute with ,fuseli save once--and that was concerning their pictures of ,satan4 ,indeed1 the ,keeper1 both with tongue and pen1 took pleasure in pointing out the excellencies of his friend1 nor was he blind to his defects4 ',this young man1' thus he wrote in one of his early criticisms1 'would do well to look at nature again2 his flesh is too glassy4' ,lawrence showed his sense of his monitor's accuracy by following the advice4 ,,fuseli ,,as ,,keeper ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,academy4 ,fuseli1 on the whole1 was liked as ,keeper4 ,it is true that he was often satirical and severe on the students--that he defaced their drawings by corrections which1 compared to their weak and trembling lines1 seemed traced with a tar-mop1 and that he called them tailors and bakers1 vowing that there was more genius in the claw of one of ,michael ,angelo's eagles1 than in all the heads with which the ,academy was swarming4 ,the youths on whom fell this tempest of invective1 smiled2 and the ,keeper pleased by submission1 walked up to each easel1 whispered a word of advice confidentially1 and retired in peace to enjoy the company of his ,homer1 ,michael ,angelo1 ,dante1 and ,milton4 ,the students were unquestionably his friends2 those of the year #ahjg presented him with a silver vase1 designed by one whom he loved--,flaxman the sculptor2 and he received it very graciously4 ,ten years after1 he was presented with the diploma of the first class in the ,academy of ,st4 ,luke at ,rome4 ,,fuseli',s ,,jests ,,and ,,oddities ,,with ,,the ,,students ,,of ,,the ,,academy4 ,the students found constant amusement from ,fuseli's witty and characteristic retorts1 and they were fond of repeating his jokes4 ,he heard a violent altercation in the studio one day1 and inquired the cause4 ,it is only those fellows1 the students1 sir1 said one of the porters4 ,fellows6 exclaimed ,fuseli1 ,i would have you to know1 sir1 that those fellows may one day become academicians4 ,the noise increased--he opened the door1 and burst in upon them1 exclaiming1 ,you are a den of damned wild beasts4 ,one of the offenders1 ,munro by name1 bowed and said1 and ,fuseli is our ,keeper4 ,he retired smiling1 and muttering the fellows are growing witty4 ,another time he saw a figure from which the students were making drawings lying broken to pieces4 ,now who the devil has done this8 ,mr4 ,medland1 said an officious probationer1 he jumped over the rail and broke it4 ,he walked up to the offender--all listened for the storm4 ,he calmly said1 ,mr4 ,medland1 you are fond of jumping--go to ,sadler's ,wells--it is the best academy in the world for improving agility4 ,a student as he passed held up his drawing1 and said confidently1 ,here1 sir--,i finished it without using a crumb of bread4 ,all the worse for your drawing1 replied ,fuseli1 buy a two-penny loaf and rub it out4 ,what do you see1 sir8 he said one day to a student1 who1 with his pencil in his hand and his drawing before him1 was gazing into vacancy4 ,nothing1 sir1 was the answer4 ,nothing1 young man1 said the ,keeper emphatically1 then ,i tell you that you ought to see something--you ought to see distinctly the true image of what you are trying to draw4 ,i see the vision of all ,i paint--and ,i wish to heaven ,i could paint up to what ,i see4 ,,fuseli',s ,,sarcasms ,,on ,,northcote4 ,he loved especially to exercise his wit upon ,northcote4 ,he looked on his friend's painting of the ,angel meeting ,balaam and his ,ass4 ,how do you like it8 said the painter4 ,vastly1 ,northcote1 returned ,fuseli1 you are an angel at an ass--but an ass at an angel6 ,when ,northcote exhibited his ,judgment of ,solomon1 ,fuseli looked at it with a sarcastic smirk on his face4 ,how do you like my picture8 inquired ,northcote4 ,much was the answer--the action suits the word--,solomon holds out his fingers like a pair of open scissors at the child1 and says1 ',cut it4'--,i like it much6 ,northcote remembered this when ,fuseli exhibited a picture representing ,hercules drawing his arrow at ,pluto4 ,how do you like my picture8 inquired ,fuseli4 ,much6 said ,northcote--it is clever1 very clever1 but he'll never hit him4 ,he shall hit him1 exclaimed the other1 and that speedily4 ,away ran ,fuseli with his brush1 and as he labored to give the arrow the true direction1 was heard to mutter ,hit him6--by ,jupiter1 but he shall hit him6 ,,fuseli',s' ,,sarcasms ,,on ,,various ,,rival ,,artists4 ,he rarely spared any one1 and on ,nollekens he was frequently merciless2 he disliked him for his close and parsimonious nature1 and rarely failed to hit him under the fifth rib4 ,once1 at the table of ,mr4 ,coutts the banker1 ,mrs4 ,coutts1 dressed like ,morgiana1 came dancing in1 presenting her dagger at every breast4 ,as she confronted the sculptor1 ,fuseli called out1 ,strike--strike--there's no fear2 ,nolly was never known to bleed6 ,when ,blake1 a man infinitely more wild in conception than ,fuseli himself1 showed him one of his strange productions1 he said1 ,now some one has told you this is very fine4 ,yes1 said ,blake1 the ,virgin ,mary appeared to me and told me it was very fine2 what can you say to that8 ,say6 exclaimed ,fuseli1 why nothing--only her ladyship has not an immaculate taste4 ,fuseli had aided ,northcote and ,opie in obtaining admission to the ,academy1 and when he desired some station for himself1 he naturally expected their assistance--they voted against him1 and next morning went together to his house to offer an explanation4 ,he saw them coming--he opened the door as they were scraping their shoes1 and said1 ,come in--come in--for the love of heaven come in1 else you will ruin me entirely4 ,how so8 cried ,opie ,marry1 thus1 replied the other1 my neighbors over the way will see you1 and say1 ',fuseli's done1--for there's a bum bailiff1' he looked at ,opie1 'going to seize his person2 and a little ,jew broker1' he looked at ,northcote1 'going to take his furniture1--so come in ,i tell you--come in6' ,,fuseli',s ,,retorts4 ,one day1 during varnishing time in the exhibition1 an eminent portrait painter was at work on the hand of one of his pictures2 he turned to the ,keeper1 who was near him1 and said1 ,fuseli1 ,michael ,angelo never painted such a hand4 ,no1 by ,pluto1 retorted the other1 but you have1 many6 ,he had an inherent dislike to ,opie2 and some one1 to please ,fuseli1 said1 in allusion to the low characters in the historical pictures of the ,death of ,james ,i4 of ,scotland1 and the ,murder of ,david ,rizzio1 that ,opie could paint nothing but vulgarity and dirt4 ,if he paints nothing but dirt1 said ,fuseli1 he paints it like an angel4 ,one day1 a painter who had been a student during the keepership of ,wilton1 called and said1 ,the students1 sir1 don't draw so well now as they did under ,joe ,wilton4 ,very true1 replied ,fuseli1 anybody may draw here1 let them draw ever so bad--you may draw here1 if you please6 ,during the exhibition of his ,milton ,gallery1 a visitor accosted him1 mistaking him for the keeper--,those paintings1 sir1 are from ,paradise ,lost ,i hear1 and ,paradise ,lost was written by ,milton4 ,i have never read the poem1 but ,i shall do it now4 ,i would not advise you1 sir1 said the sarcastic artist1 you will find it an exceedingly tough job6 ,a person who desired to speak with the ,keeper of the ,academy1 followed so close upon the porter whose business it was to introduce him1 that he announced himself with1 ,i hope ,i don't intrude4 ,you do intrude1 said ,fuseli1 in a surly tone4 ,do ,i8 said the visitor2 then1 sir1 ,i will come to-morrow1 if you please4 ,no1 sir1 replied he1 don't come to-morrow1 for then you will intrude a second time3 tell me your business now6 ,a man of some station in society1 and who considered himself a powerful patron in art1 said at a public dinner1 where he was charmed with ,fuseli's conversation1 ,if you ever come my way1 ,fuseli1 ,i shall be happy to see you4 ,the painter instantly caught the patronizing1 self-important spirit of the invitation4 ,i thank you1 retorted he1 but ,i never go your way--,i never even go down your street1 although ,i often pass by the end of it6 ,,fuseli',s ,,suggestion ,,of ,,an ,,emblem ,,of ,,eternity ,looking upon a serpent with its tail in its mouth1 carved upon an exhibited monument as an emblem of ,eternity1 and a very commonplace one1 he said to the sculptor1 ,it won't do1 ,i tell you2 you must have something new4 ,the something new startled a man whose imagination was none of the brightest1 and he said1 ,how shall ,i find something new8 ,o1 nothing so easy1 said ,fuseli1 ,i'll help you to it4 ,when ,i went away to ,rome ,i left two fat men cutting fat bacon in ,st4 ,martin's ,lane2 in ten years' time ,i returned1 and found the two fat men cutting fat bacon still2 twenty years more have passed1 and there the two fat fellows cut the fat flitches the same as ever4 ,carve them6 if they look not like an image of eternity1 ,i wot not what does4 ,,fuseli',s ,,report ,,in ,,mr4 ,,coutts' ,,banking ,,house4 ,during the exhibition of his ,milton pictures1 he called at the banking house of ,mr4 ,coutts1 saying he was going out of town for a few days1 and wished to have some money in his pocket4 ,how much8 said one of the firm4 ,how much6 said ,fuseli1 why1 as much as twenty pounds2 and as it is a large sum1 and ,i don't wish to take your establishment by surprise1 ,i have called to give you a day's notice of it6 ,i thank you1 sir1 said the cashier1 imitating ,fuseli's own tone of irony1 we shall be ready for you--but as the town is thin and money scarce with us1 you will oblige me greatly by giving us a few orders to see your ,milton ,gallery--it will keep cash in our drawers1 and hinder your exhibition from being empty4 ,fuseli shook him heartily by the hand1 and cried1 ,blastation6 you shall have the tickets with all my heart2 ,i have had the opinion of the virtuosi1 the dilettanti1 the cognoscenti1 and the nobles and gentry on my pictures1 and ,i want now the opinion of the blackguards4 ,i shall send you and your friends a score of tickets1 and thank you too for taking them4 ,,fuseli',s ,,general ,,sarcasms ,,on ,,landscape ,,and ,,portrait ,,painters4 ,during the delivery of one of his lectures1 in which he calls landscape painters the topographers of art1 ,beechey admonished ,turner with his elbow of the severity of the sarcasm2 presently1 when ,fuseli described the patrons of portrait painting as men who would give a few guineas to have their own senseless heads painted1 and then assume the air and use the language of patrons1 ,turner administered a similar hint to ,beechey4 ,when the lecture was over1 ,beechey walked up to ,fuseli1 and said1 ,how sharply you have been cutting up us poor laborers in portraiture6 ,not you1 ,sir ,william1 exclaimed the professor1 ,i only spoke of the blasted fools who employ you6 ,,fuseli',s ,,opinion ,,of ,,his ,,own ,,attainment ,,of ,,happiness4 ,his life was not without disappointment1 but for upwards of eighty years he was free from sickness4 ,up to this period1 and even beyond it1 his spirits seemed inexhaustible2 he had enjoyed the world1 and obtained no little distinction2 nor was he insensible to the advantages which he had enjoyed4 ,i have been a happy man1 he said1 for ,i have always been well1 and always employed in doing what ,i liked--a boast which few men of genius can make4 ,when work with the pencil failed1 he lifted the pen2 and as he was ready and talented with both1 he was never obliged to fill up time with jobs that he disliked4 ,,fuseli',s ,,private ,,habits4 ,he was an early riser1 and generally sat down to breakfast with a book on entomology in his hand4 ,he ate and read1 and read and ate--regarding no one1 and speaking to no one4 ,he was delicate and abstemious1 and on gross feeders he often exercised the severity of his wit4 ,two meals a day were all he ventured on--he always avoided supper--the story of his having supped on raw pork-chops that he might dream his picture of the ,nightmare1 has no foundation4 ,indeed1 the dreams he delighted to relate were of the noblest kind1 and consisted of galleries of the fairest pictures and statues1 in which were walking the poets and painters of old4 ,having finished breakfast and noted down some remarks on entomology1 he went into his studio--painted till dinner time--dined hastily1 if at home1 and then resumed his labors1 or else forgot himself over ,homer1 or ,dante1 or ,shakspeare1 or ,milton1 till midnight4 ,,fuseli',s ,,wife',s ,,method ,,of ,,curing ,,his ,,fits ,,of ,,despondency4 ,he was subject to fits of despondency1 and during the continuance of such moods he sat with his beloved book on entomology upon his knee--touched now and then the breakfast cup with his lips1 and seemed resolutely bent on being unhappy4 ,in periods such as these it was difficult to rouse him1 and even dangerous4 ,mrs4 ,fuseli on such occasions ventured to become his monitress4 ,i know him well1 she said one morning to a friend who found him in one of his dark moods1 he will not come to himself till he is put into a passion--the storm then clears off1 and the man looks out serene4 ,oh no1 said her visitor1 let him alone for a while--he will soon think rightly4 ,he was spared till next morning--he came to the breakfast table in the same mood of mind4 ,now ,i must try what ,i can do1 said his wife to the same friend whom she had consulted the day before2 she now began to reason with her husband1 and soothe and persuade him2 he answered only by a forbidding look and a shrug of the shoulder4 ,she then boldly snatched away his book1 and dauntlessly abode the storm4 ,the storm was not long in coming--his own fiend rises up not more furiously from the side of ,eve than did the painter4 ,he glared on his friend and on his wife--uttered a deep imprecation--rushed up stairs and strode about his room in great agitation4 ,in a little while his steps grew more regular--he soon opened the door1 and descended to his labors all smiles and good humor4 ,fuseli's method of curing his wife's anger was not less original and characteristic4 ,she was a spirited woman1 and one day1 when she had wrought herself into a towering passion1 her sarcastic husband said1 ,sophia1 my love1 why don't you swear8 ,you don't know how much it would ease your mind4 ,,fuseli',s ,,personal ,,appearance1 ,,his ,,sarcastic ,,disposition1 ,,and ,,quick ,,temper4 ,fuseli was of low stature--his frame slim1 his forehead high1 and his eyes piercing and brilliant4 ,his look was proud1 wrapt up in sarcastic--his movements were quick1 and by an eager activity of manner he seemed desirous of occupying as much space as belonged to men of greater stature4 ,his voice was loud and commanding--nor had he learned much of the art of winning his way by gentleness and persuasion--he was more anxious as to say pointed and stinging things1 than solicitous about their accuracy2 and he had much pleasure in mortifying his brethren of the easel with his wit1 and over whelming them with his knowledge4 ,he was too often morose and unamiable--habitually despising those who were not his friends1 and not unapt to dislike even his best friends1 if they retorted his wit1 or defended themselves successfully against his satire4 ,in dispute he was eager1 fierce1 unsparing1 and often precipitated himself into angry discussions with the ,council1 which1 however1 always ended in peace and good humor--for he was as placable as passionate4 ,on one occasion he flew into his own room in a storm of passion1 and having cooled and come to himself1 was desirous to return2 the door was locked and the key gone2 his fury overflowed all bounds4 ,sam6 he shouted to the porter1 ,sam ,strowager1 they have locked me in like a blasted wild beast--bring crowbars and break open the door4 ,the porter--a sagacious old man1 who knew the trim of the ,keeper--whispered through the keyhole1 ,feel in your pocket1 sir1 for the key6 ,he did so1 and unlocking the door with a loud laugh exclaimed1 ,what a fool6--never mind--,i'll to the ,council1 and soon show them they are greater asses than myself4 ,,fuseli',s ,,near ,,sight4 ,fuseli was so near-sighted that he was obliged to retire from his easel to a distance and examine his labors by means of an opera-glass1 then return and retouch1 and retire again to look4 ,his weakness of sight was well known1 and one of the students1 in revenge for some satirical strictures1 placed a bench in his way1 over which he nearly fell4 ,bless my soul1 said the ,keeper1 ,i must put spectacles on my shins6 ,,fuseli',s ,,popularity4 ,notwithstanding his sarcastic temper1 and various peculiarities1 ,fuseli was generally liked1 and by none more than by the students who were so often made the objects of his satire4 ,they were sensible that he was assiduous in instruction1 that he was very learned and very skilful1 and that he allowed no one else to take liberties with their conduct or their pursuits4 ,he had a wonderful tact in singling out the most intellectual of the pupils2 he was the first to notice ,lawrence1 and at the very outset of ,wilkie1 he predicted his future eminence4 ,,fuseli',s ,,artistic ,,merits4 ,the following critique from the pen of ,allan ,cunningham1 gives a good idea of ,fuseli's abilities as an artist4 ,his main wish was to startle and astonish4 ,it was his ambition to be called ,fuseli the daring and the imaginative1 the illustrator of ,milton and ,shakspeare1 the rival of ,michael ,angelo4 ,his merits are of no common order4 ,he was no timid or creeping adventurer in the region of art1 but a man peculiarly bold and daring--who rejoiced only in the vast1 the wild1 and the wonderful1 and loved to measure himself with any subject1 whether in the heaven above1 the earth beneath1 or the waters under the earth4 ,the domestic and humble realities of life he considered unworthy of his pencil1 and employed it only on those high or terrible themes where imagination may put forth all her strength1 and fancy scatter all her colors4 ,he associated only with the demi-gods of verse1 and roamed through ,homer1 and ,dante1 and ,shakspeare1 and ,milton1 in search of subjects worthy of his hand2 he loved to grapple with whatever he thought too weighty for others2 and assembling round him the dim shapes which imagination readily called forth1 he sat brooding over the chaos1 and tried to bring the whole into order and beauty4 ,his coloring is like his design2 original2 it has a kind of supernatural hue1 which harmonizes with many of his subjects--the spirits of the other world and the hags of hell are steeped in a kind of kindred color1 which becomes their natural characters4 ,his notion of color suited the wildest of his subjects2 and the hue of ,satan and the lustre of ,hamlet's ,ghost are part of the imagination of those supernatural shapes4 ,,fuseli',s ,,milton ,,gallery1 ,,the ,,character ,,of ,,his ,,works1 ,,and ,,the ,,permanency ,,of ,,his ,,fame4 ,the magnificent plan of the ,milton ,gallery originated with ,fuseli1 was countenanced by ,johnson the bookseller1 and supported by the genius of ,cowper1 who undertook to prepare an edition of ,milton1 with translations of his ,latin and ,italian poems4 ,the pictures were to have been engraved1 and introduced as embellishments to the work4--,the ,gallery was commenced in #agia1 and completed in #ahjj1 containing forty-seven pictures4 ,out of the seventy exhibited paintings1 says ,cunningham1 on which he reposed his hopes of fame1 not one can be called commonplace--they are all poetical in their nature1 and as poetically treated4 ,some twenty of these alarm1 startle1 and displease2 twenty more may come within the limits of common comprehension2 the third twenty are such as few men could produce1 and deserve a place in the noblest collections2 while the remaining ten are equal in conception to anything that genius has hitherto produced1 and second only in their execution to the true and recognised masterpieces of art4 ,it cannot be denied1 however1 that a certain air of extravagance and a desire to stretch and strain1 are visible in most of his works4 ,a common mind1 having no sympathy with his soaring1 perceives his defects at once1 and ranks him with the wild and unsober--a poetic mind will not allow the want of serenity and composure to extinguish the splendor of the conception2 but whilst it notes the blemish1 will feel the grandeur of the work4 ,the approbation of high minds fixes the degree of fame to which genius of all degrees is entitled1 and the name of ,fuseli is safe4 ,,salvator ,,rosa4 ,this celebrated painter was born at ,renella1 a small village near ,naples1 in #afae4 ,there is so much fiction mingled with his early history1 that it is impossible to arrive at the truth4 ,it is certain1 however1 that he commenced the study of painting under his brother-in-law1 ,francesco ,fracanzani1 that he passed his early days in poverty1 that he was compelled to support himself by his pencil1 and that he exposed his juvenile performances for sale in the public markets1 and often sold them to the dealers for the most paltry prices4 ,,salvator ,,rosa ,,and ,,cav4 ,,lanfranco4 ,to the honor of ,cav4 ,lanfranco1 it is related that while riding in his carriage one day along the streets of ,naples1 he observed one of ,salvator's pictures exposed for sale in a shop window1 and surprised at the uncommon genius which it displayed1 he purchased the picture1 and inquired the name of the young artist4 ,the picture dealer1 who had probably found ,salvator's necessities quite profitable to himself1 refused to communicate the desired information1 whereupon ,lanfranco directed his scholars to watch for his pictures1 and seek him out4 ,when he had found him1 he generously relieved his wants1 and encouraged him in the pursuit of his studies4 ,after receiving some instructions from ,aniello ,falcone1 an eminent painter of battle-pieces1 he was admitted1 through the influence of ,lanfranco1 into the academy of ,giuseppe ,ribera1 called ,il ,spagnoletto1 and remained there until the age of twenty1 when he accompanied that master to ,rome4 ,,salvator ,,rosa ,,at ,,rome ,,and ,,florence4 ,the ,cardinal ,brancacci1 having become acquainted with the merits of ,salvator ,rosa at ,naples1 took him under his protection1 and conducted him to his bishopric of ,viterbo1 where he painted several historical works1 and an altar-piece for the cathedral1 representing the ,incredulity of ,st4 ,thomas4 ,on his return to ,rome1 the prince ,gio4 ,carlo de' ,medici employed him to execute several important works1 and afterwards invited him to ,florence4 ,during a residence of nine years in that city1 he greatly distinguished himself as a painter1 and also as a satirical and dramatic poet2 his ,satires1 composed in ,florence1 have passed through several editions4 ,his wit1 lively disposition1 and unusual conversational powers1 drew around him many choice spirits1 and his house was the great centre of attraction for the connoisseurs and literati of ,florence4 ,he fitted up a private theatre1 and was accustomed to perform the principal parts in his comedies1 in which he displayed extraordinary talents4 ,he painted many of his choicest pictures for the ,grand ,duke1 who nobly rewarded him2 also for the noble family of the ,maffei1 for their palace at ,volterra4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,return ,,to ,,rome4 ,after ,salvator ,rosa's return to ,rome from ,florence1 he demanded exorbitant prices for his works1 and though his greatest talent lay in landscape painting1 he affected to despise that branch1 being ambitious of shining as an historical painter4 ,he painted some altar-pieces and other subjects for the churches1 the chief of which are four pictures in ,s4 ,maria di ,monte ,santo1 representing ,daniel in the ,lions' ,den1 ,tobit and the ,angel1 the ,resurrection of ,christ1 and the ,raising of ,lazarus2 the ,martyrdom of ,st4 ,cosimo and ,st4 ,damiano1 in the church of ,s4 ,giovanni4 ,the brightest era of landscape painting is said with truth to have been in the time of ,pope ,urban ,,viii41 when flourished ,claude ,lorraine1 ,gaspar ,poussin1 and ,salvator ,rosa4 ,of these1 ,salvator was the most distinguished1 though certainly not the best2 each was the head of a perfectly original school1 which had many followers1 and each observed nature on the side in which he felt impelled to imitate her4 ,the first admired and represented nature in her sweetest appearance2 the second1 in her most gorgeous array2 and the third in her most convulsed and terrific aspects4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,subjects4 ,salvator ,rosa painted history1 landscape1 battle-pieces1 and sea-ports2 and of these he was most eminent in landscape4 ,the scholar of ,spagnoletto1 he attached himself to the strong natural style and dark coloring of that master1 which well accords with his subjects4 ,in his landscapes1 instead of selecting the cultured amenity which captivates in the views of ,claude or ,poussin1 he made choice of the lonely haunts of wolves and robbers2 instead of the delightful vistas of ,tivoli and the ,campagna1 he adopted the savage scenery of the ,alps1 rocky precipices1 caves with wild thickets and desert plains2 his trees are shattered1 or torn up by the roots1 and in the atmosphere itself he seldom introduced a cheerful hue1 except occasionally a solitary sunbeam4 ,these gloomy regions are peopled with congenial inhabitants1 ferocious banditti1 assassins1 and outlaws4 ,in his marines1 he followed the same taste2 they represent the desolate and shelvy shores of ,calabria1 whose dreary aspect is sometimes heightened by terrific tempests1 with all the horrors of shipwreck4 ,his battles and attacks of cavalry also partake of the same principle of wild beauty2 the fury of the combatants1 and the fiery animation of the horses are depicted with a truth and effect that strikes the mind with horror4 ,notwithstanding the singularity and fierceness of his style1 he captivates by the unbounded wildness of his fancy1 and the picturesque solemnity of his scenes4 ,salvator ,rosa wrought with wonderful facility1 and could paint a well finished landscape and insert all the figures in one day2 it is impossible to inspect one of his bold1 rapid sketches1 without being struck with the fertility of his invention1 and the skill of hand that rivalled in execution the activity of his mind4 ,he was also an excellent portrait painter4 ,a portrait of himself is in the church degli ,angeli1 where his remains were interred1 and he introduced his own portrait into several of his pictures1 one of which is in the ,chigi gallery1 representing a wild scene with a poet in a sitting attitude1 7with the features of ,salvator72 before him stands a satyr1 allusive to his satiric style of poetry4 ,during his life-time1 his works were much sought after by princes and nobles1 and they are now to be found in the choicest collections of ,italy and of ,europe4 ,there is a landscape in the ,english ,national ,gallery which cost #ahjj guineas2 a picture in the collection of ,sir ,mark ,sykes brought the enormous sum of #bajj guineas4 ,,flagellation ,,of ,,salvator ,,rosa4 ,it happened one day that ,salvator ,rosa1 in his youth1 on his way to mass1 brought with him by mistake1 his bundle of burned sticks1 with which he used to draw1 instead of his mother's brazen clasped missal2 and in passing along the magnificent cloisters of the great church of the ,certosa at ,naples1 sacred alike to religion and the arts1 he applied them between the interstices of its ,doric columns to the only unoccupied space on the pictured walls4 ,history has not detailed what was the subject which occupied his attention on this occasion1 but he was working away with all the ardor which his enthusiastic genius inspired1 when unfortunately the ,prior1 issuing with his train from the choir1 caught the hapless painter in the very act of scrawling on those sacred walls which required all the influence of the greatest masters to get leave to ornament4 ,the sacrilegious temerity of the boy artist1 called for instant and exemplary punishment4 ,unluckily too1 for the little offender1 this happened in ,lent1 the season in which the rules of the rigid ,chartreuse oblige the prior and procurator to flagellate all the frati1 or lay brothers of the convent4 ,they were1 therefore1 armed for their wonted pious discipline1 when the miserable ,salvatoriello fell in their way2 whether he was honored by the consecrated hand of the prior1 or writhed under the scourge of the procurator1 does not appear2 but that he was chastised with great severity more than proportioned to his crime1 is attested by one of the most scrupulous of his biographers1 ,pascoli1 who1 though he dwells lightly on the fact1 as he does on others of more importance1 confesses that he suffered severely from the monks' flagellation4 ,,salvator ,,rosa ,,and ,,the ,,higgling ,,prince4 ,a ,roman prince1 more notorious for his pretensions to virtu than for his liberality to artists1 sauntering one day in ,salvator's gallery1 in the ,via ,babbuina1 paused before one of his landscapes1 and after a long contemplation of its merits1 exclaimed1 ,salvator mio6 ,i am strongly tempted to purchase this picture3 tell me at once the lowest price4--,two hundred scudi1 replied ,salvator1 carelessly4 ,two hundred scudi6 ,ohime6 that is a price6 but we'll talk of that another time4 ,the illustrissimo took his leave2 but bent upon having the picture1 he shortly returned1 and again inquired the lowest price4 ,three hundred scudi6 was the sullen reply4 ,carpo di bacco6 cried the astonished prince2 mi burla1 vostra signoria2 you are joking6 ,i see ,i must e'en wait upon your better humor2 and so addio1 ,signor ,rosa4 ,the next day brought back the prince to the painter's gallery2 who1 on entering1 saluted ,salvator with a jocose air1 and added1 ,well1 ,signor ,amico1 how goes the market to-day8 ,have prices risen or fallen8 ,four hundred scudi is the price to-day6 replied ,salvator1 with affected calmness2 when suddenly giving way to his natural impetuosity1 and no longer stifling his indignation1 he burst forth3 ,the fact is1 your excellency shall not now obtain this picture from me at any price2 and yet so little do ,i value its merits1 that ,i deem it worthy no better fate than this2 and snatching the panel on which it was painted from the wall1 he flung it to the ground1 and with his foot broke it into a hundred pieces4 ,his excellency made an unceremonious retreat1 and returned no more to the enraged painter's studio4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,opinion ,,of ,,his ,,own ,,works4 ,while a ,roman nobleman was one day endeavoring to drive a hard bargain with ,salvator ,rosa1 he coolly interrupted him1 saying that1 till the picture was finished1 he himself did not know its value2 ,i never bargain1 sir1 with my pencil2 for it knows not the value of its own labor before the work is finished4 ,when the picture is done1 ,i will let you know what it costs1 and you may then take it or not as you please4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,banditti4 ,there is an etching by ,salvator ,rosa1 which seems so plainly to tell the story of the wandering artist's captivity1 that it merits a particular description4 ,in the midst of wild1 rocky scenery1 appears a group of banditti1 armed at all points1 and with all sorts of arms2 they are lying in careless attitudes1 but with fierce countenances1 around a youthful prisoner1 who forms the foreground figure1 and is seated on a rock1 with his languid limbs hanging over the precipice1 which may be supposed to yawn beneath4 ,it is impossible to describe the despair depicted in this figure3 it is marked in his position1 in the drooping of his head1 which his nerveless arms seem with difficulty to support1 and the little that may be seen of his face1 over which1 from his recumbent attitude1 his hair falls in luxuriant profusion4 ,all is alike destitute of energy and of hope1 which the beings grouped around the captive seem to have banished forever by some sentence recently pronounced2 yet there is one who watches over the fate of the young victim3 a woman stands immediately behind him1 with her hand stretched out1 while her fore finger1 resting on his head1 marks him as the subject of discourse which she addresses to the listening bandits4 ,her figure1 which is erect is composed of those bold1 straight lines1 which in art and nature1 constitute the grand4 ,even the fantastic cap or turban1 from which her long dishevelled hair has escaped1 has no curve of grace2 and her drapery partakes of the same rigid forms4 ,her countenance is full of stern melancholy--the natural character of one whose feelings and habits are at variance2 whose strong passions may have flung her out of the pale of society1 but whose womanly sympathies still remain unchanged4 ,she is artfully pleading for the life of the youth1 by contemptuously noting his insignificance2 but she commands while she soothes4 ,she is evidently the mistress or the wife of the chief1 in whoso absence an act of vulgar violence may be meditated4 ,the youth's life is saved3 for that cause rarely fails1 to which a woman brings the omnipotence of her feelings4 ,,salvator ,,rosa ,,and ,,massaniello4 ,it was during the residence of ,salvator ,rosa in ,naples1 that the memorable popular tumult under ,massaniello took place2 and our painter was persuaded by his former master1 ,aniello ,falcone1 to become one of an adventurous set of young men1 principally painters1 who had formed themselves into a band for the purpose of taking revenge on the ,spaniards1 and were called ,la ,compagna della ,morte4 ,the tragical fate of ,massaniello1 however1 soon dispersed these heroes2 and ,rosa1 fearing he might be compelled to take a similar part in that fatal scene1 sought safety by flight1 and took refuge in ,rome4 ,,salvator ,,rosa ,,and ,,cardinal ,,sforza4 ,salvator ,rosa is said never to have suffered the rank or office of his auditors to interfere with the freedom of his expressions in his poetic recitations4 ,cardinal ,sforza ,pullavicini1 one of the most generous patrons of the fine arts1 and a rigid critic of his day1 was curious to hear the improvisatore of the ,via ,babbuina1 and sent an invitation requesting ,salvator's company at his palace4 ,salvator frankly declared that two conditions were annexed to his accepting the honor of his ,eminence's acquaintance2 first1 that the ,cardinal should come to his house1 as he never recited in any other2 and second1 that he should not object to any passage1 the omission of which would detract from the original character of his work1 or compromise his own sincerity4 ,the ,cardinal accepted the conditions4 ,the next day all the literary coxcombs of ,rome crowded to the levee of the hypercritical prelate to learn his opinion of the poet1 whose style was without precedent4 ,the ,cardinal declared1 with a justice which posterity has sanctioned1 that ,salvator's poetry was full of splendid passages1 but that1 as a whole1 it was unequal4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,manifesto ,,concerning ,,his ,,satirical ,,picture ,,la ,,fortuna4 ,in ,salvator ,rosa's celebrated picture of ,la ,fortuna1 the nose of one powerful ecclesiastic1 and the eye of another were detected in the brutish physiognomy of the swine treading upon pearls1 and in an ass1 scattering with his hoofs the laurel and myrtle which lay in his path2 and in an old goat1 reposing on roses1 some there were1 who even fancied they discovered the ,infallible ,lover of ,donna ,olympia1 the ,sultana1 queen of the ,quirinal6 ,the cry of atheism and sedition--of contempt of established authorities--was thus raised under the influence of private pique and long-cherished envy3 it soon found an echo in the painted walls where the conclave sat in close divan1 and it was handed about from mouth to mouth1 till it reached the ears of the ,inquisitor1 within the dark recesses of his house of terror4 ,a cloud was now gathering over the head of the devoted ,salvator which it seemed no human power could avert4 ,but ere the bolt fell1 his fast and tried friend ,don ,maria ,ghigi threw himself between his protg and the horrible fate which awaited him1 by forcing the sullen satirist to draw up an apology1 or rather an explanation of his offensive picture4 ,this explanation1 bearing title of a ,manifesto1 he obtained permission to present to those powerful and indignant persons in whose hands the fate of ,salvator now lay2 ,rosa explained away all that was supposed to be personal in his picture1 and proved that his hogs were not churchmen1 his mules pretending pedants1 his asses ,roman nobles1 and his birds and beasts of prey the reigning despots of ,italy4 ,his imprudence however1 subsequently raised such a storm that he was obliged to quit ,rome1 when he fled to ,florence4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,banishment ,,from ,,rome4 ,salvator ,rosa secretly deplored his banishment from ,rome2 and his impatience at being separated from ,carlo ,rossi and some other of his friends1 was so great that he narrowly escaped losing his liberty to obtain an interview with them4 ,about three years after his arrival in ,florence1 he took post-horses1 and at midnight set off for ,rome4 ,having reached the gardens of the ,vigna ,navicella1 and bribed the custode to lend them for a few hours1 and otherwise to assist him1 he dispatched a circular billet to eighteen of his friends1 supplicating them to give him a rendezvous at the ,navicella4 ,each believed that ,salvator had fallen into some new difficulty1 which had obliged him to fly from ,florence1 and all attended his summons4 ,he received them at the head of a well furnished table1 embraced them with tenderness1 feasted them sumptuously1 and then mounting his horse1 returned to ,florence before his ,roman persecutors or ,tuscan friends were aware of his adventure4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,wit4 ,salvator ,rosa exhibited a clever picture1 the work of an amateur by profession a surgeon1 which had been rejected by the academicians of ,st4 ,luke4 ,the artists came in crowds to see it2 and by those who were ignorant of the painter1 it was highly praised4 ,on being asked who had painted it by some one1 ,salvator replied1 ,it was performed by a person whom the great academicians of ,st4 ,luke thought fit to scorn1 because his ordinary profession was that of a surgeon4 ,but 7continued he71 ,i think they have not acted wisely2 for if they had admitted him into their academy1 they would have had the advantage of his services in setting the broken and distorted limbs that so frequently occur in their exhibitions4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,reception ,,at ,,florence4 ,the departure of ,salvator ,rosa from ,rome was an escape3 his arrival in ,florence was a triumph4 ,the ,grand ,duke and the princes of his house received him1 not as an hireling1 but as one whose genius placed him beyond the possibility of dependence4 ,an annual income was assigned to him during his residence in ,florence1 in the service of the court1 besides a stipulated price for each of his pictures3 and he was left perfectly unconstrained and at liberty to paint for whom he pleased4 ,,histrionic ,,powers ,,of ,,salvator ,,rosa4 ,in #afdg1 ,salvator ,rosa received an invitation to repair to the court of ,tuscany1 of which he availed himself the more willingly1 as by the machinations of his enemies1 he was in great danger of being thrown into prison4 ,at ,florence he met with the most flattering reception1 not only at the court and among the nobility1 but among the literary men and eminent painters with which that city abounded4 ,his residence soon became the rendezvous of all who were distinguished for their talents1 and who afterwards formed themselves into an academy1 to which they gave the title of ,i4 ,percossi4 ,salvator1 during the carnivals1 frequently displayed his abilities as a comic actor1 and with such success1 that when he and a friend of his 7a ,bolognese merchant1 who1 though sixty years old1 regularly left his business three months in the year1 for the sole pleasure of performing with ,rosa7 played the parts of ,dottore ,graziano and ,pascariello1 the laughter and applause of their audience were so excessive as often to interrupt their performance for a length of time4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,reception ,,at ,,the ,,palazzo ,,pitti4 ,the character1 in fact the manners and the talents of ,salvator ,rosa came out in strong relief1 as opposed to the servile deportment and mere professional acquirements of the herd of artists of all nations then under the protection of the ,medici4 ,he was received at the ,palazzo ,pitti not only as a distinguished artist1 but as a guest2 and the ,medici1 at whose board ,pulci 7in the time of their ,magnifico7 had sung his ,morgante ,maggiore with the fervor of a rhapsodist1 now received at their table another improvisatore1 with equal courtesy and graciousness4 ,the ,tuscan nobility1 in imitation of the court1 and in the desire to possess ,salvator's pictures1 treated him with singular honor4 ,,satires ,,of ,,salvator ,,rosa4 ,the boldness and rapidity of ,salvator ,rosa's pencil1 aided by the fertility of his highly poetical imagination1 enabled him to paint an immense number of pictures while he was at ,florence2 but not finding sufficient leisure to follow his other pursuits1 he retired to ,volterra1 after having resided at ,florence nine years1 respected and beloved by all who knew him4 ,the three succeeding years were passed in the family of the ,maffei1 alternately at ,volterra and their villa at ,monte ,ruffoli1 in which time he completed his ,satires1 except the ,sixth1 ,l',invidia2 which was written after the publication of the others4 ,he also painted several portraits for the ,maffei1 and among others one of himself1 which was afterwards presented to the ,grand ,duke of ,tuscany1 and placed in the ,royal ,gallery at ,florence4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,harpsichord4 ,salvator ,rosa's confidence in his own powers was as frankly confessed as it was justified by success4 ,happening one day to be found by a friend in ,florence1 in the act of modulating on a very indifferent old harpsichord1 he was asked how he could keep such an instrument in his house4 ,why1 said his friend1 it is not worth a scudo4 ,i will wager what you please1 said ,salvator1 that it shall be worth a thousand before you see it again4 ,a bet was made1 and ,rosa immediately painted a landscape with figures on the lid1 which was not only sold for a thousand scudi1 but was esteemed a capital performance4 ,on one end of the harpsichord he also painted a skull and music-books4 ,both these pictures were exhibited in the year #ahbc at the ,british ,institution4 ,,rare ,,portrait ,,by ,,salvator ,,rosa4 ,while ,salvator ,rosa was on a visit to ,florence1 and refused all applications for his pictures he was accidentally taken in to paint what he so rarely condescended to do a portrait4 ,there lived in ,florence a good old dame of the name of ,anna ,gaetano1 of some celebrity for keeping a notable inn1 over the door of which was inscribed in large letters1 ,al buon vino non bisogna fruscia 7good wine needs no bush74 ,but it was not the good wines alone of ,madonna ,anna that drew to her house some of the most distinguished men of ,florence1 and made it particularly the resort of the ,cavaliere ,oltramontani--her humor was as racy as her wine2 and many of the men of wit and pleasure about town were in the habit of lounging in the ,sala ,commune of ,dame ,gaetano1 merely for the pleasure of drawing her out4 ,among these were ,lorenzo ,lippi and ,salvator ,rosa2 and1 although this ,tuscan ,dame ,quickly was in her seventieth year1 hideously ugly1 and grotesquely dressed1 yet she was so far from esteeming her age an antidote to the tender passion1 that she distinguished ,salvator ,rosa by a preference1 which deemed itself not altogether hopeless of return4 ,emboldened by his familiarity and condescension1 she had the vanity to solicit him to paint her portrait1 that she might1 she said1 reach posterity by the hand of the greatest master of the age4 ,salvator at first received her proposition as a joke2 but perpetually teased by her reiterated importunities1 and provoked by her pertinacity1 he at last exclaimed1 ,well1 ,madonna1 ,i have resolved to comply with your desire2 but with this agreement1 that1 not to distract my mind during my work1 ,i desire you will not move from your seat until ,i have finished the picture4 ,madonna1 willing to submit to any penalty in order to obtain an honor which was to immortalize her charms1 joyfully agreed to the proposition2 and ,salvator1 sending for an easel and painting materials1 drew her as she sat before him1 to the life4 ,the portrait was dashed off with the usual rapidity and spirit of the master1 and was a chef d'oeuvre4 ,but when at last the vain and impatient hostess was permitted to look upon it1 she perceived that to a strong and inveterate likeness the painter had added a long beard2 and that she figured on the canvas as an ancient male pilgrim--a character admirably suited to her furrowed face1 weather-beaten complexion1 strong lineaments1 and grey hairs4 ,her mortified vanity vented itself in the most violent abuse of the ungallant painter1 in rich ,tuscan ,billingsgate4 ,salvator1 probably less annoyed by her animosity than disgusted by her preference1 called upon some of her guests to judge between them4 ,the artists saw only the merits of the picture1 the laughers looked only to the joke4 ,the value affixed to the exquisite portrait soon reconciled the vanity of the original through her interest4 ,after the death of ,madonna ,anna1 her portrait was sold by her heirs at an enormous price1 and is said to be still in existence4--,lady ,morgan4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,return ,,to ,,rome4 ,at the time of ,salvator ,rosa's return to ,rome says ,pascoli1 he figured away as the great painter1 opening his house to all his friends1 who came from all parts to visit him1 and among others1 ,antonio ,abbati1 who had resided for many years in ,germany4 ,this old acquaintance of the poor ,salvatoriello of the ,chiesa della ,morte at ,viterbo1 was not a little amazed to find his patient and humble auditor of former times one of the most distinguished geniuses and hospitable ,amphitryons of the day4 ,pascoli gives a curious picture of the prevailing pedantry of the times1 by describing a discourse of ,antonio ,abbati's at ,salvator's dinner-table1 on the superior merits of the ancient painters over the moderns1 in which he bestowed all the tediousness of his erudition on the company4 ,salvator answered him in his own style1 and having overturned all his arguments in favor of antiquity with more learning than they had been supported1 ended with an impromptu epigram1 in his usual way1 which brought the laugher's on his side4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,love ,,of ,,magnificence4 ,salvator ,rosa was fond of splendor and ostentatious display4 ,he courted admiration from whatever source it could be obtained1 and even sought it by means to which the frivolous and the vain are supposed alone to resort4 ,he is described1 therefore1 as returning to ,rome1 from which he had made so perilous and furtive an escape1 in a showy and pompous equipage1 with servants in rich liveries1 armed with silver hafted swords1 and otherwise well accoutred4 ,the beautiful ,lucrezia1 as sua ,governante1 accompanied him1 and the little ,rosalvo gave no scandal in a society where the instructions of religion substitute license for legitimate indulgence4 ,immediately on his arrival in ,rome1 ,salvator fixed upon one of the loveliest of her hills for his residence1 and purchased a handsome house upon the ,monte ,pincio1 on the ,piazza della ,trinit del ,monte--which1 says ,pascoli1 he furnished with noble and rich furniture1 establishing himself on the great scale1 and in a lordly manner4 ,a site more favorable than the ,pincio1 for a man of ,salvator's taste and genius1 could scarcely be imagined1 commanding at once within the scope of its vast prospect1 picturesque views1 and splendid monuments of the most important events in the history of man--the ,capitol and the ,campus ,martius1 the groves of the ,quirinal and the cupola of ,st4 ,peter's1 the ruined palaces of the ,csars1 and sumptuous villas of the sons of the reigning church4 ,such was then1 as now1 the range of unrivalled objects which the ,pincio commanded2 but the noble terrace smoothed over its acclivities1 which recalled the memory of ,aurelian and the feast of ,belisarius1 presented at that period a far different aspect from that which it now offers4 ,everything in this enchanting sight was then fresh and splendid2 the halls of the ,villa ,medici1 which at present only echo to the steps of a few ,french students or ,english travelers1 were then the bustling and splendid residence of the old intriguing ,cardinal ,carlo de ,medici1 called the ,cardinal of ,tuscany1 whose followers and faction were perpetually going to and fro1 mingling their showy uniforms and liveries with the sober vestments of the neighboring monks of the convent della ,trinit6 ,the delicious groves and gardens of the ,villa de ,medici then covered more than two ,english miles1 and amidst cypress shades and shrubberies1 watered by clear springs1 and reflected in translucent fountains1 stood exposed to public gaze all that now form the most precious treasures of the ,florentine ,gallery--the ,niobe1 the ,wrestlers1 the ,apollo1 the ,vase1 and above all1 the ,venus of ,venuses1 which has derived its distinguishing appellation from these gardens1 of which it was long the boast and ornament4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,last ,,works4 ,the last performances of ,salvator's pencil were a collection of portraits of obnoxious persons in ,rome--in other words1 a series of caricatures1 by which he would have an opportunity of giving vent to his satirical genius2 but whilst he was engaged on his own portrait1 intending it as the concluding one of the series he was attacked with a dropsy1 which in the course of a few months brought him to the grave4 ,,salvator ,,rosa',s ,,desire ,,to ,,be ,,considered ,,an ,,historical ,,painter4 ,salvator ,rosa's greatest talent lay in landscape painting1 a branch which he affected to despise1 as he was ambitious of being called an historical painter4 ,hence he called his wild scenes1 with small figures merely accessory1 historical paintings1 and was offended if others called them landscapes4 ,pascoli relates that ,prince ,francisco ,ximenes1 soon after his arrival at ,rome1 in the midst of the honors paid him1 found time to visit the studio of ,salvator ,rosa1 who showed him into his gallery4 ,the ,prince frankly said1 ,i have come1 ,signor ,rosa1 for the purpose of seeing and purchasing some of those beautiful landscapes1 whose subjects and manner have delighted me in many foreign collections4--,be it known then1 to your excellency1 interrupted ,salvator impetuously1 that ,i know nothing of landscape painting4 ,something indeed ,i do know of painting figures and historical subjects1 which ,i strive to exhibit to such eminent judges as yourself1 in order that1 once for all1 ,i may banish from the public mind that fantastic humor of supposing ,i am a landscape and not an historical painter4 ,at another time1 a very rich 7ricchissimo7 ,cardinal called on ,salvator to purchase some of his pictures ,as he walked up and down the gallery1 he paused before the landscapes1 but only glanced at the historical subjects1 while ,salvator muttered from time to time1 sempre1 sempre1 paesi piccoli1 7always1 always1 some little landscape47 ,when1 at length1 the ,cardinal carelessly glanced his eye over one of ,salvator's great historical pictures1 and asked the price1 as a sort of introduction1 the painter bellowed out1 un milione2 his ,eminence1 justly offended1 made an unceremonious retreat without making his intended purchases1 and returned no more4 ,,don ,,mario ,,ghigi1 ,,his ,,physician1 ,,and ,,salvator ,,rosa4 7,from ,lady ,morgan's ,life of ,salvator ,rosa47 ,the princes of the family of ,ghigi had been among the first of the aristocratic virtuosi of ,rome to acknowledge the merits of ,salvator ,rosa1 as their ancestors had been to appreciate the genius of ,raffaelle4 ,between the ,prince ,don ,mario ,ghigi1 7whose brother ,fabio was raised to the pontifical throne by the name of ,alexander ,,vii47 and ,salvator1 there seems to have existed a personal intimacy2 and the prince's fondness for the painter's conversation was such1 that during a long illness he induced ,salvator to bring his easel to his bedside1 and to work in his chamber at a small picture he was then painting for the prince4 ,it happened1 that while ,rosa was sketching and chatting by the prince's couch1 one of the most fashionable physicians in ,rome entered the apartment4 ,he appears to have been one of those professional coxcombs1 whose pretensions1 founded on unmerited vogue1 throws ridicule on the gravest calling4 ,after some trite remarks upon the art1 the doctor1 either to flatter ,salvator1 or in imitation of the physician of the ,cardinal ,colonna1 who asked for one of ,raffaelle's finest pictures as a fee for saving the ,cardinal's life1 requested ,don ,mario to give him a picture by ,salvator as a remuneration for his attendance4 ,the prince willingly agreed to the proposal2 and the doctor1 debating on the subject he should choose1 turned to ,salvator and begged that he would not lay pencil to canvas1 until he1 the ,signor ,dottore1 should find leisure to dictate to him il pensiero e concetto della sua pittura1 the idea and conceit of his picture6 ,salvator bowed a modest acquiescence1 and went on with his sketch4 ,the doctor having gone the round of professional questions with his wonted pomposity1 rose to write his prescription2 when1 as he sat before the table with eyes upturned1 and pen suspended over the paper1 ,salvator approached him on tiptoe1 and drawing the pen gently through his fingers1 with one of his old ,coviello gesticulations in his character of the mountebank1 he said1 fermati dottor mio6 stop doctor1 you must not lay pen to paper till ,i have leisure to dictate the idea and conceit of the prescription ,i may think proper for the malady of his ,excellency4 ,diavalo6 cried the amazed physician1 you dictate a prescription6 why1 ,i am the prince's physician1 and not you6 ,and ,i1 ,caro1 said ,salvator1 am a painter1 and not you4 ,i leave it to the prince whether ,i could not prove myself a better physician than you a painter2 and write a better prescription than you paint a picture4 ,the prince1 much amused1 decided in favor of the painter2 ,salvator coolly resumed his pencil1 and the medical cognoscente permitted the idea of the picture to die away1 sul proprio letto4 ,,death ,,of ,,salvator ,,rosa4 ,salvator ,rosa1 in his last illness1 demanded of the priests and others that surrounded him1 what they required of him4 ,they replied1 in the first instance to receive the sacrament as it is administered in ,rome to the dying4 ,to receive the sacrament1 says his confessor1 ,baldovini1 he showed no repugnance1 but he vehemently and positively refused to allow the host1 with all the solemn pomp of its procession1 to be brought to his house1 which he deemed unworthy of the divine presence4 ,he objected to the ostentation of the ceremony1 to its clat1 to the noise and bustle1 smoke and heat it would create in the close sick chamber4 ,he appears to have objected to more than it was discreet to object to in ,rome3 and all that his family and his confessor could extort from him on the subject was1 that he would permit himself to be carried from his bed to the parish church1 and there1 with the humility of a contrite heart1 would consent to receive the sacrament at the foot of the altar4 ,as immediate death might have been the consequence of this act of indiscretion1 his family1 who were scarcely less interested for a life so precious1 than for the soul which was the object of their pious apprehensions1 gave up the point altogether2 and on account of the vehemence with which ,salvator spoke on the subject1 and the agitation it had occasioned1 they carefully avoided renewing a proposition which had rallied all his force of character and volition to their long abandoned post4 ,the rejection of a ceremony which was deemed in ,rome indispensably necessary to salvation1 by one who was already stamped with the church's reprobation1 soon spread2 report exaggerated the circumstance into a positive expression of infidelity2 and the gossip of the ,roman ante-rooms was supplied for the time with a subject of discussion1 in perfect harmony with their love for slander1 bigotry1 and idleness4 ,as ,i went forth from ,salvator's door1 relates the worthy ,baldovini1 ,i met the ,canonico ,scornio1 a man who has taken out a license to speak of all men as he pleases4 ',and how goes it with ,salvator8' demands this ,canonico of me4 ',bad enough1 ,i fear4'--,well1 a few nights back1 happening to be in the anteroom of a certain great prelate1 ,i found myself in the centre of a circle of disputants1 who were busily discussing whether the aforesaid ,salvator would die a ,schismatic1 a ,huguenot1 a ,calvinist1 or a ,lutheran8--',he will die1 ,signor ,canonico1' ,i replied1 'when it pleases ,god1 a better ,catholic than any of those who now speak so slightingly of him6'--and so pursued my way4 ,this ,canonico1 whose sneer at the undecided faith of ,salvator roused all the bile of the tolerant and charitable ,baldovini1 was the near neighbor of ,salvator1 a frequenter of his hospitable house1 and one of whom the credulous ,salvator speaks in one of his letters as being his neighbor1 and an excellent gentleman4 ,on the following day1 as the ,padre sat by the pillow of the suffering ,rosa1 he had the simplicity1 in the garrulity of his heart1 to repeat all these idle reports and malicious insinuations to the invalid3 ,but1 says ,baldovini1 as ,i spoke1 ,rosa only shrugged his shoulders4 ,early on the morning of the fifteenth of ,march1 that month so delightful in ,rome1 the anxious and affectionate confessor1 who seems to have been always at his post1 ascended the ,monte della ,trinit1 for the purpose of taking up his usual station by the bed's head of the fast declining ,salvator4 ,the young ,agosto flew to meet him at the door1 and with a countenance radiant with joy1 informed him of the good news1 that his dear father had given evident symptoms of recovery1 in consequence of the bursting of an inward ulcer4 ,baldovini followed the sanguine boy to ,iris father's chamber2 but1 to all appearance ,salvator was suffering great agony4 ,how goes it with thee1 ,rosa8 asked ,baldovini kindly1 as he approached him4 ,bad1 bad6 was the emphatic reply4 ,while writhing with pain1 the sufferer added after a moment3--,to judge by what ,i now endure1 the hand of death grasps me sharply4 ,in the restlessness of pain he then threw himself on the edge of the bed1 and placed his head on the bosom of ,lucrezia1 who sat supporting and weeping over him4 ,his afflicted son and friend took their station at the other side of the couch1 and stood in mournful silence watching the issue of these sudden and frightful spasms4 ,at that moment a celebrated ,roman physician1 the ,doctor ,catanni1 entered the apartment4 ,he felt the pulse of ,salvator1 and perceived that he was fast sinking4 ,he communicated his approaching dissolution to those most interested in the melancholy intelligence1 and it struck all present with unutterable grief4 ,baldovini1 however1 true to his sacred calling1 even in the depth of his human affliction1 instantly despatched the young ,agosto to the neighboring ,convent della ,trinit1 for the holy ,viaticum4 ,while life was still fluttering at the heart of ,salvator1 the officiating priest of the day arrived1 bearing with him the holy apparatus of the last mysterious ceremony of the church4 ,the shoulders of ,salvator were laid bare1 and anointed with the consecrated oil2 some prayed fervently1 others wept1 and all even still hoped2 but the taper which the ,doctor ,catanni held to the lips of ,salvator while the ,viaticum was administered1 burned brightly and steadily6 ,life's last sigh had transpired1 as religion performed her last rite4 ,between that luminous and soul-breathing form of genius1 and the clod of the valley1 there was now no difference2 and the end and object of a man's brief existence was now accomplished in him who1 while yet all young and ardent1 had viewed the bitter perspective of humanity with a philosophic eye and pronounced even on the bosom of pleasure1 ,nasci poena--,vita labor--,necesse mori4 ,on the evening of the fifteenth of ,march1 #afgc1 all that remained of the author of ,regulus1 of ,catiline1 and the ,satires--the gay ,formica1 the witty ,coviello--of the elegant composer1 and greatest painter of his time and country--of ,salvator ,rosa6 was conveyed to the tomb1 in the church of ,santa ,maria degli ,angioli alle ,terme--that magnificent temple1 unrivalled even at ,rome in interest and grandeur1 which now stands as it stood when it formed the ,pinacotheca of the ,therm of ,dioclesian4 ,there1 accompanied by much funeral pomp1 the body of ,salvator lay in state2 the head and face1 according to the ,italian custom1 being exposed to view4 ,all ,rome poured into the vast circumference of the church1 to take a last view of the painter of the ,roman people--the ,nostro ,signor ,salvatore of the ,pantheon2 and the popular feelings of regret and admiration were expressed with the usual bursts of audible emotions in which ,italian sensibility on such occasions loves to indulge4 ,some few there were1 who gathered closely and in silence round the bier of the great master of the ,neapolitan school2 and who1 weeping the loss of the man1 forgot for a moment even that genius which had already secured its own meed of immortality4 ,these were ,carlo ,rossi1 ,francesco ,baldovini1 and ,paolo ,oliva1 each of whom returned from the grave of the friend he loved1 to record the high endowments and powerful talents of the painter he admired1 and the poet he revered4 ,baldovini retired to his cell to write the ,life of ,salvator ,rosa1 and then to resign his own2 ,oliva to his monastery1 to compose the epitaph which is still read on the tomb of his friend2 and ,carlo ,rossi to select from his gallery such works of his beloved painter1 as might best adorn the walls of that chapel1 now exclusively consecrated to his memory4 ,on the following night1 the remains of ,salvator ,rosa were deposited1 with all the awful forms of the ,roman church1 in a grave opened expressly in the beautiful vestibule of ,santa ,maria degli ,angioli alle ,terme4 ,never did the ashes of departed genius find a more appropriate resting place2--the ,pinacotheca of the ,therm of ,dioclesian had once been the repository of all that the genius of antiquity had perfected in the arts2 and in the vast interval of time which had since elapsed1 it had suffered no change1 save that impressed upon it by the mighty mind of ,michael ,angelo4--,lady ,morgan4 ,,domenichino4 ,this great artist is now universally esteemed the most distinguished disciple of the school of the ,caracci1 and the learned ,count ,algarotti prefers him even to the ,caracci themselves4 ,poussin ranked him next after ,raffaelle1 and ,passeri has expressed nearly the same opinion4 ,he was born at ,bologna in #aeha1 and received his first instruction from ,denis ,calvart1 but having been treated with severity by that master1 who had discovered him making a drawing after ,annibale ,caracci1 contrary to his injunction1 ,domenichino prevailed upon his father to remove him from the school of ,calvart1 and place him in the ,academy of the ,caracci1 where ,guido and ,albano were then students4 ,,the ,,dullness ,,of ,,domenichino ,,in ,,youth4 ,the great talents of ,domenichino did not develop themselves so early as in many other great painters4 ,he was assiduous1 thoughtful and circumspect2 which his companions attributed to dullness1 and they called him the ,ox2 but the intelligent ,annibale ,caracci1 who observed his faculties with more attention1 testified of his abilities by saying to his pupils1 this ,ox will in time surpass you all1 and be an honor to the art of painting4 ,it was the practice in this celebrated school to offer prizes to the pupils for the best drawings1 to excite them to emulation1 and every pupil was obliged to hand in his drawing at certain periods4 ,it was not long after ,domenichino entered this school before one of these occasions took place1 and while his fellow-students brought in their works with confidence1 he timidly approached and presented his1 which he would gladly have withheld4 ,lodovico ,caracci1 after having examined the whole1 adjudged the prize to ,domenichino4 ,this triumph1 instead of rendering him confident and presumptuous1 only stimulated him to greater assiduity1 and he pursued his studies with such patient and constant application1 that he made such progress as to win the admiration of some of his cotemporaries1 and to beget the hatred of others4 ,he contracted a friendship with ,albano1 and on leaving the school of the ,caracci1 they visited together1 ,parma1 ,modena1 and ,reggio1 to contemplate the works of ,correggio and ,parmiggiano4 ,on their return to ,bologna1 ,albano went to ,rome1 whither ,domenichino soon followed him1 and commenced his bright career4 ,the student may learn a useful lesson from the untiring industry1 patience1 and humility of this great artist4 ,passeri attributes his grand achievements more to his amazing study than to his genius2 and some have not hesitated to deny that he possessed any genius at all--an opinion which his works abundantly refute4 ,lanzi says1 ,from his acting as a continual censor of his own productions1 he became among his fellow pupils the most exact and expressive designer1 his colors most true to nature1 and of the best impasto1 the most universal master in the theory of his art1 the sole painter amongst them all in whom ,mengs found nothing to desire except a little more elegance4 ,that he might devote his whole being to the art1 he shunned all society1 or if he occasionally sought it in the public theatres and markets1 it was in order better to observe the play of nature's passions in the features of the people--those of joy1 anger1 grief1 terror1 and every affection of the mind1 and commit it living to his tablets4 ,thus it was1 exclaims ,bellori1 that he succeeded in delineating the soul1 in coloring life1 and raising those emotions in our breasts at which his works all aim2 as if he waved the same wand which belonged to the poetical enchanters1 ,tasso and ,ariosto4 ,,domenichino',s ,,scourging ,,of ,,st4 ,,andrew4 ,domenichino was employed by the ,cardinal ,borghese1 to paint in competition with ,guido1 the celebrated frescos in the church of ,s4 ,gregorio at ,rome4 ,both artists painted the same subject1 but the former represented the ,scourging of ,st4 ,andrew1 and the latter ,st4 ,andrew led away to the ,gibbet4 ,lanzi says it is commonly reported that an aged woman1 accompanied by a little boy1 was seen long wistfully engaged in viewing ,domenichino's picture1 showing it part by part to the boy1 and next1 turning to that of ,guido1 painted directly opposite1 she gave it a cursory glance and passed on4 ,some assert that ,annibale ,caracci took occasion1 from this circumstance1 to give his preference to the former picture4 ,it is also related that while ,domenichino was painting one of the executioners1 he actually threw himself into a passion1 using high threatening words and actions1 and that ,annibale1 surprising him at that moment1 embraced him1 exclaiming1 ,to-day1 my ,domenichino1 thou art teaching me--so novel1 and at the same time so natural did it appear to him1 that the artist1 like the orator1 should feel within himself all that he would represent to others4 ,,the ,,communion ,,of ,,st4 ,,jerome4 ,the chef-d'oeuvre of ,domenichino is the dying ,st4 ,jerome receiving the last rites of his church1 commonly called the ,communion of ,st4 ,jerome1 painted for the principal altar of ,st4 ,girolamo della ,carita4 ,this work has immortalized his name1 and is universally allowed to be the finest picture ,rome can boast after the ,transfiguration of ,raffaelle4 ,it was taken to ,paris by ,napoleon1 restored in #ahae by the ,allies1 and has since been copied in mosaic1 to preserve so grand a work1 the original having suffered greatly from the effects of time4 ,lanzi says1 ,one great attraction in the church paintings of ,domenichino1 consists in the glory of the angels1 exquisitely beautiful in feature1 full of lively action1 and so introduced as to perform the most gracious offices in the piece1 as the crowning of martyrs1 the bearing of palms1 the scattering of roses1 weaving the mazy dance1 and making sweet melodies4 ,,domenichino',s ,,enemies ,,at ,,rome4 ,the reputation which ,domenichino had justly acquired at ,rome had excited the jealousy of some of his cotemporaries1 and the applause bestowed upon his ,communion of ,st4 ,jerome1 only served to increase it4 ,the ,cav4 ,lanfranco in particular1 one of his most inveterate enemies1 asserted that the ,communion of ,st4 ,jerome was little more than a copy of the same subject by ,agostino ,caracci1 at the ,certosa at ,bologna1 and he employed ,perrier1 one of his pupils1 to make an etching from the picture by ,agostino4 ,but this stratagem1 instead of confirming the plagiarism1 discovered the calumny1 as it proved that there was no more resemblance between the two works than must necessarily result in two artists treating the same subject1 and that every essential part1 and all that was admired was entirely his own4 ,if it had been possible for modest merit to have repelled the shafts of slander1 the work which he executed immediately afterwards in the church of ,s4 ,lodovico1 representing the life of ,st4 ,cecilia1 would have silenced the attacks of envy and malevolence2 but they only tended to increase the alarm of his competitors1 and excite them to redoubled injustice and malignity4 ,disgusted with these continued cabals1 ,domenichino quitted ,rome1 and returned to ,bologna1 where he resided several years in the quiet practice of his profession1 and executed some of his most admired works1 particularly the ,martyrdom of ,st4 ,agnes for the church of that ,saint1 and the ,madonna del ,rosario1 both of which were engraved by ,gerard ,audran1 and taken to ,paris and placed in the ,louvre by order of ,napoleon4 ,the fame of ,domenichino was now so well established that intrigue and malice could not suppress it1 and ,pope ,gregory ,,xv4 invited him back to ,rome1 and appointed him principal painter1 and architect to the pontifical palace4 ,,decision ,,of ,,posterity ,,on ,,the ,,merits ,,of ,,domenichino4 ,the public1 says ,lanzi1 is an equitable judge2 but a good cause is not always sufficient without the advantage of many voices to sustain it4 ,domenichino1 timid1 retiring1 and master of few pupils1 was destitute of a party equal to his cause4 ,he was constrained to yield to the crowd that trampled upon him1 thus verifying the prediction of ,monsignore ,agucchi1 that his merits would never be rightly appreciated during his life-time4 ,the spirit of party having passed away1 impartial posterity has rendered him justice2 nor is there a royal gallery but confesses an ambition to possess his works4 ,his figure pieces are in the highest esteem1 and command enormous prices4 ,,proof ,,of ,,the ,,merits ,,of ,,domenichino4 ,no better proof of the exalted merits of ,domenichino can be desired1 than the fact that upwards of fifty of his works have been engraved by the most renowned engravers1 as ,gerard ,audran1 ,raffaelle ,morghen1 ,sir ,robert ,strange1 ,c4 ,f4 von ,muller1 and other illustrious artists2 many of these also have been frequently repeated4 ,,domenichino',s ,,caricatures4 ,while ,domenichino was in ,naples1 he was visited by his biographer ,passeri1 then a young man1 who was engaged to assist in repairing the pictures in the ,cardinal's chapel4 ,when he arrived at ,frescati1 says ,passeri1 ,domenichino received me with much courtesy1 and hearing that ,i took a singular delight in the belles-lettres1 it increased his kindness to me4 ,i remember that ,i gazed on this man as though he were an angel4 ,i remained there to the end of ,september1 occupied in restoring the chapel of ,st4 ,sebastian1 which had been ruined by the damp4 ,sometimes ,domenichino would join us1 singing delightfully to recreate himself4 ,when night set in1 we returned to our apartment2 while he most frequently remained in his room1 occupied in drawing1 and permitting none to see him4 ,sometimes1 however1 to pass the time1 he drew caricatures of us all1 and of the inhabitants of the villa4 ,when he succeeded to his perfect satisfaction1 he was wont to indulge in immoderate fits of laughter2 and we1 who were in the adjoining room1 would run in to know his reason1 when he showed us his spirited sketches4 ,he drew a caricature of me with a guitar1 one of ,carmini 7the painter71 and one of the ,guarda ,roba1 who was lame of the gout2 and of the ,sub-guarda ,roba1 a most ridiculous figure--to prevent our being offended1 he caricatured himself4 ,these portraits are now preserved by ,signor ,giovanni ,pietro ,bellori4 ,,intrigues ,,of ,,the ,,neapolitan ,,triumvirate ,,of ,,painters4 ,the conspiracy of ,bellisario ,corenzio1 ,giuseppe ,ribera1 and ,gio4 ,battista ,caracciolo1 called the ,neapolitan ,triumvirate of ,painters1 to monopolize to themselves all valuable commissions1 and particularly the honor of decorating the chapel of ,st4 ,januarius1 is one of the most curious passages in the history of art4 ,the following is ,lanzi's account of this disgraceful cabal3 ,the three masters whom ,i have just noticed in successive order1 7,corenzio1 ,ribera1 and ,caracciolo7 were the authors of the unceasing persecutions which many of the artists who had come to1 or were invited to ,naples1 were for several years subjected to4 ,bellisario had established a supreme dominion1 or rather a tyranny1 over the ,neapolitan painters1 by calumny and insolence1 as well as by his station4 ,he monopolized all lucrative commissions to himself1 and recommended1 for the fulfilment of others1 one or other of the numerous and inferior artists that were dependent on him4 ,the ,cav4 ,massimo ,stanziozi1 ,santafede1 and other artists of talent1 if they did not defer to him1 were careful not to offend him1 as they knew him to be a man of a vindictive temper1 treacherous1 and capable of every violence1 and who was known1 through jealousy1 to have administered poison to ,luigi ,roderigo1 the most promising and the most amiable of his scholars4 ,bellisario1 in order to maintain himself in his assumed authority1 endeavored to exclude all strangers who painted in fresco rather than in oil4 ,annibale ,caracci arrived there in #afji1 and was engaged to ornament the churches of ,spirito ,santo and ,gesu ,nuovo1 for which1 as a specimen of his style1 he painted a small picture4 ,the ,greek and his adherents being required to give their opinion on this exquisite production1 declared it to be tasteless1 and decided that the painter of it did not possess talent for large compositions4 ,this divine artist in consequence took his departure under a burning sun1 for ,rome1 where he soon afterwards died4 ,but the work in which strangers were the most opposed was the chapel of ,s4 ,gennaro1 which a committee had assigned to the ,cav4 d',arpino1 as soon as he should finish painting the choir of the ,certosa4 ,bellisorio1 leaguing with ,spagnoletto 7like himself a fierce and ungovernable man7 and with ,caracciolo1 who aspired to this commission1 persecuted ,cesari in such a manner1 that before he had finished the choir he fled to ,monte ,cassino1 and from thence returned to ,rome4 ,the work was then given to ,guido1 but after a short time two unknown persons assaulted the servant of that artist1 and at the same time desired him to inform his master that he must prepare himself for death1 or instantly quit ,naples1 with which latter mandate ,guido immediately complied4 ,gessi1 the scholar of ,guido1 was not however intimidated by this event1 but applied for1 and obtained the honorable commission1 and came to ,naples with two assistants1 ,gio4 ,batista ,ruggieri and ,lorenzo ,menini4 ,but these artists were scarcely arrived1 when they were treacherously invited on board a galley1 which immediately weighed anchor and carried them off1 to the great dismay of their master1 who although he made the most diligent inquiries both at ,rome and ,naples1 could never procure any tidings of them4 ,gessi in consequence also taking his departure1 the committee lost all hope of succeeding in their task1 and were in the act of yielding to the reigning cabal1 assigning the fresco work to ,corenzio and ,caracciolo1 and promising the pictures to ,spagnoletto1 when suddenly repenting of their resolution1 they effaced all that was painted of the two frescos1 and intrusted the decoration of the chapel entirely to ,domenichino4 ,it ought to be mentioned to the honor of these munificent persons1 that they engaged to pay for every entire figure1 #ajj ducats1 for each half-figure #ej ducats1 and for each head #be ducats4 ,they took precautions also against any interruption to the artist1 threatening the ,viceroy's high displeasure if he were in any way molested4 ,but this was only matter of derision to the junta4 ,they began immediately to cry him down as a cold and insipid painter1 and to discredit him with those1 the most numerous class in every place1 who see only with the eyes of others4 ,they harassed him by calumnies1 by anonymous letters1 by displacing his pictures1 by mixing injurious ingredients with his colors1 and by the most insidious malice they procured some of his pictures to be sent by the viceroy to the court of ,madrid2 and these1 when little more than sketched1 were taken from his studio and carried to the court1 where ,spagnoletto ordered them to be retouched1 and1 without giving him time to finish them1 hurried them to their destination4 ,this malicious fraud of his rival1 the complaints of the committee1 who always met with some fresh obstacle to the completion of the work1 and the suspicion of some evil design1 at last determined ,domenichino to depart secretly to ,rome4 ,as soon however as the news of his flight transpired1 he was recalled1 and fresh measures taken for his protection2 when he resumed his labors1 and decorated the walls and base of the cupola1 and made considerable progress in the painting of his pictures4 ,but before he could finish his task he was interrupted by death1 hastened either by poison1 or by the many severe vexations he had experienced both from his relatives and his adversaries1 and the weight of which was augmented by the arrival of his former enemy ,lanfranco4 ,this artist superceded ,zampieri in the painting of the basin of the chapel2 ,spagnoletto1 in one of his oil pictures2 ,stanzioni in another2 and each of these artists1 excited by emulation1 rivaled1 if he did not excel1 ,domenichino4 ,caracciolo was dead4 ,bellisario1 from his great age1 took no share in it1 and was soon afterwards killed by a fall from a stage1 which he had erected for the purpose of retouching some of his frescos4 ,nor did ,spagnoletto experience a better fate2 for1 having seduced a young girl1 and become insupportable even to himself from the general odium which he experienced1 he embarked on board a ship2 nor is it known whither he fled1 or how he ended his life1 if we may credit the ,neapolitan writers4 ,palomino1 however1 states him to have died in ,naples in #afef1 aged sixty-seven1 though he does not contradict the first part of our statement4 ,thus these ambitious men1 who by violence or fraud had influenced and abused the generosity and taste of so many noble patrons1 and to whose treachery and sanguinary vengeance so many professors of the art had fallen victims1 ultimately reaped the merited fruit of their conduct in a violent death2 and an impartial posterity1 in assigning the palm of merit to ,domenichino1 inculcates the maxim1 that it is a delusive hope to attempt to establish fame and fortune on the destruction of another's reputation4 ,,giuseppe ,,ribera1 ,,called ,,il ,,spagnoletto--,,his ,,early ,,poverty ,,and ,,industry4 ,jos ,ribera1 a native of ,valencia in ,spain1 studied for some time under ,francisco ,ribalta1 and afterwards found his way to ,italy4 ,at the age of sixteen1 he was living in ,rome1 in a very destitute condition2 subsisting on crusts1 clothed in rags1 yet endeavoring with unswerving diligence to improve himself in art by copying the frescos on the faades of palaces1 or at the shrines on the corners of the streets4 ,his poverty and industry attracted the notice of a compassionate ,cardinal1 who happened to see him at work from his coach-window2 and he provided the poor boy with clothes1 and food1 and lodging in his own palace4 ,ribera soon found1 however1 that to be clad in good raiment1 and to fare plentifully every day1 weakened his powers of application2 he needed the spur of want to arouse him to exertion2 and therefore1 after a short trial of a life in clover1 beneath the shelter of the purple1 he returned to his poverty and his studies in the streets4 ,the ,cardinal was at first highly incensed at his departure1 and when he next saw him1 rated him soundly as an ungrateful little ,spaniard2 but being informed of his motives1 and observing his diligence1 his anger was turned to admiration4 ,he renewed his offers of protection1 which1 however1 ,ribera thankfully declined4 ,,ribera',s ,,marriage4 ,ribera's adventure with the ,cardinal1 and his abilities1 soon distinguished him among the crowd of young artists in ,rome4 ,he became known by the name which still belongs to him1 ,il ,spagnoletto1 7the little ,spaniard17 and as an imitator of ,michael ,angelo ,caravaggio1 the bold handling of whose works1 and their powerful effects of light and shade1 pleased his vigorous mind4 ,finding ,rome overstocked with artists1 he went to ,naples1 where he made the acquaintance of a rich picture-dealer4 ,the latter was so much pleased with ,ribera's genius1 that be offered him his beautiful and well-dowered daughter in marriage4 ,the ,valencian1 not less proud than poor1 at first resented this proposal as an unseasonable pleasantry upon his forlorn condition2 but at last finding that it was made in good faith1 he took the good the gods provided1 and at once stepped from solitary indigence into the possession of a handsome wife1 a comfortable home1 a present field of profitable labor1 and a prospect of future opulence4 ,,ribera',s ,,rise ,,to ,,eminence4 ,ease and prosperity now rather stimulated than relaxed his exertions4 ,choosing for his subject the ,flaying of ,st4 ,bartholomew1 he painted that horrible martyrdom with figures of life-size1 so fearfully truthful to nature that when exposed to the public in the street1 it immediately attracted a crowd of shuddering gazers4 ,the place of exhibition being within view of the royal palace1 the eccentric ,viceroy1 ,don ,pedro de ,giron1 ,duke of ,ossuna1 who chanced to be taking the air on his balcony1 inquired the cause of the unusual concourse1 and ordered the picture and the artist to be brought into his presence4 ,being well pleased with both1 he purchased the one for his own gallery1 and appointed the other his court painter1 with a monthly salary of sixty doubloons1 and the superintendence of all decorations in the palace4 ,,ribera',s ,,discovery ,,of ,,the ,,philosopher',s ,,stone4 ,ribera seems to have been a man of considerable social talent1 lively in conversation1 and dealing in playful wit and amusing sarcasm4 ,dominici relates that two ,spanish officers1 visiting at his house one day1 entered upon a serious discussion on the subject of alchemy4 ,the host1 finding their talk some what tedious1 gravely informed them that he him self happened to be in possession of the philosopher's stone1 and that they might1 if they pleased1 see his way of using it1 the next morning at his studio4 ,the military adepts were punctual to their appointment1 and found their friend at work1 not in a mysterious laboratory1 but at his easel1 on a half-length picture of ,st4 ,jerome4 ,entreating them to restrain their eagerness1 he painted steadily on1 finished his picture1 sent it out by his servant1 and received a small rouleau in return4 ,this he broke open in the presence of his visitors1 and throwing ten gold doubloons on the table1 said1 ,learn of me how gold is to be made2 ,i do it by painting1 you by serving his majesty--diligence in business is the only true alchemy4 ,the officers departed somewhat crest-fallen1 neither relishing the jest1 nor likely to reap any benefit from it4 ,,ribera',s ,,subjects4 ,his subjects are generally austere1 representing anchorets1 prophets1 apostles1 c41 and frequently of the most revolting character1 such as sanguinary executions1 martyrdoms1 horrid punishments1 and lingering torments1 which he represented with a startling fidelity that intimidates and shocks the beholder4 ,his paintings are very numerous1 and his drawings and etchings are highly esteemed by connoisseurs4 ,,ribera',s ,,disposition4 ,the talents of this great painter1 seem to have been obscured by a cruel and revengeful disposition1 partaking of the character of his works4 ,he was one of the triumvirate of painters1 who assassinated1 persecuted1 or drove every talented foreign painter from ,naples1 that they might monopolize the business4 ,he was also a reckless libertine1 and1 according to ,dominici1 having seduced a beautiful girl1 he was seized with such remorse for his many crimes1 as to become insupportable to himself2 and to escape the general odium which was heaped upon him1 he fled from ,naples on board a ship1 and was never heard of more4 ,this story however is doubtless colored1 for1 according to ,palomino and several other writers1 ,ribera died at ,naples in #afef4 ,see page #acb of this volume4 ,,singular ,,pictorial ,,illusions4 ,over a certain fountain in ,rome1 there was a cornice so skilfully painted1 that the birds were deceived1 and trying to alight on it1 frequently fell into the water beneath4 ,annibale ,caracci painted some ornaments on a ceiling of the ,farnese palace1 which the ,duke of ,sessa1 ,spanish ambassador to the ,pope1 took for sculptures1 and would not believe they were painted on a flat ground1 until he had touched them with a lance4 ,agostino ,caracci painted a horse1 which deceived the living animal--a triumph so celebrated in ,apelles4 ,juan ,sanchez ,cotan1 painted at ,granada a ,crucifixion1 on the cross of which ,palomino says birds often attempted to perch1 and which at first sight the keen-eyed ,cean ,bermudez mistook for a piece of sculpture4 ,the reputation of this painter stood so high1 that ,vincenzio ,carducci traveled from ,madrid to ,granada on purpose to see him2 and he is said to have recognized him among the white-robed fraternity of which he was a member1 by observing in the expression of his countenance1 a certain affinity to the spirit of his works4 ,it is related of ,murillo's picture of ,st4 ,anthony of ,padua1 that the birds1 wandering up and down the aisles of the cathedral at ,seville1 have often attempted to perch upon a vase of white lilies painted on a table in the picture1 and to peck at the flowers4 ,the preminent modern ,zeuxis1 however1 was ,pierre ,mignard1 whose portrait of the ,marquise de ,gouvernet was accosted by that lady's pet parrot1 with an affectionate ,baise moi1 ma maitresse6 ,,raffaelle',s ,,skill ,,in ,,portraits4 ,raffaelle was transcendant not only in history1 but in portrait4 ,his portraits have deceived even persons most intimately acquainted with the originals4 ,lanzi says he painted a picture of ,leo ,x4 so full of life1 that the ,cardinal ,datary approached it with a bull and pen and ink1 for the ,pope's signature4 ,a similar story is related of ,titian4 ,,jacopo ,,da ,,ponte4 ,count ,algarotti relates1 that ,annibale ,caracci was so deceived by a book painted upon a table by ,jacopo da ,ponte1 that he stretched out his hand to take it up4 ,bassano was highly honored by ,paul ,veronese1 who placed his son ,carletto under him as a pupil1 to receive his general instructions1 and more particularly in regard to that just disposition of lights reflected from one object to another1 and in those happy counterpositions1 owing to which the depicted objects seemed clothed with a profusion of light4 ,,giovanni ,,rosa4 ,giovanni ,rosa1 a ,fleming who flourished at ,rome in the first part of the seventeenth century1 was famous for his pictures of animals4 ,he painted hares so naturally as to deceive the dogs1 which would rush at them furiously1 thus renewing the wonderful story of ,zeuxis and his ,grapes1 so much boasted of by ,pliny4 ,,cav4 ,,giovanni ,,contarini4 ,this artist was a close imitator of ,titian4 ,he was extremely accurate in his portraits1 which he painted with force1 sweetness1 and strong likeness4 ,he painted a portrait of ,marco ,dolce1 and when the picture was sent home1 his dogs began to fawn upon it1 mistaking it for their master4 ,,guercino',s ,,power ,,of ,,relief4 ,the style of ,guercino displays a strong contrast of light and shadow1 both exceedingly bold1 yet mingled with great sweetness and harmony1 and a powerful effect in relief1 a branch of art so much admired by professors4 ,hence1 says ,lanzi1 some foreigners bestowed upon him the title of the ,magician of ,italian painting1 for in him were renewed those celebrated illusions of antiquity4 ,he painted a basket of grapes so naturally that a ragged urchin stretched out his hand to steal some of the fruit4 ,often1 in comparing the figures of ,guido with those of ,guercino1 one would say that the former had been fed with roses1 and the latter with flesh1 as observed by one of the ancients4 ,,bernazzano4 ,lanzi says1 ,in painting landscape1 fruit1 and flowers1 ,bernazzano succeeded so admirably as to produce the same wonderful effects that are told of ,zeuxis and ,apelles in ,greece4 ,these indeed ,italian artists have frequently renewed1 though with a less degree of applause4 ,having painted a strawberry-bed in a court yard1 the pea-fowls were so deceived by the resemblance1 that they pecked at the wall till they had destroyed the painting4 ,he painted the landscape part of a picture of the ,baptism of ,christ1 and on the ground drew some birds in the act of feeding4 ,on its being placed in the open air1 the birds were seen to fly towards the picture1 to join their companions4 ,this beautiful picture is one of the chief ornaments in the gallery of the distinguished family of the ,trotti at ,milan4 ,,invention ,,of ,,oil ,,painting4 ,there has been a world of discussion on this subject1 but there can be no doubt that ,john van ,eyck1 called ,john of ,bruges1 and by the ,italians1 ,giovanni da ,bruggia1 and ,gio4 ,abeyk or ,eyck1 is entitled to the honor of the invention of ,oil ,painting as applied to pictures1 though ,mr4 ,raspe1 the celebrated antiquary1 in his treatise on the invention of ,oil ,painting1 has satisfactorily proved that ,oil ,painting was practised in ,italy as early as the #aath century1 but only as a means of protecting metalic substances from rust4 ,according to van ,mander1 the method of painting in ,flanders previous to the time of the van ,eycks1 was with gums1 or a preparation called egg-water1 to which a kind of varnish was afterwards applied in finishing1 which required a certain degree of heat to dry4 ,john van ,eyck having worked a long time on a picture and finished it with great care1 placed it in the sun-shine to dry1 when the board on which it was painted split and spoiled the work4 ,his disappointment at seeing so much labor lost1 urged him to attempt the discovery1 by his knowledge of chemistry1 of some process which would not in future expose him to such an unfortunate accident4 ,in his researches1 he discovered the use of linseed and nut oil1 which he found most siccative4 ,this is generally believed to have happened about #adaj4 ,there is however1 a great deal of contradiction among writers as to the van ,eycks1 no two writers being found to agree4 ,some assert that ,john van ,eyck introduced his invention both into ,italy and ,spain1 while others declare that he never left his own country1 which would seem to be true4 ,vasari1 the first writer on ,italian art1 awards the invention to ,giovanni da ,bruggia1 and gives an account of its first introduction into ,italy by ,antonello da ,messina1 as we shall presently see4 ,but ,dominici asserts that oil painting was known and practised at ,naples by artists whose names had been forgotten long before the time of van ,eyck4 ,many other ,italian writers have engaged in the controversy1 and cited many instances of pictures which they supposed to have been painted in oil at ,milan1 ,pisa1 ,naples1 and elsewhere1 as early as the #acth1 #abth1 and even the #ith centuries4 ,but to proceed with the brothers van ,eyck1 ,john and ,hubert--they generally painted in concert till the death of ,hubert1 and executed many works in oil1 which were held in the highest estimation at the time when they flourished4 ,their most important work was an altar-piece1 with folding doors1 painted for ,jodocus ,vyts1 who placed it in the church of ,st4 ,bavon at ,ghent4 ,the principal picture in this curious production represents the ,adoration of the ,lamb as described by ,st4 ,john in the ,revelations4 ,on one of the folding doors is represented ,adam and ,eve1 and on the other1 ,st4 ,cecilia4 ,this extraordinary work contains over three hundred figures1 and is finished with the greatest care and exactness4 ,it was formerly in the ,louvre1 but it is now unfortunately divided into two parts1 one of which is at ,berlin1 and the other at ,ghent4 ,philip ,i4 of ,spain desired to purchase it1 but finding that impracticable1 he employed ,michael ,coxis to copy it1 who spent two years in doing3 it1 for which he received #d1jjj florins4 ,the king placed this copy in the ,escurial1 and this probably gave rise to the story that ,john van ,eyck visited ,spain and introduced his discovery into that country4 ,in the sacristy of the cathedral at ,bruges is preserved with great veneration1 a picture painted by ,john van ,eyck1 after the death of ,hubert1 representing the ,virgin and ,infant1 with ,st4 ,george1 ,st4 ,donatius1 and other saints4 ,it is dated #adcf4 ,john died in #adda4 ,according to ,vasari1 the fame of ,masaccio drew ,antonello da ,messina to ,rome2 from thence he proceeded to ,naples1 where he saw some oil paintings by ,john van ,eyck1 which had been brought to ,naples from ,flanders1 by some ,neapolitan merchants1 and presented or sold to ,alphonso ,i41 ,king of ,naples4 ,the novelty of the invention1 and the beauty of the coloring inspired ,antonello with so strong a desire to become possessed of the secret1 that he went to ,bruges1 and so far ingratiated himself into the favor of van ,eyck1 then advanced in years1 that he instructed him in the art4 ,antonello afterwards returned to ,venice1 where he secretly practised the art for some time1 communicating it only to ,domenico ,veneziano1 his favorite scholar4 ,veneziano settled at ,florence1 where his works were greatly admired both on account of their excellence and the novelty of the process4 ,here he unfortunately formed a connexion with ,andrea del ,castagno1 an eminent ,tuscan painter1 who treacherously murdered ,domenico1 that he might become1 as he supposed1 the sole possessor of the secret4 ,castagno artfully concealed the atrocious deed till on his death-bed1 when struck with remorse1 he confessed the crime for which innocent persons had suffered4 ,vasari also says that ,giovanni ,bellini obtained the art surreptitiously from ,messina1 by disguising himself and sitting for his portrait1 thus gaining an opportunity to observe his method of operating2 but ,lanzi has shown that ,messina made the method public on receiving a pension from the ,venetian ,senate4 ,many writers have appeared1 who deny the above statement of ,vasari2 but ,lanzi1 who carefully investigated the whole subject1 finds no just reason to claim for his countrymen priority of the invention1 or to doubt the correctness of ,vasari's statement in the main4 ,those old paintings at ,milan1 ,pisa1 ,naples1 ,vienna1 and elsewhere1 have been carefully examined and proved to have been painted in encaustic or distemper4 ,this subject will be found fully discussed in ,spooner's ,dictionary of ,painters1 ,engravers1 ,sculptors1 and ,architects1 under the articles ,john and ,hubert van ,eyck1 ,antonello da ,messina1 ,domenico ,veneziano1 ,andrea del ,castagno1 and ,roger of ,bruges4 ,,foreshortening4 ,foreshortening is the art of representing figures and objects as they appear to the eye1 viewed in positions varying from the perpendicular4 ,the meaning of the term is exemplified in the celebrated ,ascension1 in the ,piet d ,trchini1 at ,naples1 by ,luca ,giordano1 in which the body of ,christ is so much foreshortened1 that the toes appear to touch the knees1 and the knees the chin4 ,this art is one of the most difficult in painting1 and though absurdly claimed as a modern invention1 was well known to the ancients4 ,pliny speaks expressly of its having been practised by ,parrhasius and ,pausias4 ,many writers erroneously attribute the invention to ,correggio2 but ,lanzi says1 it was discovered and enlarged by ,melozzo da ,forli1 improved by ,andrea ,mantegna and his school1 and perfected by ,correggio and others4 ,about the year #adgb1 ,melozzo painted his famous fresco of the ,ascension in the great chapel of the ,santi ,apostoli at ,rome4 ,vasari says of this work1 the figure of ,christ is so admirably foreshortened1 as to appear to pierce the vault2 and in the same manner1 the ,angels are seen sweeping through the fields of air in different directions4 ,this work was so highly esteemed that when the chapel was rebuilt in #agaa1 the painting was cut out of the ceiling with the greatest care1 and placed in the ,quirinal palace1 where it is still preserved4 ,,method ,,of ,,transferring ,,paintings ,,from ,,walls ,,and ,,panels ,,to ,,canvass4 ,according to ,lanzi1 ,antonio ,contri discovered a valuable process1 by means of which he was enabled to transfer fresco paintings from walls to canvass1 without the least injury to the work1 and thus preserved many valuable paintings by the great masters1 which obtained him wide celebrity and profitable employment4 ,for this purpose1 he spread upon a piece of canvass of the size of the painting to be transferred1 a composition of glue or bitumen1 and placed it upon the picture4 ,when this was sufficiently dry1 he beat the wall carefully with a mallet1 cut the plaster around it1 and applied to the canvass a wooden frame1 well propped1 to sustain it1 and then1 after a few days1 cautiously removed the canvass1 which brought the painting with it2 and having extended it upon a smooth table he applied to the back of it another canvass prepared with a more adhesive composition than the former4 ,after a few days1 he examined the two pieces of canvass1 detached the first by means of warm water1 which left the whole painting upon the second as it was originally upon the wall4 ,contri was born at ,ferrara about #affj1 and died in #agcb4 ,palmaroli1 an ,italian painter of the present century1 rendered his name famous1 and conferred a great benefit on art by his skill in transferring to canvass some of the frescos and other works of the great masters4 ,in #ahaa he transferred the famous fresco of the ,descent from the ,cross by ,daniello da ,volterra 7erroneously said1 as related above1 to have been the first effort of the kind71 which gained him immense reputation4 ,he was employed to restore a great number of works at ,rome1 and in other places4 ,he was invited to ,germany1 where1 among other works1 he transferred the ,madonna di ,san ,sisto1 by ,raffaelle1 from the original panel1 which was worm-eaten and decayed1 and thus preserved one of the most famous works of that prince of painters4 ,at the present time1 this art is practised with success in various ,european cities1 particularly in ,london and ,paris4 ,,works ,,in ,,scagliola4 ,guido ,fassi1 called del ,conte1 a native of ,carpi1 born in #aehd1 was the inventor of a valuable kind of work in imitation of marble1 called by the ,italians ,scagliola or ,mischia1 which was subsequently carried to great perfection1 and is now largely employed in the imitation of works in marble4 ,the stone called selenite forms the principal ingredient4 ,this is pulverized1 mixed with colors and certain adhesive substances which gradually become as hard as stone1 capable of receiving a high polish4 ,fassi made his first trials on cornices1 and gave them the appearance of fine marble1 and there remain two altar-pieces by him in the churches of ,carpi4 ,from him1 the method rapidly spread over ,italy1 and many artists engaged in this then new art4 ,annibale ,griffoni1 a pupil of ,fassi1 applied the art to monuments4 ,giovanni ,cavignani1 also a pupil of ,fassi1 far surpassed his master1 and executed an altar of ,st4 ,antonio1 for the church of ,s4 ,niccolo1 at ,carpi1 which is still pointed out as something extraordinary4 ,it consists of two columns of porphyry adorned with a pallium1 covered with lace1 which last is an exact imitation of the covering of an altar1 while it is ornamented in the margin with medals1 bearing beautiful figures4 ,in the ,cathedral at ,carpi1 is a monument by one ,ferrari1 which so perfectly imitates marble that it cannot be distinguished from it1 except by fracture4 ,it has the look and touch of marble4 ,lanzi1 from whom these facts are obtained1 says that these artists ventured upon the composition of pictures1 intended to represent engravings as well as oil paintings1 and that there are several such works1 representing even historical subjects1 in the collections of ,carpi4 ,lanzi considers this art of so much importance1 that he thus concludes his article upon it3 ,after the practice of modeling had been brought to vie with sculpture1 and after engraving upon wood had so well counterfeited works of design1 we have to record this third invention1 belonging to a ,state of no great dimensions4 ,such a fact is calculated to bring into higher estimation the geniuses who adorned it4 ,there is nothing of which man is more ambitious1 than of being called an inventor of new arts2 nothing is more flattering to his intellect1 or draws a broader line between him and the animals4 ,nothing was held in higher reverence by the ancients1 and hence it is that ,virgil1 in his ,elysian ,fields1 represented the band of inventors with their brows bound with white chaplets1 equally distinct in merit as in rank1 from the more vulgar shades around them4 ,,the ,,golden ,,age ,,of ,,painting4 ,we have now arrived1 says ,lanzi1 at the most brilliant period of the ,roman school1 and of modern painting itself4 ,we have seen the art carried to a high degree of perfection by ,da ,vinci and ,buonarotti1 at the beginning of the sixteenth century1 and it is remarkable that the same period embraces not only ,rafaelle1 but also ,correggio1 ,giorgione1 ,titian1 and the most celebrated ,venetian painters2 so that a man enjoying the common term of life might have seen the works of all these illustrious masters4 ,the art in a few years thus reached a height to which it had never before attained1 and which has never been rivalled1 except in the attempt to imitate these early masters1 or to unite in one style their various and divided excellencies4 ,it seems an ordinary law of providence that individuals of consummate genius should be born and flourish at the same period1 or at least at short intervals from each other1 a circumstance of which ,velleius ,paterculus protested he could never discover the real cause4 ',i observe1' he says1 'men of the same commanding genius making their appearance together1 in the smallest possible space of time2 as it happens in the case of animals of different kinds1 which1 confined in a close place1 nevertheless1 each selects its own class1 and those of a kindred race separate themselves from the rest4 ,a single age sufficed to illustrate ,tragedy1 in the persons of schylus1 ,sophocles1 and ,euripides3 ancient comedy under ,cratinus1 ,aristophanes1 and ,eumolpides1 and in like manner the new comedy under ,menander1 ,diphilus1 and ,philemon4 ,there appeared few philosophers of note after the days of ,plato and ,aristotle1 and whoever has made himself acquainted with ,isocrates and his school1 is acquainted with the summit of ,grecian eloquence4' ,the same remark applies to other countries4 ,the great ,roman writers are included under the single age of ,octavius3 ,leo ,x4 was the ,augustus of modern ,italy2 the reign of ,louis ,,xiv4 was the brilliant period of ,french letters2 that of ,charles ,,ii4 of the ,english4 ,this rule applies equally to the fine arts4 ,hoc idem1 proceeds ,velleius1 evenisse plastis1 pictoribus1 sculptoribus1 quisquis temporum institerit notis reperiet1 et eminentiam cujusque operis artissimis temporum claustris circumdatum4 ,of this union of men of genius in the same age1 ,causus1 he says1 quum sempre requiro1 numquam invenio quas veras confidam4 ,it seems to him probable that when a man finds the first station in art occupied by another1 he considers it as a post that has been rightfully seized on1 and no longer aspires to the possession of it1 but is humiliated1 and contented to follow at a distance4 ,but this solution does not satisfy my mind4 ,it may indeed account to us why no other ,michael ,angelo1 or ,raffaelle1 has ever appeared2 but it does not satisfy me why these two1 and the others before mentioned1 should all have appeared in the same age4 ,i am of opinion that the age is always influenced by certain principles1 universally adopted both by professors of the art1 and by amateurs2 which principles happening at a particular period to be the most just and accurate of their kind1 produce in that age some preminent professors1 and a number of good ones4 ,these principles change through the instability of all human affairs1 and the age partakes in the change4 ,i may add that these happy periods never occur without the circumstance of a number of princes and influential individuals rivalling each other in the encouragement of works of taste2 and amidst these there always arise persons of commanding genius1 who give a bias and tone to art4 ,the history of sculpture in ,athens1 where munificence and taste went hand in hand1 favors my opinion1 and it is confirmed by this golden period of ,italian art4 ,nevertheless1 ,i do not pretend to give a verdict on this important question1 but leave the decision of it to a more competent tribunal4 ,,golden ,,age ,,of ,,the ,,fine ,,arts ,,in ,,ancient ,,rome4 ,the reign of ,augustus was the golden age of science and the fine arts4 ,grecian architecture at that period was so encouraged at ,rome1 that ,augustus could with reason boast of having left a city of marble where he had found one of brick4 ,in the time of the ,csars1 fourteen magnificent aqueducts1 supported by immense arches1 conducted whole rivers to ,rome1 from a distance of many miles1 and supplied #aej public fountains1 #aah large public baths1 besides the water necessary for those artificial seas in which naval combats were represented3 #ajj1jjj statues ornamented the public squares1 the temples1 the streets1 and the houses2 #ij colossal statues raised on pedestals2 #dh obelisks of ,egyptian granite1 besides1 adorned various parts of the city2 nor was this stupendous magnificence confined to ,rome1 or even to ,italy4 ,all the provinces of the vast empire were embellished by ,augustus and his successors1 by the opulent nobles1 by the tributary kings and the allies1 with temples1 circuses1 theatres1 palaces1 aqueducts1 amphitheatres1 bridges1 baths1 and new cities4 ,we have1 unfortunately1 but scanty memorials of the architects of those times2 and1 amidst the abundance of magnificent edifices1 we search in vain for the names of those who erected them4 ,however much the age of ,augustus may be exalted1 we cannot think it superior1 or even equal to that of ,alexander3 the ,romans were late in becoming acquainted with the arts2 they cultivated them more from pride and ostentation than from feeling4 ,expensive collections were frequently made1 without the possessors understanding their value2 they knew only that such things were in reputation1 and1 to render themselves of consequence1 purchased on the opinion of others4 ,of this1 the ,roman history gives frequent proofs4 ,domitian squandered seven millions in gilding the temple of ,jupiter ,capitolinus only1 bringing from ,athens a number of columns of ,pentelic marble1 extremely beautiful1 and of good proportion1 but which were recut and repolished1 and thus deprived of their symmetry and grace4 ,if the ,romans did possess any taste for the fine arts1 they left the exercise of it to the conquered--to ,greece1 who had no longer her ,solon1 ,lycurgus1 ,themistocles1 and ,epaminondas1 but was unarmed1 depressed1 and had become the slave of ,rome4 ',grcia capta ferum victorem cepit4' ,how poor are such triumphs to those gained by the fine arts6 ,the means by which ,greece acquired and maintained such excellence1 is worthy of an inquiry4 ,it is generally allowed that climate and government have a powerful influence on the intellect4 ,greece was peculiarly favored in these two points2 her atmosphere was serene and temperate1 and being divided into a number of small1 but independent states1 a spirit of emulation was excited1 which continually called forth some improvement in the liberal arts4 ,the study of these formed a principal branch of education in the academies and schools1 to which none but the free youth were admitted4 ,to learning alone was the tribute of applause offered4 ,at those solemn festivals to which all ,greece resorted1 whoever had the plurality of votes was crowned in the presence of the whole assembly1 and his efforts afterwards rewarded with an immense sum of money2 sometimes a million of crowns4 ,statues1 with inscriptions1 were also raised to those who had thus distinguished themselves1 and their works1 or whatever resembled them1 for ever after bore their names2 distinctions far more flattering than any pecuniary reward4 ,meticus gave his to a square which he built at ,athens1 and the appellation of ,agaptos was applied to the porticos of the stadium4 ,zeuxis1 when he painted ,helen1 collected a number of beautiful women1 as studies for his subject3 when completed1 the ,agrigentines1 who had ordered it1 were so delighted with this performance1 that they requested him to accept of five of the ladies4 ,thebes1 and other cities1 fined those that presented a bad work1 and looked on them ever afterwards with derision4 ,the applause bestowed on the best efforts1 was repeated by the orators1 the poets1 the philosophers1 and historians2 the ,cow of ,miron1 the ,venus of ,apelles1 and the ,cupid of ,praxiteles1 have exercised every pen4 ,by these means ,greece brought the fine arts to perfection2 by neglecting them1 ,rome failed to equal her2 and1 by pursuing the same course1 every country may become as refined as ,greece4--,milizia4 ,,nero',s ,,golden ,,palace4 ,according to ,tacitus1 ,nero's famous golden palace was one of the most magnificent edifices ever built1 and far surpassed all that was stupendous and beautiful in ,italy4 ,it was erected on the site of the great conflagration at ,rome1 which was attributed by many to the wickedness of the tyrant4 ,his statue1 #abj feet high1 stood in the midst of a court1 ornamented with porticos of three files of lofty columns1 each full a mile long2 the gardens were of vast extent1 with vineyards1 meadows1 and woods1 filled with every sort of domestic and wild animals2 a pond was converted into a sea1 surrounded by a sufficient number of edifices to form a city2 pearls1 gems1 and the most precious materials were used everywhere1 and especially gold1 the profusion of which1 within and without1 and ever on the roofs1 caused it to be called the ,golden ,house2 the essences and costly perfumes continually shed around1 showed the extreme extravagance of the inhuman monster who seized on the wealth of the people to gratify his own desires4 ,among other curiosities was a dining-room1 in which was represented the firmament1 constantly revolving1 imitative of the motion of the heavenly bodies2 from it was showered down every sort of odoriferous waters4 ,this great palace was completed by ,otho1 but did not long remain entire1 as ,vespasian restored to the people the lands of which ,nero had unjustly deprived them1 and erected in its place the mighty ,colosseum1 and the magnificent ,temple of ,peace4 ,,names ,,of ,,ancient ,,architects ,,designated ,,by ,,reptiles4 ,according to ,pliny1 ,saurus and ,batrarchus1 two ,lacedemonian architects1 erected conjointly at their own expense1 certain temples at ,rome1 which were afterwards enclosed by ,octavius4 ,not being allowed to inscribe their names1 they carved on the pedestals of the columns a lizard and a frog1 which indicated them--,saurus signifying a lizard1 and ,batrarchus a frog4 ,milizia says that in the church of ,s4 ,lorenzo there are two antique ,ionic capitals with a lizard and a frog carved in the eyes of the volutes1 which are probably those alluded to by ,pliny1 although the latter says pedestal4 ,modern painters and engravers have frequently adopted similar devices as a rebus1 or enigmatical representation of their names4 ,see ,spooner's ,dictionary of ,painters1 ,engravers1 ,sculptors1 and ,architects2 ,key to ,monograms and ,ciphers1 and the twenty-four plates4 ,,triumphal ,,arches4 ,triumphal arches are monuments consisting of a grand portico or archway1 erected at the entrance of a town1 upon a bridge1 or upon a public road1 to the glory of some celebrated general1 or in memory of some important event4 ,the invention of these structures is attributed to the ,romans4 ,the earliest specimens are destitute of any magnificence4 ,for a long time1 they consisted merely of a plain arch1 at the top of which was placed the trophies and statue of the triumpher4 ,subsequently the span was enlarged1 the style enriched1 and a profusion of all kinds of sculptures and ornaments heaped upon them4 ,the triumphal arches varied greatly in point of construction1 form1 and decoration4 ,the arch of ,constantine at ,rome is the best preserved of all the great antique arches2 the ,arch of ,septimus ,severus at the foot of the ,capitoline hill1 greatly resembles that of ,constantine4 ,the ,arch of ,titus is the most considerable at ,rome4 ,the ,arch of ,benvenuto1 erected in honor of ,trajan1 is one of the most remarkable relics of antiquity1 as well on account of its sculptures as its architecture4 ,the ,arch of ,trajan at ,ancona is also one of the most elegant works of the kind4 ,the ,arch of ,rimini1 erected in honor of ,augustus1 on the occasion of his repairing the ,flaminian ,way from that town to ,rome1 is the most ancient of all the antique arches1 and from its size1 one of the noblest existing4 ,many beautiful structures of this kind have been erected in modern times1 but principally on the plan1 and in imitation of some of the above mentioned4 ,ancient medals often bear signs of this species of architecture1 and some of them represent arches that have ceased to exist for centuries4 ,triumphal arches seem to have been in use among the ,chinese in very ancient times4 ,milizia says1 ,there is no country in the world in which those arches are so numerous as in ,china4 ,they are found not only in the cities but on the mountains2 and are erected in the public streets in honor of princes1 generals1 philosophers1 and mandarins1 who have benefitted the public1 or signalized themselves by any great action2 there are more than #aajj of these latter1 #bjj of which are of extraordinary size and beauty2 there are also some in honor of females4 ,the ,chinese annals record #cfcf men who have merited triumphal arches4 ,milizia also says1 the friezes of the ,chinese arches are of great height1 and ornamented with sculpture4 ,the highest arches are twenty-five feet1 embellished with human figures1 animals1 flowers1 and grotesque forms1 in various attitudes1 and in full relief4 ,,statue ,,of ,,pompey ,,the ,,great4 ,the large ,statue of ,pompey1 formerly in the collection of the ,cardinal ,spada1 is supposed to be the same as that1 at the base of which ,great ,csar fell4 ,it was found on the very spot where the ,senate was held on the fatal ides of ,march1 while some workmen were engaged in making excavations1 to erect a private house4 ,the ,statue is not only interesting from its antiquity and historical associations1 but for a curious episode that followed its discovery4 ,the trunk lay in the ground of the discoverer1 but the head projected into that of his neighbor2 this occasioned a dispute as to the right of possession4 ,the matter was at length referred to the decision of ,cardinal ,spada1 who1 like the wise man of old1 ordered the ,statue to be decapitated1 and division made according to position--the trunk to one claimant1 and the head to the other4 ,the object of the wily ,cardinal was not so much justice1 as to get possession of the ,statue himself1 which he afterwards did1 at a tithe of what it would otherwise have cost him4 ,the whole cost him only #ejj crowns4 ,,of ,,antique ,,sculptures ,,in ,,rome4 ,in #ahbd1 there were more than #aj1fjj pieces of ancient sculpture in ,rome2 7statues1 busts1 and relievos17 and upwards of #fcjj ancient columns of marble4 ,what multitudes of the latter have been sawed up for tables1 and for wainscotting chapels1 or mixed up with walls1 and otherwise destroyed6 ,and what multitudes may yet lie undiscovered underneath the many feet of earth and rubbish which buries ancient ,rome6 ,when we reflect on this1 it may give us some faint idea of the vast magnificence of ,rome in all its pristine splendor6 ,,ancient ,,map ,,of ,,rome4 ,the ,ichnography of ,rome1 in the fine collection of antiquities in the ,palazzo ,farnese1 was found in the temple of ,romulus and ,remus1 which is now dedicated to ,sts4 ,cosmo and ,damiano1 who were also twin brothers4 ,though incomplete1 it is one of the most useful remains of antiquity4 ,the names of the particular buildings and palaces are marked upon it1 as well as the outlines of the buildings themselves2 and it is so large1 that the ,horrea ,lolliana are a foot and a half long2 and may serve as a scale to measure any other building or palace in it4 ,it is published in ,groevius's ,thesaurus4 ,,julian ,,the ,,apostate4 ,the ,emperor ,julian commanded ,alypius1 a learned architect of ,antioch1 who held many important offices under that monarch1 to rebuild the ,temple of ,jerusalem1 ,a4 ,d4 #cfc1 with the avowed object of falsifying the prophecy of our ,saviour with regard to that structure4 ,while the workmen were engaged in making excavations for the foundation1 balls of fire issued from the earth and destroyed them4 ,this indication of divine wrath against the reprobate ,jews and the ,apostate ,julian1 compelled him to abandon his project4 ,the story is affirmed by many ,christian and classic authors4 ,,the ,,tomb ,,of ,,mausolus4 ,when ,mausolus1 king of ,caria1 died about ,b4 ,c4 #cec1 his wife ,artemisia1 was so disconsolate1 that she drank up his ashes1 and resolved to erect in the city of ,halicarnassus1 one of the grandest and noblest monuments of antiquity1 to celebrate the memory of a husband whom she tenderly loved4 ,she therefore employed ,bryaxis1 ,scopas1 ,timotheus1 and ,leocarus1 four of the most renowned sculptors and architects of the golden age of ,grecian art1 to erect that famous mausoleum which was accounted one of the seven wonders of the world1 and gave its name to all similar structures in succeeding ages4 ,its dimensions on the north and south sides were sixty-three feet1 the east and west sides were a little shorter1 and its extreme height was one hundred and forty feet4 ,it was surrounded with thirty-six splendid marble columns4 ,byaxis executed the north side1 ,scopas the east1 ,timotheus the south1 and ,leocarus the west4 ,artemisia died before the work was completed2 but the artists continued their work with unabated zeal1 and they endeavored to rival each other in the beauty and magnificence with which they decorated this admirable work4 ,a fifth sculptor1 named ,pythis1 was added to them1 who executed a noble four horse chariot of marble1 which was placed on a pyramid crowning the summit of the mausoleum4 ,,mandrocles' ,,bridge ,,across ,,the ,,bosphorus4 ,mandrocles1 probably a ,greek architect in the service of ,darius1 ,king of ,persia1 who flourished about ,b4 ,c4 #ejj1 acquired a great name for the bridge which he constructed across the ,thracian ,bosphorus1 or ,straits of ,constantinople1 by order of that monarch4 ,this bridge was formed of boats so ingeniously and firmly united that the innumerable army of ,persia passed over it from ,asia to ,europe4 ,to preserve the memory of so singular a work1 ,mandrocles represented in a picture1 the ,bosphorus1 the bridge1 the king of ,persia seated on a throne1 and the army that passed over it4 ,this picture was preserved in the ,temple of ,juno at ,samos1 where ,herodotus saw it1 with this inscription3--,mandrocles1 after having constructed a bridge of boats over the ,bosphorus1 by order of the king ,darius of ,persia1 dedicated this monument to ,juno1 which does honor to ,samos1 his country1 and confers glory on the artificer4 ,,the ,,colossus ,,of ,,the ,,sun ,,at ,,rhodes4 ,this prodigious ,statue1 which1 was accounted one of the seven wonders of the world1 was planned1 and probably executed by ,chares1 an ancient sculptor of ,lindus1 and a disciple of ,lysippus4 ,according to ,strabo1 the statue was of brass1 and was seventy cubits1 or one hundred feet high2 and ,chares was employed upon it twelve years4 ,it was said to have been placed at the entrance of the harbor of ,rhodes1 with the feet upon two rocks1 in such a manner1 that the ships then used in commerce could pass in full sail between them4 ,this colossus1 after standing fifty-six years1 was overthrown by an earthquake4 ,an oracle had forbidden the inhabitants to restore it to its former position1 and its fragments remained in the same position until ,a4 ,d4 #ffg1 when ,moaviah1 a calif of the ,saracens1 who invaded ,rhodes in that year1 sold them to a ,jewish merchant1 who is said to have loaded nine hundred camels with them4 ,pliny says that ,chares executed the statue in three years1 and he relates several interesting particulars1 as that few persons could embrace its thumb1 and that the fingers were as long as an ordinary statue4 ,muratori reckons this one of the fables of antiquity4 ,though the accounts in ancient authors concerning this colossal statue of ,apollo are somewhat contradictory1 they all agree that there was such a statue1 seventy or eighty cubits high1 and so monstrous a fable could not have been imposed upon the world in that enlightened age4 ,some antiquarians have thought1 with great justice1 that the fine head of ,apollo which is stamped upon the ,rhodian medals1 is a representation of that of the ,colossus4 ,,statues ,,and ,,paintings ,,at ,,rhodes4 ,pliny says1 7lib4 xxxiv4 cap4 #g47 that ,rhodes1 in his time1 possessed more than #cjjj statues1 the greater part finely executed2 also paintings and other works of art1 of more value than those contained in the cities of ,greece4 ,there was the wonderful ,colossus1 executed by ,chares of ,lindus1 the disciple of ,lysippus4 ,,sostratus' ,,light-,,house ,,on ,,the ,,isle ,,of ,,pharos4 ,this celebrated work of antiquity was built by ,sostratus1 by order of ,ptolemy ,philadelphus4 ,it was a species of tower1 erected on a high promontory or rock1 on the above mentioned island1 then situated about a mile from ,alexandria4 ,it was #dej ft4 high1 divided into several stories1 each decreasing in size2 the ground story was hexagonal1 the sides alternately concave and convex1 each an eighth of a mile in length2 the second and third stories were of the same form2 the fourth was a square1 flanked by four round towers2 the fifth was circular4 ,the whole edifice was of wrought stone2 a magnificent staircase led to the top1 where fires were lighted every night1 visible from the distance of a hundred miles1 to guide the coasting vessels4 ,sostratus is said to have engraved an inscription on stone1 and covered it with a species of cement1 upon which he sculptured the name of ,ptolemy1 calculating that the cement would decay1 and bring to light his original inscription4 ,strabo says it read1 ,sostratus1 the friend of kings1 made me4 ,lucian reports differently1 and more probably1 thus1 ,sostratus of ,cnidus1 the son of ,dexiphanes1 to the ,gods the ,saviors1 for the safety of ,mariners4 ,it is also said that ,ptolemy left the inscription to the inclination of the architect2 and that by the ,gods the ,saviors were meant the reigning king and queen1 with their successors1 who were ambitious of the title of ,soteros or ,savior4 ,,dinocrates' ,,plan ,,for ,,cutting ,,mount ,,athos ,,into ,a ,,statue ,,of ,,alexander ,,the ,,great4 ,according to ,vitruvius1 this famous architect1 having provided himself with recommendatory letters to the principal personages of ,alexander's court1 set out from his native country with the hope of gaining1 through their means1 the favor of the monarch4 ,the courtiers made him promises which they neglected to perform1 and framed various excuses to prevent his access to the sovereign2 he therefore determined upon the following expedient3--,being of a gigantic and well proportioned stature1 he stripped himself1 anointed his body with oil1 bound his head with poplar leaves1 and throwing a lion's skin across his shoulders1 with a club in his hand1 presented himself to ,alexander1 in the place where he held his public audience4 ,alexander1 astonished at his ,herculean figure1 desired him to approach1 demanding1 at the same time1 his name3--,i am1 said he1 a ,macedonian architect1 and am come to submit to you designs worthy of the fame you have acquired4 ,i have modelled ,mount ,athos in the form of a giant1 holding in his right hand a city1 and his left a shell1 from which are discharged into the sea all the rivers collected from the mountain4 ,it was impossible to imagine a scheme more agreeable to ,alexander1 who asked seriously whether there would be sufficient country round this city to maintain its inhabitants4 ,dinocrates answered in the negative1 and that it would be necessary to supply it by sea4 ,athos consequently remained a mountain2 but ,alexander was so pleased with the novelty of the idea1 and the genius of ,dinocrates1 that he at once took him into his service4 ,the design of ,dinocrates may be found in ,fischer's ,history of ,architecture4 ,according to ,pliny1 ,dinocrates planned and built the city of ,alexandria4 ,,pope',s ,,idea ,,of ,,forming ,,mount ,,athos ,,into ,a ,,statue ,,of ,,alexander ,,the ,,great4 ,i cannot conceive1 said ,spence1 the author of ,polymetis1 to ,pope1 how ,dinocrates could ever have carried his proposal of forming ,mount ,athos into a statue of ,alexander the ,great1 into execution4--,for my part1 replied ,pope1 ,i have long since had an idea how that might be done2 and if any body would make me a present of a ,welch mountain1 and pay the workmen1 ,i would undertake to see it executed4 ,i have quite formed it sometimes in my imagination3 the figure must be on a reclining posture1 because of the hollowing that would be necessary1 and for the city's being in one hand4 ,it should be a rude unequal hill1 and might be helped with groves of trees for the eye brows1 and a wood for the hair4 ,the natural green turf should be left wherever it would be necessary to represent the ground he reclines on4 ,it should be so contrived1 that the true point of view should be at a considerable distance4 ,when you were near it1 it should still have the appearance of a rough mountain1 but at the proper distance such a rising should be the leg1 and such another an arm4 ,it would be best if there were a river1 or rather a lake1 at the bottom of it1 for the rivulet that came through his other hand1 to tumble down the hill1 and discharge itself into it4 ,diodorus ,siculus1 says that ,semiramis had the mountain ,bajitanus1 in ,media1 cut into a statue of herself1 seventeen stadii high1 7about two miles7 surrounded by one hundred others1 probably representing the various members of her court4 ,china1 among other wonders1 is said to have many mountains cut into the figures of men1 animals1 and birds4 ,it is probable1 however1 that all these stories have originated in the imagination1 from the real or fanciful resemblance of mountains1 to various objects1 which are found in every country1 as ,the ,old ,man of the ,mountain1 ,mt4 ,washington1 ,n4 ,h41 ,st4 ,anthony's ,nose1 in the ,highlands1 ,camel's ,rump1 ,green ,mountains1 ,giant of the ,valley1 on lake ,champlain1 c4 ,it is easy to imagine a mountain as a cloud1 almost in shape of a camel1 backed like a weasel1 or very like a whale4 ,,temple ,,with ,,an ,,iron ,,statue ,,suspended ,,in ,,the ,,air ,,by ,,loadstone4 ,according to ,pliny1 ,dinocrates built a temple at ,alexandria1 in honor of ,arsinoe1 sister and wife of ,ptolemy ,philadelphus4 ,the whole interior was to have been incrusted with loadstone1 in order that the statue of the princess1 composed of iron1 should be suspended in the centre1 solely by magnetic influence4 ,on the death of ,ptolemy and of the architect1 the idea was abandoned1 and has never been executed elsewhere1 though believed to be practicable4 ,a similar fable was invented of the tomb of ,mahomet4 ,,the ,,temple ,,of ,,jupiter ,,olympius ,,at ,,athens4 ,according to ,vitruvius1 ,pisistratus1 who flourished about ,b4 ,c4 #eee1 employed the four ,grecian architects1 ,antistates1 ,antimachides1 ,calleschros1 and ,porinus1 to erect this famous temple in the place of one built in the time of ,deucalion1 which the storms of a thousand years had destroyed4 ,they proceeded so far with it that ,pisistratus was enabled to dedicate it1 but after his death the work ceased2 and the completion of the temple1 so magnificent and grand in its design that it impressed the beholder with wonder and awe1 became the work of after ages4 ,perseus1 king of ,macedonia1 and ,antiochus ,epiphanes1 nearly four hundred years after ,pisistratus1 finished the grand nave1 and placed the columns of the portico1 ,cossutius1 a ,roman1 being the architect4 ,it was considered1 and with good reason1 one of the four celebrated marble temples of ,greece3 the other three were that of ,diana1 at ,ephesus2 ,apollo1 at ,miletus2 and ,ceres1 at ,eleusis4 ,the ,corinthian order prevailed in its design4 ,in the siege that ,sylla laid to ,athens1 this temple was greatly injured1 but the allied kings afterwards restored it at their common expense1 intending to dedicate it to the genius of ,augustus4 ,livy says that among so many temples1 this was the only one worthy of a god4 ,pausanias says the ,emperor ,adrian enclosed it with a wall1 as was usual with the ,grecian temples1 of half a mile in circumference1 which the cities of ,greece adorned with statues erected to that monarch4 ,the ,athenians distinguished themselves by the elevation of a colossal statue behind the temple4 ,this enclosure was also ornamented with a peristyle1 one hundred rods in length1 supported by superb marble ,corinthian columns1 and to this faade were three grand vestibules which led to the temple4 ,adrian dedicated it a second time4 ,in the temple was placed a splendid statue of ,jupiter ,olympius1 of gold and ivory2 and the courtiers added four statues of the ,emperor4 ,this wonderful structure1 which is said to have cost five millions of scudi1 is now in ruins4 ,sixteen ,corinthian columns are still standing1 six feet four inches and some six feet six inches1 in diameter4 ,the length of the temple1 according to ,stuart1 upon the upper step1 was three hundred and fifty-four feet1 and its breadth one hundred and seventy-one feet2 the entire length of the walls of the peribolous is six hundred and eighty-eight feet1 and the width four hundred and sixty-three feet4 ,,the ,,parthenon ,,at ,,athens4 ,this celebrated temple was built by ,ictinus and ,callicrates1 two ,greek architects who flourished about ,b4 ,c4 #dcj4 ,ictinus was celebrated for the magnificent temples which he erected to the heathen gods4 ,among these were the famous ,doric temple of ,ceres and ,proserpine at ,eleusis1 of which he built the outer cell1 capable of accommodating thirty thousand persons2 also the temple of ,apollo1 near ,mount ,cotylion1 in ,arcadia1 which was considered one of the finest of antiquity1 and was vaulted with stone4 ,but his most important work was the famous ,parthenon at ,athens1 erected within the citadel1 by ,ictinus and ,callicrates1 by order of ,pericles4 ,according to ,vitruvius1 the two artists exerted all their powers to make this temple worthy the goddess who presided over the arts4 ,the plan was a rectangle1 like most of the ,greek and ,roman2 its length from east to west1 was #bbg feet #g inches1 and its width #aja feet #b inches1 as measured on the top step4 ,it was peripteral1 octastyle2 that is1 surrounded with a portico of columns1 with eight to each faade4 ,the height of the columns was #cd feet1 and their diameter #f feet4 ,within the outer portico was a second1 also formed of isolated columns1 but elevated two steps higher than the first2 from thence the interior of the temple was entered1 which contained the famous statue of ,minerva in gold and ivory1 by ,phidias4 ,this famous temple was built entirely of white marble1 and from its elevated position1 could be seen from an immense distance4 ,on a nearer approach1 it was admired for the elegance of its proportions1 and the beauty of the bas-reliefs with which its exterior was decorated4 ,it was preserved entire until #afgg1 when it was nearly destroyed by an explosion during the siege of ,athens by ,morosini4 ,it was further dilapidated by the ,turks1 and afterwards by ,lord ,elgin1 who removed all the bas-reliefs and other ornaments practicable1 and transported them to ,london1 where they now adorn the ,british ,museum4 ,king ,otho has adopted measures to preserve the edifice from further mischief4 ,,the ,,elgin ,,marbles4 ,the following exceedingly interesting account of the removal of the sculptures from the ,parthenon1 is extracted from ,hamilton's ,memorandum on the ,subject of the ,earl of ,elgin's ,pursuits in ,greece4 ,in the year #agii1 when ,lord ,elgin was appointed his majesty's ambassador extraordinary to the ,ottoman ,porte1 he was in habits of frequent intercourse with ,mr4 ,harrison1 an architect of great eminence in the west of ,england1 whom his lordship consulted on the benefits that might possibly be derived to the arts in this country1 in case an opportunity could be found for studying minutely the architecture and sculpture of ancient ,greece2 whose opinion was1 that although we might possess exact admeasurements of the public buildings in ,athens1 yet a young artist could never form to himself an adequate conception of their minute details1 combinations1 and general effects1 without having before him some such sensible representation of them as might be conveyed by casts4 ,on this suggestion ,lord ,elgin proposed to his majesty's government1 that they should send out ,english artists of known eminence1 capable of collecting this information in the most perfect manner2 but the prospect appeared of too doubtful an issue for ministers to engage in the expense attending it4 ,lord ,elgin then endeavored to engage some of these artists at his own charge2 but the value of their time was far beyond his means4 ,when1 however1 he reached ,sicily1 on the recommendation of ,sir ,william ,hamilton1 he was so fortunate as to prevail on ,don ,tita ,lusieri1 one of the best general painters in ,europe1 of great knowledge in the arts1 and of infinite taste1 to undertake the execution of this plan2 and ,mr4 ,hamilton1 who was then accompanying ,lord ,elgin to ,constantinople1 immediately went with ,signor ,lusieri to ,rome1 where1 in consequence of the disturbed state of ,italy1 they were enabled to engage two of the most eminent formatori or moulders1 to make the madreformi for the casts2 ,signor ,balestra1 a distinguished architect there1 along with ,ittar1 a young man of promising talents1 to undertake the architectural part of the plan2 and one ,theodore1 a ,calmouk1 who during several years at ,rome1 had shown himself equal to the first masters in the design of the human figure4 ,after much difficulty1 ,lord ,elgin obtained permission from the ,turkish government to establish these six artists at ,athens1 where they systematically prosecuted the business of their several departments during three years1 under the general superintendence of ,lusieri4 ,accordingly every monument1 of which there are any remains in ,athens1 has been thus most carefully and minutely measured1 and from the rough draughts of the architects 7all of which are preserved71 finished drawings have been made by them of the plans1 elevations1 and details of the most remarkable objects2 in which the ,calmouk has restored and inserted all the sculpture with exquisite taste and ability4 ,he has besides made accurate drawings of all the bas-reliefs on the several temples1 in the precise state of decay and mutilation in which they at present exist4 ,most of the bassi rilievi1 and nearly all the characteristic features of architecture in the various monuments at ,athens1 have been moulded1 and the moulds of them brought to ,london4 ,besides the architecture and sculpture at ,athens1 all similar remains which could be traced through several parts of ,greece have been measured and delineated with the most scrupulous exactness1 by the second architect ,ittar4 ,in the prosecution of this undertaking1 the artists had the mortification of witnessing the very willful devastation to which all the sculpture1 and even the architecture1 were daily exposed on the part of the ,turks and travelers3 the former equally influenced by mischief and by avarice1 the latter from an anxiety to become possessed1 each according to his means1 of some relic1 however small1 of buildings or statues which had formed the pride of ,greece4 ,the ,ionic temple on the ,ilyssus which1 in ,stuart's time1 about the year #agei1 was in tolerable preservation1 had so entirely disappeared1 that its foundation was no longer to be ascertained4 ,another temple near ,olympia had shared a similar fate within the recollection of many4 ,the temple of ,minerva had been converted into a powder magazine1 and was in great part shattered from a shell falling upon it during the bombardment of ,athens by the ,venetians1 towards the end of the seventeenth century2 and even this accident has not deterred the ,turks from applying the beautiful temple of ,neptune and ,erectheus to the same use1 whereby it is still constantly exposed to a similar fate4 ,many of the statues over the entrance of the temple of ,minerva1 which had been thrown down by the explosion1 had been powdered to mortar1 because they offered the whitest marble within reach2 and parts of the modern fortification1 and the miserable houses where this mortar had been so applied1 are easily traced4 ,in addition to these causes of degradation1 the ,turks will frequently climb up the ruined walls and amuse themselves in defacing any sculpture they can reach2 or in breaking columns1 statues1 or other remains of antiquity1 in the fond expectation of finding within them some hidden treasures4 ,under these circumstances1 ,lord ,elgin felt himself irresistibly impelled to endeavor to preserve1 by removal from ,athens1 any specimens of sculpture he could1 without injury1 rescue from such impending ruin4 ,he had1 besides1 another inducement1 and an example before him1 in the conduct of the last ,french embassy sent to ,turkey before the ,revolution4 ,french artists did then attempt to remove several of the sculptured ornaments from several edifices in the ,acropolis1 and particularly from the ,parthenon4 ,in lowering one of the ,metopes the tackle failed1 and it was dashed to pieces2 one other object was conveyed to ,france1 where it is held in the highest estimation1 and where it occupies a conspicuous place in the gallery of the ,louvre1 and constituted national property during the ,french ,revolution4 ,the same agents were remaining at ,athens during ,lord ,elgin's embassy1 waiting only the return of ,french influence at the ,porte to renew their operations4 ,actuated by these inducements1 ,lord ,elgin made every exertion2 and the sacrifices he has made have been attended with such entire success1 that he has brought to ,england from the ruined temples at ,athens1 from the modern walls and fortifications1 in which many fragments had been used as blocks for building1 and from excavations from amongst the ruins1 made on purpose1 such a mass of ,athenian sculpture1 in statues1 alti and bassi rilievi1 capitals1 cornices1 friezes1 and columns as1 with the aid of a few of the casts1 to present all the sculpture and architecture of any value to the artist or man of taste which can be traced at ,athens4 ,in proportion as ,lord ,elgin's plan advanced1 and the means accumulated in his hands towards affording an accurate knowledge of the works of architecture and sculpture in ,athens and in ,greece1 it became a subject of anxious inquiry with him1 in what way the greatest degree of benefit could be derived to the arts from what he had been so fortunate as to procure4 ,in regard to the works of the architects employed by him1 he had naturally1 from the beginning1 looked forward to their being engraved2 and accordingly all such plans1 elevations1 and details as to those persons appeared desirable for that object1 were by them1 and on the spot1 extended with the greatest possible care for the purpose of publication4 ,besides these1 all the working sketches and measurements offer ample materials for further drawings1 if they should be required4 ,it was ,lord ,elgin's wish that the whole of the drawings might be executed in the highest perfection of the art of engraving2 and for this purpose a fund should be raised by subscription1 exhibition1 or otherwise2 by aid of which these engravings might still be distributable1 for the benefit of artists1 at a rate of expense within the means of professional men4 ,great difficulty occurred in forming a plan for deriving the utmost advantage from the marbles and casts4 ,lord ,elgin's first attempt was to have the statues and bassi rilievi restored2 and in that view he went to ,rome to consult and to employ ,canova4 ,the decision of that most eminent artist was conclusive4 ,on examining the specimens produced to him1 and making himself acquainted with the whole collection1 and particularly with what came from the ,parthenon1 by means of the persons who had been carrying on ,lord ,elgin's operations at ,athens1 and who had returned with him to ,rome1 ,canova declared1 ,that however greatly it was to be lamented that these statues should have suffered so much from time and barbarism1 yet it was undeniable that they never had been retouched2 that they were the work of the ablest artists the world had ever seen2 executed under the most enlightened patron of the arts1 and at a period when genius enjoyed the most liberal encouragement1 and had attained the highest degree of perfection2 and that they had been found worthy of forming the decoration of the most admired edifice ever erected in ,greece4 ,that he should have had the greatest delight1 and derived the greatest benefit from the opportunity ,lord ,elgin offered him of having in his possession and contemplating these inestimable marbles4 ,but 7his expression was7 it would be sacrilege in him or any man to presume to touch them with his chisel4 ,since their arrival in this country they have been laid open to the inspection of the public2 and the opinions and impressions1 not only of artists1 but of men of taste in general1 have thus been formed and collected4 ,from these the judgment pronounced by ,canova has been universally sanctioned2 and all idea of restoring the marbles deprecated4 ,meanwhile the most distinguished painters and sculptors have assiduously attended the ,museum1 and evinced the most enthusiastic admiration of the perfection to which these marbles now prove to them that ,phidias had brought the art of sculpture1 and which had hitherto only been known through the medium of ancient authors4 ,they have attentively examined them1 and they have ascertained that they were executed with the most scrupulous anatomical truth1 not only in the human figure1 but in the various animals to be found in this collection4 ,they have been struck with the wonderful accuracy1 and at the same time1 the great effect of minute detail2 and with the life and expression so distinctly produced in every variety of attitude and action4 ,those more advanced in years have testified great concern at not having had the advantage of studying these models2 and many who have had the opportunity of forming a comparison 7among these are the most eminent sculptors and painters in this metropolis71 have publicly and unequivocally declared1 that in the view of professional men1 this collection is far more valuable than any other collection in existence4 ,with such advantages as the possession of these unrivalled works of art afford1 and with an enlightened and encouraging protection bestowed on genius and the arts1 it may not be too sanguine to indulge a hope1 that1 prodigal as nature is in the perfections of the human figure in this country1 animating as are the instances of patriotism1 heroic actions1 and private virtues deserving commemoration1 sculpture may soon be raised in ,england to rival these1 the ablest productions of the best times of ,greece4 ,the reader is referred to the synopsis of the ,british ,museum1 and to the ,chevalier ,visconti's ,memoirs1 before quoted1 for complete and authentic catalogues of these marbles1 but the following brief abstract is necessary to give a view of what they consist1 to readers who may reside at a distance from the metropolis1 or have not those works at hand4 ,in that part of the collection which came from the eastern pediment of the ,parthenon are several statues and fragments1 consisting of two horses' heads in one block1 and the head of one of the horses of ,night1 a statue of ,hercules or ,theseus1 a group of two female figures1 a female figure in quick motion1 supposed to be ,iris1 and a group of two goddesses1 one represented sitting1 and the other half reclining on a rock4 ,among the statues and fragments from the western pediment are part of the chest and shoulders of the colossal figure in the centre1 supposed to be ,neptune1 a fragment of the colossal figure of ,minerva1 a fragment of a head1 supposed to belong to the preceding1 a fragment of a statue of ,victory1 and a statue of a river god called ,ilissus1 and several fragments of statues from the pediments1 the names or places of which are not positively ascertained1 among which is one supposed to have been ,latona1 holding ,apollo and ,diana in her arms2 another of the neck and arms of a figure rising out of the sea1 called ,hyperion1 or the rising ,sun2 and a torso of a male figure with drapery thrown over one shoulder4 ,the metopes represent the battles between the ,centaurs and ,lapith1 at the nuptials of ,pirithous4 ,each metope contains two figures1 grouped in various attitudes2 sometimes the ,lapith1 sometimes the ,centaurs victorious4 ,the figure of one of the ,lapith1 who is lying dead and trampled on by a ,centaur1 is one of the finest productions of the art1 as well as the group adjoining to it of ,hippodamia1 the bride1 carried off by the ,centaur ,eurytion2 the furious style of whose galloping in order to secure his prize1 and his shrinking from the spear that has been hurled after him1 are expressed with prodigious animation4 ,they are all in such high relief as to seem groups of statues2 and they are in general finished with as much attention behind as before4 ,they were originally continued round the entablature of the ,parthenon1 and formed ninety-two groups4 ,the frieze which was carried along the outer walls of the cell offered a continuation of sculptures in low relief1 and of the most exquisite beauty4 ,it represented the whole of the solemn procession to the temple of ,minerva during the ,panathenaic festival2 many of the figures are on horseback1 others are about to mount1 some are in chariots1 others on foot1 oxen and other victims are led to sacrifice1 the nymphs called ,canephor1 ,skiophor1 c41 are carrying the sacred offering in baskets and vases2 there are priests1 magistrates1 warriors1 deities1 c41 forming altogether a series of most interesting figures in great variety of costume1 armor1 and attitude4 ,from the ,opisthodomus of the ,parthenon1 ,lord ,elgin also procured some valuable inscriptions1 written in the manner called ,kionedon or columnar4 ,the subjects of these monuments are public decrees of the people1 accounts of the riches contained in the treasury1 and delivered by the administrators to their successors in office1 enumerations of the statues1 the silver1 gold1 and precious stones1 deposited in the temple1 estimates for public works1 c4 ,,odeon1 ,,or ,,odeum4 ,the first ,odeon1 7,greek3 deion1 from ,greek3 d1 a song71 was built by ,pericles at ,athens4 ,it was constructed on different principles from the theatre1 being of an eliptical form1 and roofed to preserve the harmony and increase the force of musical sounds4 ,the building was devoted to poetical and musical contests and exhibitions4 ,it was injured in the siege of ,sylla1 but was subsequently repaired by ,ariobarzanes ,philopator1 king of ,cappadocia4 ,at a later period1 two others were built at ,athens by ,pausanias and ,herodes ,atticus1 and other ,greek cities followed their example4 ,the first ,odeon at ,rome was built in the time of the emperors2 ,domitian erected one1 and ,trajan another4 ,the ,romans likewise constructed them in several provincial cities1 the ruins of one of which are still seen at ,catanea1 in ,sicily4 ,,perpetual ,,lamps4 ,according to ,pausanias1 ,callimachus made a golden lamp for the ,temple of ,minerva at ,athens1 with a wick composed of asbestos1 which burned day and night for a year without trimming or replenishing with oil4 ,if this was true1 the font of the lamp must have been large enough to have contained a year's supply of oil2 for1 though some profess that the economical inventions of the ancients have been forgotten1 the least knowledge in chemistry proves that oil in burning must be consumed4 ,the perpetual lamps1 so much celebrated among the learned of former times1 said to have been found burning after many centuries1 on opening tombs1 are nothing more than fables1 arising perhaps from phosphorescent appearances1 caused by decomposition in confined places1 which vanished as soon as fresh air was admitted4 ,such phenomena have frequently been observed in opening sepulchres4 ,,the ,,skull ,,of ,,raffaelle4 ,is preserved as an object of great veneration in the ,academy of ,st4 ,luke1 which the students visit as if in the hope of being inspired with similar talents2 and it is wonderful that1 admiring him so much1 modern painters should so little resemble him4 ,either they do not wish to imitate him1 or do not know how to do so4 ,those who duly appreciate his merits have attempted it1 and been successful4 ,mengs is an example of this observation4 ,,the ,,four ,,finest ,,pictures ,,in ,,rome4 ,the four most celebrated pictures in ,rome1 are ,the ,transfiguration by ,raffaelle1 ,st4 ,jerome by ,domenichino1 ,the ,descent from the ,cross by ,daniele da ,volterra1 and ,the ,romualdo by ,andrea ,sacchi4 ,,the ,,four ,,carlos ,,of ,,the #ag,,th ,,century4 ,it is a singular fact that the four most distinguished painters of the #agth century were named ,charles1 viz43 le ,brun1 ,cignani1 ,maratta1 and ,loti1 or ,loth4 ,hence they are frequently called by writers1 especially the ,italian1 ,the four ,carlos of the #agth century4 ,,pietro ,,galletti ,,and ,,the ,,bolognese ,,students4 ,crespi relates that ,pietro ,galletti1 misled by a pleasing self-delusion that he was born a painter1 made himself the butt and ridicule of all the artists of ,bologna4 ,when they extolled his works and called him the greatest painter in the world1 he took their irony for truth1 and strutted with greater self-complacency4 ,on one occasion1 the students assembled with great pomp and ceremony1 and solemnly invested him with the degree of ,doctor of ,painting4 ,,tion',s ,,picture ,,of ,,the ,,nuptials ,,of ,,alexander ,,and ,,roxana4 tion gained so much applause by his picture1 representing the nuptials of ,alexander and ,roxana1 which he publicly exhibited at the ,olympic ,games1 that ,proxenidas1 the president1 rewarded him1 by giving him his daughter in marriage4 ,this picture was taken to ,rome after the conquest of ,greece1 where it was seen by ,lucian1 who gives an accurate description of it1 from which1 it is said1 ,raffaelle sketched one of his finest compositions4 ,,ageladas4 ,this famous sculptor was a native of ,argos1 and flourished about ,b4 ,c4 #ejj4 ,he was celebrated for his works in bronze1 the chief of which were a statue of ,jupiter1 in the citadel of ,ithone1 and one of ,hercules1 placed in the ,temple at ,melite1 in ,attica1 after the great plague4 ,pausanias mentions several other works by him1 which were highly esteemed4 ,he was also celebrated as the instructor of ,myron1 ,phidias1 and ,polycletus4 ,,the ,,porticos ,,of ,,agaptos4 ,according to ,pausanias1 ,agaptos1 a ,grecian architect1 invented the porticos around the square attached to the ,greek stadii1 or race courses of the ,gymnasiums1 which gained him so much reputation1 that they were called the porticos of ,agaptos1 and were adopted in every stadium4 ,,the ,,group ,,of ,,niobe ,,and ,,her ,,children4 ,pliny says there was a doubt in his time1 whether some statues representing the dying children of ,niobe 7,niob liberos morientes71 in the ,temple of ,apollo ,sosianus at ,rome1 were by ,scopas or ,praxiteles4 ,the well known group of this subject in the ,florentine gallery1 is generally believed to be the identical work mentioned by ,pliny4 ,whether it be an original production of one of these great artists1 or as some critics have supposed1 only a copy1 it will ever be considered worthy of their genius1 as one of the sweetest manifestations of that deep and intense feeling of beauty which the ,grecian artists delighted to preserve in the midst of suffering4 ,the admirable criticism of ,schlegel 7,lectures on the ,drama1 ,,iii71 developes the internal harmony of the work4 ,in the group of ,niobe1 there is the most perfect expression of terror and pity4 ,the upturned looks of the mother1 and the mouth half open in supplication1 seem to accuse the invisible wrath of ,heaven4 ,the daughter1 clinging in the agonies of death to the bosom of her mother1 in her infantile innocence1 can have no other fear than for herself2 the innate impulse of self-preservation was never represented in a manner more tender and affecting4 ,can there1 on the other hand1 be exhibited to the senses1 a more beautiful image of self-devoting1 heroic magnanimity than ,niobe1 as she bends her body forward1 that1 if possible1 she may alone receive the destructive bolt8 ,pride and repugnance are melted down in the most ardent maternal love4 ,the more than earthly dignity of the features are the less disfigured by pain1 as from the quick repetition of the shocks1 she appears1 as in the fable1 to have become insensible and motionless4 ,before this figure1 twice transformed into stone1 and yet so inimitably animated--before this line of demarkation of all human suffering1 the most callous beholder is dissolved in tears4 ,,statue ,,of ,,the ,,fighting ,,gladiator4 ,the famous antique statue of the ,fighting ,gladiator1 which now adorns the ,louvre1 was executed by ,agasias1 a ,greek sculptor of ,ephesus1 who flourished about ,b4 ,c4 #dej4 ,it was found among the ruins of a palace of the ,roman ,emperors at ,capo d',anzo1 the ancient ,antium1 where also the ,apollo ,belvidere was discovered4 ,,the ,,group ,,of ,,laoco,n ,,in ,,the ,,vatican4 ,as ,laocon1 a priest of ,neptune1 7or according to some1 of ,apollo7 was sacrificing a bull to ,neptune1 on the shore at ,troy1 after the pretended retreat of the ,greeks1 two enormous serpents appeared swimming from the island of ,tenedos1 and advanced towards the altar4 ,the people fled2 but ,laocon and his two sons fell victims to the monsters4 ,the sons were first attacked1 and then the father1 who attempted to defend them1 the serpents coiling themselves about him and his sons1 while in his agony he endeavored to extricate them4 ,they then hastened to the temple of ,pallas1 where1 placing themselves at the foot of the goddess1 they hid themselves under her shield4 ,the people saw in this omen1 ,laocon's punishment for his impiety in having pierced with his spear1 the wooden horse which was consecrated to ,minerva4 ,thus ,virgil relates the story in the neid2 others1 as ,hyginus1 give different accounts1 though agreeing in the main points4 ,the fable is chiefly interesting to us1 as having given rise to one of the finest and most celebrated works of antique sculpture1 namely1 the ,laocon1 now in the ,vatican4 ,it was discovered in #aejf by some workmen1 while employed in making excavations in a vineyard on the site of the ,baths of ,titus4 ,pope ,julius ,,ii4 bought it for an annual pension1 and placed it in the ,belvidere in the ,vatican4 ,it was taken to ,paris by ,napoleon1 but was restored to its place in #ahae4 ,it is perfect in preservation1 except that the right arm of ,laocon was wanting1 which was restored by ,baccio ,bandinelli4 ,this group is so perfect a work1 so grand and so instructive for the student of the fine arts1 that many writers of all nations have written on it4 ,it represents three persons in agony1 but in different attitudes of struggling or fear1 according to their ages1 and the mental anguish of the father4 ,all connoisseurs declare the group perfect1 the product of the most thorough knowledge of anatomy1 of character1 and of ideal perfection4 ,according to ,pliny1 it was the common opinion in his time1 that the group was made of one stone by three sculptors1 ,agesander1 ,polydorus1 and ,athenadorus1 all three natives of ,rhodes1 and the two last probably sons of the former4 ,he says1 ,the ,laocon1 which is in the palace of the ,emperor ,titus1 is a work to be preferred to all others1 either in painting or sculpture4 ,those great artists1 ,agesander1 ,polydorus1 and ,athenadorus1 ,rhodians1 executed the principal figure1 the sons1 and the wonderful folds of the serpents1 out of one piece of marble4 ,doubts exist respecting the era of this work4 ,maffei places it in the #hhth ,olympiad1 or the first year of the ,peloponnesian ,war2 ,winckelmann1 in the time of ,lysippus and ,alexander2 and ,lessing1 in the time of the first ,emperors4 ,some doubt whether this is the work mentioned by ,pliny1 because it has been discovered that the group was not executed out of one block of marble1 as asserted by him4 ,in the opinion of many judicious critics1 however1 it is considered an original group1 and not a copy1 for no copy would possess its perfections2 and that it is certainly the one described by ,pliny1 because1 after his time1 no known sculptor was capable of executing such a perfect work2 and had there been one1 his fame would certainly have reached us4 ,it was found in the place mentioned by ,pliny1 and the joinings are so accurate and artfully concealed1 that they might easily escape his notice4 ,there are several copies of this matchless production by modern sculptors1 the most remarkable of which1 are one in bronze by ,sansovino1 and another in marble by ,baccio ,bandinelli1 which last is in the ,medici gallery at ,florence4 ,it has also been frequently engraved2 the best is the famous plate by ,bervic1 engraved for the ,muse ,francais1 pronounced by connoisseurs1 the finest representation of a marble group ever executed1 proof impressions of which have been sold for #cj guineas each4 ,,michael ,,angelo',s ,,opinion ,,of ,,the ,,laoco,n4 ,it is said that ,julius ,,ii4 desired ,angelo to restore the missing arm behind the ,laocon4 ,he commenced it1 but left it unfinished1 because1 said he1 ,i found ,i could do nothing worthy of being joined to so admirable a work4 ,what a testimony of the superiority of the best ancient sculptors over the moderns1 for of all modern sculptors1 ,michael ,angelo is universally allowed to be the best6 ,,discovery ,,of ,,the ,,laoco,n4 ,there is a curious letter not generally known1 but published by the ,abate ,fea1 from ,francesco da ,sangallo1 the sculptor1 to ,monsignore ,spedalengo1 in which the circumstances of the discovery of the ,laocon are thus alluded to4 ,the letter is dated #aeji4 ,he says1 ,it being told to the ,pope that some fine statues had been discovered in a vineyard near ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 he sent to desire my father1 7,giuliano da ,sangallo7 to go and examine them4 ,michael ,angelo ,buonarotti being often at our house1 father got him to go also2 and so1 continues ,francesco1 ,i mounted behind my father1 and we went4 ,we descended to where the statues were4 ,my father immediately exclaimed1 ',this is the ,laocon spoken of by ,pliny6' ,they made the workmen enlarge the aperture or excavation1 so as to be able to draw them out1 and then1 having seen them1 we returned to dinner4 ,,sir ,,john ,,soane4 ,this eminent ,english architect1 and munificent public benefactor1 was the son of a poor bricklayer1 and was born at ,reading in #agec4 ,he showed early indications of talent and a predilection for architecture2 and1 at the age of fifteen1 his father placed him with ,mr4 ,george ,dance 7then considered one of the most accomplished of the ,english architects71 probably in the capacity of a servant4 ,at all events he was not regularly articled1 but he soon attracted notice by his industry1 activity1 and talents4 ,mr4 ,donaldson says1 his sister was a servant in ,mr4 ,dance's family1 which proves that the strength of ,soane's character enabled him to rise to so distinguished a rank merely by his own exertions4 ,he afterwards studied under ,holland1 and in the ,royal ,academy1 where he first attracted public notice by a design for a triumphal bridge1 which drew the gold medal of that institution1 and entitled him to go to ,italy for three years on the pension of the ,academy4 ,during a residence of six years in ,italy1 he studied the remains of antiquity and the finest modern edifices with great assiduity1 and made several original designs1 which attracted considerable attention2 among them were one for a ,british ,senate ,house1 and another for a ,royal ,palace4 ,in #aghj he returned to ,england1 and soon distinguished himself by several elegant palaces1 which he was commissioned to erect for the nobility in different parts of the kingdom1 the plans and elevations of which he published in a folio volume in #aghh4 ,in the same year1 in a competition with nineteen other architects1 he obtained the lucrative office of ,surveyor and ,architect to the ,bank of ,england1 which laid the foundation of the splendid fortune he afterwards acquired4 ,other advantageous appointments followed2 that of ,clerk of the ,woods of ,st4 ,james' ,palace1 in #agia2 ,architect of the ,woods and ,forests1 in #agie2 ,professor of ,architecture in the ,royal ,academy in #ahjf2 and ,surveyor of ,chelsea ,hospital in #ahjg4 ,in addition to his public employments1 he received many commissions for private buildings4 ,he led a life of indefatigable industry in the practice of his profession till #ahcc1 when he reached his eightieth year4 ,he died in #ahcg4 ,,soane',s ,,liberality ,,and ,,public ,,munificence4 ,sir ,john ,soane was a munificent patron of various public charities1 and was even more liberal in his contributions for the advancement of art2 he subscribed #ajjj to the ,duke of ,york's monument2 a similar sum to the ,royal ,british ,institution2 #gej to the ,institute of ,british ,architects2 #bej to the ,architectural ,society1 c4 ,he made a splendid collection of works of art1 valued at upwards of #ej1jjj before his death1 converted his house into a ,museum1 and left the whole to his country1 which is now known as ,sir ,john ,soane's ,museum--one of the most attractive institutions in ,london4 ,he devoted the last four years of his life in classifying and arranging his ,museum1 which is distributed in twenty-four rooms1 and consists of architectural models of ancient and modern edifices2 a large collection of architectural drawings1 designs1 plans1 and measurements1 by many great architects2 a library of the best works on art1 particularly on ,architecture2 antique fragments of buildings1 as columns1 capitals1 ornaments1 and friezes in marble2 also1 models1 casts1 and copies of similar objects in other collections2 fragments and relics of architecture in the middle ages2 modern sculptures1 especially by the best ,british sculptors2 ,greek and ,roman antiquities1 consisting of fragments of ,greek and ,roman sculpture antique busts1 bronzes1 and cinerary urns2 ,etruscan vases2 ,egyptian antiquities2 busts of remarkable persons2 a collection of #ach antique gems1 cameos and intaglios1 originally in the collection of ,m4 ,capece ,latro1 ,archbishop of ,tarentum1 and #acf antique gems1 principally from the ,braschi collection2 a complete set of ,napoleon medals1 selected by the ,baron ,denon for the ,empress ,josephine1 and formerly in her possession1 curiosities2 rare books and illuminated manuscripts2 a collection of about fifty oil paintings1 many of them of great value1 among which are the ,rake's ,progress1 a series of eight pictures by ,hogarth1 and the ,election1 a series of four1 by the same artist2 and many articles of virtu too numerous to mention here1 forming altogether a most rare1 unique1 and valuable collection4 ,what a glorious monument did the poor bricklayer's son erect to his memory1 which1 while it blesses1 will cause his countrymen to bless and venerate the donor1 and make his name bright on the page of history6 ,some there are who regard posthumous fame a bubble1 and present pomp substantial2 but the one is godlike1 the other sensual and vain4 ,,the ,,belzoni ,,sarcophagus4 ,one of the most interesting and valuable relics in ,sir ,john ,soane's ,museum1 is the ,belzoni ,sarcophagus4 ,it was discovered by ,belzoni1 the famous ,french traveler1 in #ahaf1 in a tomb in the valley of ,beban el ,malouk1 near ,gournon4 ,he found it in the centre of a sepulchral chamber of extraordinary magnificence1 and records the event with characteristic enthusiasm3 ,i may call this a fortunate day1 one of the best1 perhaps1 of my life4 ,i do not mean to say that fortune has made me rich1 for ,i do not consider all rich men fortunate2 but she has given me that satisfaction1 that extreme pleasure which wealth cannot purchase--the pleasure of discovering what has long been sought in vain4 ,it is constructed of one single piece of alabaster1 so translucent that a lamp placed within it shines through1 although it is more than two inches in thickness4 ,it is nine feet four inches in length1 three feet eight inches in width1 and two feet eight inches in depth1 and is covered with hieroglyphics outside and inside1 which have not yet been satisfactorily interpreted1 though they are supposed by some to refer to ,osirei1 the father of ,rameses the ,great4 ,it was transported from ,egypt to ,england at great expense1 and offered to the ,trustees of the ,british ,museum for #b1jjj1 which being refused1 ,sir ,john ,soane immediately purchased it and exhibited it free1 with just pride1 to crowds of admiring visitors4 ,when ,belzoni discovered this remarkable relic of ,egyptian royalty1 the lid had been thrown off and broken into pieces1 and its contents rifled2 the sarcophagus itself is in perfect preservation4 ,,tasso',s ,,gerusalemme ,,liberata4 ,the original copy of ,gerusalemme ,liberata1 in the handwriting of ,tasso1 is in the ,soane ,museum4 ,it was purchased by ,sir ,john ,soane1 at the sale of the ,earl of ,guilford's ,library1 in #ahbi4 ,this literary treasure1 which cannot be contemplated without emotion1 once belonged to ,baruffaldi1 one of the most eminent literary characters of modern ,italy4 ,serassi describes it1 and refers to the emendations made by the poet in the margin 7,serassi's edit4 ,florence1 #agbd27 but expresses his fear that it had been taken out of ,italy4 ,in allusion to this expression of ,serassi1 ,lord ,guilford has written on the fly-leaf of the ,,ms41 ,i would not wish to hurt the honest pride of any ,italian2 but the works of a great genius are the property of all ages and all countries3 and ,i hope it will be recorded to future ages1 that ,england possesses the original ,,ms4 of one of the four greatest epic poems the world has produced1 and1 beyond all doubt1 the only one of the four now existing4 ,there is no date to this ,,ms4 ,the first printed edition of the ,gerusalemme is dated #aehj4 ,there are other rare and valuable ,,mss4 in this ,museum1 the most remarkable of which are a ,commentary in ,latin on the epistle of ,st4 ,paul to the ,romans1 by ,cardinal ,grimani4 ,it is adorned with exquisite miniature illustrations1 painted by ,don ,giulio ,clovio1 called the ,michael ,angelo of miniature painters4 ,the figures are about an inch in height1 says ,mrs4 ,jameson1 equaling in vigor1 grandeur1 and originality1 the conceptions of ,michael ,angelo and of ,raffaelle1 who were his cotemporaries and admirers4 ,also1 a missal of the fifteenth century1 containing ninety-two miniatures by ,lucas van ,leyden and his scholars1 executed in a truly ,dutch style1 just the reverse of those of ,clovio1 except in point of elaborate finishing4 ,,george ,,morland4 ,the life of this extraordinary genius is full of interest1 and his melancholy fall full of warning and instruction4 ,he was the son of an indifferent painter1 whose principal business was in cleaning and repairing1 and dealing in ancient pictures4 ,morland showed an extraordinary talent for painting almost in his infancy1 and before he was sixteen years old1 his name was known far and wide by engravings from his pictures4 ,his father1 who seems to have been a man of a low and sordid disposition1 had his son indented to him as an apprentice1 for seven years1 in order to secure his services as long as possible1 and he constantly employed him in painting pictures and making drawings for sale2 and these were frequently of a broad character1 as such commanded the best prices1 and found the most ready sale4 ,hence he acquired a wonderful facility of pencil1 but wholly neglected academic study4 ,his associates were the lowest of the low4 ,on the expiration of his indenture1 he left his father's house1 and the remainder of his life is the history of genius degraded by intemperance and immorality1 which alternately excites our admiration at his great talents1 our regrets at the profligacy of his conduct1 and our pity for his misfortunes4 ,according to his biographer1 ,mr4 ,george ,dawe1 who wrote an impartial and excellent life of ,morland1 he reached the full maturity of his powers1 about #agij when he was twenty-six years old2 and from that time1 they began and continued to decline till his death in #ahjd4 ,poor ,morland was constantly surrounded by a set of harpies1 who contrived to get him in their debt1 and then compelled him to paint a picture for a guinea1 which they readily sold for thirty or forty1 and which now bring almost any sum asked for them4 ,many of his best works were painted in sponging houses to clear him from arrest4 ,,morland',s ,,early ,,talent4 ,morland's father having embarked in the business of picture dealing1 had become bankrupt1 and it is said that he endeavored to repair his broken fortunes by the talents of his son ,george1 who1 almost as soon as he escaped from the cradle1 took to the pencil and crayon4 ,very many artists are recorded to have manifested an early inclination for art1 but the indications of early talent in others are nothing when compared with ,morland's4 ,at four1 five1 and six years of age1 says ,cunningham1 he made drawings worthy of ranking him among the common race of students2 the praise bestowed on these by the ,society of ,artists1 to whom they were exhibited1 and the money which collectors were willing to pay for the works of this new wonder1 induced his father to urge him onward in his studies1 and he made rapid progress4 ,,morland',s ,,early ,,fame4 ,the danger of overtasking either the mind or body in childhood1 is well known2 and there is every reason to believe that young ,morland suffered both of these evils4 ,his father stimulated him by praise and by indulgence at the table1 and to ensure his continuance at his allotted tasks1 shut him up in a garret1 and excluded him from free air1 which strengthens the body1 and from education--that free air which nourishes the mind4 ,his stated work for a time was making drawings from pictures and from plaster casts1 which his father carried out and sold2 but as he increased in skill1 he chose his subjects from popular songs and ballads1 such as ,young ,roger came tapping at ,dolly's window1 ,my name is ,jack ,hall1 ,i am a bold shoemaker1 from ,belfast ,town ,i came1 and other productions of the mendicant muse4 ,the copies of pictures and casts were commonly sold for three half-crowns each2 the original sketches--some of them a little free in posture1 and not over delicately handled1 were framed and disposed of for any sum from two to five guineas1 according to the cleverness of the piece1 or the generosity of the purchaser4 ,though far inferior to the productions of his manhood1 they were much admired2 engravers found it profitable to copy them1 and before he was sixteen years old1 his name had flown far and wide4 ,,morland',s ,,mental ,,and ,,moral ,,education1 ,,under ,,an ,,unnatural ,,parent4 ,from ten years of age1 young ,morland appears to have led the life of a prisoner and a slave under the roof of his father1 hearing in his seclusion the merry din of the schoolboys in the street1 without hope of partaking in their sports4 ,by-and-by he managed to obtain an hour's relaxation at the twilight1 and then associated with such idle and profligate boys as chance threw in his way1 and learned from them a love for coarse enjoyment1 and the knowledge that it could not well be obtained without money4 ,oppression keeps the school of ,cunning2 young ,morland resolved not only to share in the profits of his own talents1 but also to snatch an hour or so of amusement1 without consulting his father4 ,when he made three drawings for his father1 he made one secretly for himself1 and giving a signal from his window1 lowered it by a string to two or three knowing boys1 who found a purchaser at a reduced price1 and spent the money with the young artist4 ,a common tap-room was an indifferent school of manners1 whatever it might be for painting1 and there this gifted lad was now often to be found late in the evening1 carousing with hostlers and potboys1 handing round the quart pot1 and singing his song or cracking his joke4 ,his father1 having found out the contrivance by which he raised money for this kind of revelry adopted1 in his own imagination1 a wiser course4 ,he resolved to make his studies as pleasant to him as he could2 and as ,george was daily increasing in fame and his works in price1 this could be done without any loss4 ,he indulged his son1 now some sixteen years old1 with wine1 pampered his appetite with richer food1 and moreover allowed him a little pocket-money to spend among his companions1 and purchase acquaintance with what the vulgar call life4 ,he dressed him1 too1 in a style of ultra-dandyism1 and exhibited him at his easel to his customers1 attired in a green coat with very long skirts1 and immense yellow buttons1 buckskin breeches1 and top boots with spurs4 ,he permitted him too to sing wild songs1 swear grossly1 and talk about anything he liked with such freedom as makes anxious parents tremble4 ,with all these indulgences the boy was not happy2 he aspired but the more eagerly after full liberty and the unrestrained enjoyment of the profits of his pencil4 ,,morland',s ,,escape ,,from ,,the ,,thraldom ,,of ,,his ,,father4 ,hassell and ,smith give contradictory accounts of this important step in young ,morland's life1 which occurred when he was seventeen years old4 ,the former1 who knew him well1 says that1 he was determined to make his escape from the rigid confinement which paternal authority had imposed upon him2 and1 wild as a young quadruped that had broken loose from his den1 at length1 though late1 effectually accomplished his purpose4 ,young ,george was of so unsettled a disposition1 says ,smith1 that his father1 being fully aware of his extraordinary talents1 was determined to force him to get his own living1 and gave him a guinea1 with something like the following observation3 ',i am determined to encourage your idleness no longer2 there--take that guinea1 and apply to your art and support yourself4' ,this ,morland told me1 and added1 that from that moment he commenced and continued wholly on his own account4 ,it would appear by ,smith's relation1 that our youth1 instead of supporting his father1 had all along been depending on his help2 this1 however1 contradicts not only ,hassell1 but ,fuseli also1 who1 in his edition of ,pilkington's ,dictionary1 accuses the elder ,morland of avariciously pocketing the whole profits of his son's productions4 ,,morland',s ,,marriage1 ,,and ,,temporary ,,reform4 ,after leaving his father1 ,morland plunged into a career of wildness and dissipation1 amidst which1 however1 his extraordinary talents kept his name still rising4 ,while residing at ,kensall ,green1 he was frequently thrown in the company of ,ward1 the painter1 whose example of moral steadiness was exhibited to him in vain4 ,at length1 however1 he fell in love with ,miss ,ward1 a young lady of beauty and modesty1 and the sister of his friend4 ,succeeding in gaining her affections1 he soon afterwards married her2 and to make the family union stronger1 ,ward sued for the hand of ,maria ,morland1 and in about a month after his sister's marriage1 obtained it4 ,in the joy of this double union1 the brother artists took joint possession of a good house in ,high ,street1 ,marylebone4 ,morland suspended for a time his habit of insobriety1 discarded the social comrades of his laxer hours1 and imagined himself reformed4 ,but discord broke out between the sisters concerning the proper division of rule and authority in the house2 and ,morland1 whose partner's claim perhaps was the weaker1 took refuge in lodgings in ,great ,portland ,street4 ,his passion for late hours and low company1 restrained through courtship and the honey-moon1 now broke out with the violence of a stream which had been dammed1 rather than dried up4 ,it was in vain that his wife entreated and remonstrated--his old propensities prevailed1 and the post-boy1 the pawnbroker1 and the pugilist1 were summoned again to his side1 no more to be separated4 ,,morland',s ,,social ,,position4 ,morland's dissipated habits and worthless companions1 produced the effect that might have been expected2 and this talented painter1 who might have mingled freely among nobles and princes1 came strength to hold a position in society that is best illustrated by the following anecdote4 ,raphael ,smith1 the engraver1 had employed him for years on works from which he engraved1 and by which he made large sums of money4 ,he called one day with ,bannister the comedian to look at a picture which was upon the easel4 ,smith was satisfied with the artist's progress1 and said1 ,i shall now proceed on my morning ride4 ,stay a moment1 said ,morland1 laying down his brush1 and ,i will go with you4 ,morland1 answered the other1 in an emphatic tone1 which could not be mistaken1 ,i have an appointment with a gentleman1 who is waiting for me4 ,such a sarcasm might have cured any man who was not incurable2 it made but a momentary impression upon the mind of our painter1 who cursed the engraver1 and returned to his palette4 ,,an ,,unpleasant ,,dilemma4 ,morland once received an invitation to ,barnet1 and was hastening thither with ,hassell and another friend1 when he was stopped at ,whetstone turnpike by a lumber or jockey cart1 driven by two persons1 one of them a chimney-sweep1 who were disputing with the toll-gatherer4 ,morland endeavored to pass1 when one of the wayfarers cried1 ,what6 ,mr4 ,morland1 won't you speak to a body6 ,the artist endeavored to elude further greeting1 but this was not to be2 the other bawled out so lustily1 that ,morland was obliged to recognize at last his companion and croney1 ,hooper1 a tinman and pugilist4 ,after a hearty shake of the hand1 the boxer turned to his neighbor the chimney-sweep and said1 ,why1 ,dick1 don't you know this here gentleman8 'tis my friend ,mr4 ,morland4 ,the sooty charioteer smiling a recognition1 forced his unwelcome hand upon his brother of the brush2 they then both whipt their horses and departed4 ,this rencontre mortified ,morland very sensibly2 he declared that he knew nothing of the chimney-sweep1 and that he was forced upon him by the impertinence of ,hooper3 but the artist's habits made the story generally believed1 and ,sweeps1 your honor1 was a joke which he was often obliged to hear4 ,,morland ,,at ,,the ,,isle ,,of ,,wight4 ,morland loved to visit this isle in his better days1 and some of his best pictures are copied from scenes on that coast4 ,a friend once found him at ,freshwater-,gate1 in a low public-house called ,the ,cabin4 ,sailors1 rustics1 and fishermen1 were seated round him in a kind of ring1 the rooftree rung with laughter and song2 and ,morland1 with manifest reluctance1 left their company for the conversation of his friend4 ,george1 sad his monitor1 you must have reasons for keeping such company4 ,reasons1 and good ones1 said the artist1 laughing2 see--where could ,i find such a picture of life as that1 unless among the originals of ,the ,cabin8 ,he held up his sketch-book and showed a correct delineation of the very scene in which he had so lately been the presiding spirit4 ,one of his best pictures contains this fac-simile of the tap-room1 with its guests and furniture4 ,a ,,novel ,,mode ,,of ,,fulfilling ,,commissions4 ,it frequently happened1 says one of ,morland's biographers1 when a picture had been bespoke by one of his friends1 who advanced some of the money to induce him to work1 if the purchaser did not stand by to see it finished and carry it away with him1 some other person1 who was lurking within sight for that purpose1 and knew the state of ,morland's pocket1 by the temptation of a few guineas laid upon the table1 carried off the picture4 ,thus all were served in their turn2 and though each exulted in the success of the trick when he was so lucky as to get a picture in this easy way1 they all joined in exclaiming against ,morland's want of honesty in not keeping his promises to them4 ,,hassell',s ,,first ,,interview ,,with ,,morland4 ,hassell's introduction to ,morland was decidedly in character4 ,as ,i was walking1 he says1 towards ,paddington on a summer morning1 to inquire about the health of a relation1 ,i saw a man posting on before me with a sucking-pig1 which he carried in his arms like a child4 ,the piteous squeaks of the little animal1 and the singular mode of conveyance1 drew spectators to door and window2 the person however who carried it minded no one1 but to every dog that barked--and there were not a few--he sat down the pig1 and pitted him against the dog1 and then followed the chase which was sure to ensue4 ,in this manner he went through several streets in ,mary-le-bone1 and at last1 stopping at the door of one of my friends1 was instantly admitted4 ,i also knocked and entered1 but my surprise was great on finding this original sitting with the pig still under his arm1 and still greater when ,i was introduced to ,morland the painter4 ,,morland',s ,,drawings ,,in ,,the ,,isle ,,of ,,wight4 ,a person at whose house ,morland resided when in the ,isle of ,wight1 having set out for ,london1 left an order with an acquaintance at ,cowes to give the painter his own price for whatever works he might please to send4 ,the pictures were accompanied by a regular solicitation for cash in proportion1 or according to the nature of the subject4 ,at length a small but very highly finished drawing arrived1 and as the sum demanded seemed out of all proportion with the size of the work1 the conscientious agent transmitted the piece to ,london and stated the price4 ,the answer by post was1 ,pay what is asked1 and get as many others as you can at the same price4 ,there is not one sketch in the collection thus made but what would now produce thrice its original cost4 ,,morland',s ,,freaks4 ,one evening ,hassell and his friends were returning to town from ,hempstead1 when ,morland accosted them in the character of a mounted patrole1 wearing the parish great-coat1 girded with a broad black belt1 and a pair of pistols depending4 ,he hailed them with horse patrole6 in his natural voice2 they recognised him and laughed heartily1 upon which he entreated them to stop at the ,mother ,red ,cap1 a well known public-house1 till he joined them4 ,he soon made his appearance in his proper dress1 and gave way to mirth and good fellowship4 ,on another occasion he paid a parishioner1 who was drawn for constable1 to be permitted to serve in his place1 he billeted soldiers during the day1 and presided in the constable's chair at night4 ,a ,,joke ,,on ,,morland4 ,at another time1 having promised to paint a picture for ,m4 de ,calonne1 ,morland seemed unwilling to begin1 but was stimulated by the following stratagem4 ,opposite to his house in ,paddington was the ,white ,lion4 ,hassell directed two of his friends to breakfast there1 and instructed them to look anxiously towards the artist's window1 and occasionally walk up and down before the house4 ,he then waited on ,morland1 who only brandished his brush at the canvas and refused to work4 ,after waiting some time1 ,hassell went to the window and effected surprise at seeing two strangers gazing intently at the artist's house4 ,morland looked at them earnestly--declared they were bailiffs1 who certainly wanted him--and ordered the door to be bolted4 ,hassell having secured him at home1 showed him the money for his work1 and so dealt with him that the picture1 a landscape with six figures1 one of his best productions1 was completed in six hours4 ,he then paid him1 and relieved his apprehensions respecting the imaginary bailiffs--,morland laughed heartily4 ,,morland',s ,,apprehension ,,as ,a ,,spy4 ,while spending some time at ,yarmouth1 ,morland was looked upon as a suspicious character1 and was apprehended as a spy4 ,after a sharp examination1 the drawings he had made on the shores of the ,isle of ,wight were considered as confirmation of his guilt2 he was therefore honored with an escort of soldiers and constables to ,newport1 and there confronted by a bench of justices4 ,at his explanation1 they shook their heads1 laid a strict injunction upon him to paint and draw no more in that neighborhood1 and dismissed him4 ,this adventure he considered a kind of pleasant interruption2 and indeed it seems ridiculous enough in the officials who apprehended him4 ,,morland',s ,,sign ,,of ,,the ,,black ,,bull4 ,on one occasion1 ,morland was on his way from ,deal1 and ,williams1 the engraver1 was his companion4 ,the extravagance of the preceding evening had fairly emptied their pockets2 weary1 hungry and thirsty1 they arrived at a small ale-house by the way-side2 they hesitated to enter4 ,morland wistfully reconnoitered the house1 and at length accosted the landlord--,upon my life1 ,i scarcely knew it3 is this the ,black ,bull8 ,to be sure it is1 master1 said the landlord1 there's the sign4--,ay6 the board is there1 ,i grant1 replied our wayfarer1 but the ,black ,bull is vanished and gone4 ,i will paint you a capital new one for a crown4 ,the landlord consented1 and placed a dinner and drink before this restorer of signs1 to which the travelers did immediate justice4 ,now1 landlord1 said ,morland1 take your horse1 and ride to ,canterbury--it is but a little way--and buy me proper paint and a good brush4 ,he went on his errand with a grudge1 and returned with the speed of thought1 for fear that his guests should depart in his absence4 ,by the time that ,morland had painted the ,black ,bull1 the reckoning had risen to ten shillings1 and the landlord reluctantly allowed them to go on their way2 but not1 it is said1 without exacting a promise that the remainder of the money should be paid with the first opportunity4 ,the painter1 on his arrival it town1 related this adventure in the ,hole-in-the-,wall1 ,fleet ,street4 ,a person who overheard him1 mounted his horse1 rode into ,kent1 and succeeded in purchasing the ,black ,bull from the ,kentish ,boniface for ten guineas4 ,,morland ,,and ,,the ,,pawnbroker4 ,even when ,morland had sunk to misery and recklessness1 the spirit of industry did not forsake him1 nor did his taste or his skill descend with his fortunes4 ,one day's work would have purchased him a week's sustenance1 yet he labored every day1 and as skilfully and beautifully as ever4 ,a water man was at one time his favorite companion1 whom1 by way of distinction1 ,morland called ,my ,dicky4 ,dicky once carried a picture to the pawnbroker's1 wet from the easel1 with the request for the advance of three guineas upon it4 ,the pawnbroker paid the money2 but in carrying it into the room his foot slipped1 and the head and foreparts of a hog were obliterated4 ,the money-changer returned the picture with a polite note1 requesting the artist to restore the damaged part4 ,my ,dicky6 exclaimed ,morland1 an that's a good one6 but never mind6 ,he reproduced the hog in a few minutes1 and said1 ,there6 go back and tell the pawnbroker to advance me five guineas more upon it2 and if he won't1 say ,i shall proceed against him2 the price of the picture is thirty guineas4 ,the demand was complied with4 ,,morland',s ,,idea ,,of ,a ,,baronetcy4 ,morland was well descended4 ,in his earlier and better days1 a solicitor informed him that he was heir to a baronet's title1 and advised him to assert his claim4 ,sir ,george ,morland6 said the painter--,it sounds well1 but it won't do4 ,plain ,george ,morland will always sell my pictures1 and there is more honor in being a fine painter than in being a fine gentleman4 ,,morland',s ,,artistic ,,merit4 ,as an artist1 ,morland's claims are high and undisputed4 ,he is original and alone2 his style and conceptions are his own2 his thoughts are ever at home1 and always natural2 he extracts pleasing subjects out of the most coarse and trivial scenes1 and finds enough to charm the eye in the commonest occurrences4 ,his subjects are usually from low life1 such as hog-sties1 farm-yards1 landscapes with cattle and sheep1 or fishermen with smugglers on the sea-coast4 ,he seldom or ever produced a picture perfect in all its parts1 but those parts adapted to his knowledge and taste were exquisitely beautiful4 ,knowing well his faults1 he usually selected those subjects best suited to his talents4 ,his knowledge of anatomy was extremely limited2 he was totally unfitted for representing the human figure elegantly or correctly1 and incapable of large compositions4 ,he never paints above the most ordinary capacity1 and gives an air of truth and reality to whatever he touches4 ,he has taken a strong and lasting hold of the popular fancy3 not by ministering to our vanity1 but by telling plain and striking truths4 ,he is the rustic painter for the people2 his scenes are familiar to every eye1 and his name is on every lip4 ,painting seemed as natural to him as language is to others1 and by it he expressed his sentiments and his feelings1 and opened his heart to the multitude4 ,his gradual descent in society may be traced in the productions of his pencil2 he could only paint well what he saw or remembered2 and when he left the wild sea-shore and the green wood-side for the hedge ale-house and the ,rules of the ,bench1 the character of his pictures shifted with the scene4 ,yet even then his wonderful skill of hand and sense of the picturesque never forsook him4 ,his intimacy with low life only dictated his theme--the coarseness of the man and the folly of his company never touched the execution of his pieces4 ,all is indeed homely--nay1 mean--but native taste and elegance redeemed every detail4 ,to a full command over every implement of his art1 he united a facility of composition and a free readiness of hand perhaps quite unrivalled4 ,,charles ,,jervas4 ,this artist was a pupil of ,sir ,godfrey ,kneller1 and met with plentiful employment in portrait painting4 ,his abilities were very inferior1 but1 says ,walpole1 ,such was the badness of the age's taste1 and the dearth of good masters1 that ,jervas sat at the head of his profession1 although he was defective in drawing1 coloring1 composition1 and likeness4 ,in general1 his pictures are a light flimsy kind of fan-painting as large as life4 ,yet ,i have seen a few of his works highly colored1 and it is certain that his copies of ,carlo ,maratti1 whom he most studied and imitated1 were extremely just1 and scarcely inferior to the originals4 ,,jervas ,,the ,,instructor ,,of ,,pope4 ,what will recommend the name of ,jervas to inquisitive posterity1 was his intimacy with ,pope1 whom he instructed to draw and paint4 ,the poet has enshrined the feeble talents of the painter in the lucid amber of his flowing lines4 ,spence informs us1 that ,pope was the pupil of ,jervas for the space of a year said a half1 meaning that he was constantly so1 for that period4 ,tillemans was engaged in painting a landscape for ,lord ,radnor1 into which ,pope by stealth inserted some strokes1 which the prudent painter did not appear to observe2 and of this circumstance ,pope was not a little vain4 ,in proof of his proficiency in the art of painting1 ,pope presented his friend ,mr4 ,murray1 with a head of ,betterton the celebrated tragedian1 which was afterwards at ,caen ,wood4 ,during a long visit at ,holm ,lacy in ,herefordshire1 he amused his leisure by copying from ,vandyck1 in crayons1 a head of ,wentworth1 ,earl of ,strafford1 which was still preserved there many years afterwards1 and is said to have possessed considerable merit4 ,for an account of ,pope's skill in painting fans1 see vol4 ,i4 page #bja of this work4 ,,jervas ,,and ,,dr4 ,,arbuthnot4 ,jervas1 who affected to be a ,free-thinker1 was one day talking very irreverently of the ,bible4 ,dr4 ,arbuthnot maintained to him that he was not only a speculative1 but a practical believer4 ,jervas denied it4 ,arbuthnot said that he would prove it3 ,you strictly observe the second commandment2 said the ,doctor1 for in your pictures you 'make not the likeness of anything that is in the heavens above1 or in the earth beneath1 or in the waters under the earth'6 ,,jervas' ,,vanity4 ,his vanity and conceit knew no bounds4 ,he copied a picture by ,titian in the ,royal collection1 which he thought so vastly superior to the original1 that on its completion he exclaimed with great complacency1 ,poor little ,tit1 how he would stare6 ,walpole says1 ,jervas had ventured to look upon the fair ,lady ,bridgewater with more than a painter's eye2 so entirely did that lovely form possess his imagination1 that many a homely dame was delighted to find her picture resemble ,lady ,bridgewater4 ,yet neither his presumption nor his passion could extinguish his self-love4 ,one day1 as she was sitting to him1 he ran over the beauties of her face with rapture--'but1' said he1 ,i cannot help telling your ladyship that you have not a handsome ear4 ,no6 returned the lady1 pray1 ,mr4 ,jervas1 what is a handsome ear8 ,he turned his cap1 and showed her his own4 ,when ,kneller heard that ,jervas had sent up a carriage and four horses1 he exclaimed1 ,ah1 mine ,got6 if his horses do not draw better than he does1 he will never get to his journey's end6 ,,holbein ,,and ,,the ,,fly4 ,before ,holbein quitted ,basile for ,england1 he intimated that he should leave a specimen of the power of his abilities4 ,having a portrait in his house which he had just finished for one of his patrons1 he painted a fly on the forehead1 and sent it to the person for whom it was painted4 ,the gentleman was struck with the beauty of the piece1 and went eagerly to brush off the fly1 when he found out the deceit4 ,the story soon spread1 and orders were immediately given to prevent the city being deprived of ,holbein's talents2 but he had already departed4 ,,holbein',s ,,visit ,,to ,,england4 ,furnished with recommendatory letters from his friend ,sir ,thomas ,more1 ,holbein went to ,england1 and was received into ,more's house1 where he wrought for nearly three years1 drawing the portraits of ,sir ,thomas1 his relations and friends4 ,the ,king1 7,henry ,,viii47 visiting the ,chancellor1 saw some of these pictures1 and expressed his satisfaction4 ,sir ,thomas begged him to accept which ever he liked2 but his ,majesty inquired for the painter1 who was accordingly introduced to him4 ,henry immediately took him into his own service and told the ,chancellor that now he had got the artist1 he did not want the pictures4 ,an apartment in the palace was allotted to ,holbein1 with a salary of #bjj florins besides the price of his pictures4 ,,henry ,,viii4',s ,,opinion ,,of ,,holbein4 ,the ,king retained ,holbein in his service many years1 during which time he painted the portrait of his ,majesty many times1 and probably those of all his queens1 though no portrait of ,catharine ,parr is certainly known to be from his hand4 ,an amusing and characteristic anecdote is related1 showing the opinion the ,king entertained of this artist4 ,one day1 as ,holbein was privately drawing some lady's picture for ,henry1 a great lord forced himself into the chamber1 when the artist flew into a terrible passion1 and forgetting everything else in his rage1 ran at the peer and threw him down stairs6 ,upon a sober second thought1 however1 seeing the rashness of this act1 ,holbein bolted the door1 escaped over the top of the house1 and running directly to the ,king1 besought pardon1 without telling his offence4 ,his majesty promised he would forgive him if he would tell the truth2 but on finding out the offence1 began to repent of his promise1 and said he should not easily overlook such insults1 and bade him wait in the apartment till he learned more of the matter4 ,immediately after1 the lord arrived with his complaint1 but diminishing the provocation4 ,at first the monarch heard the story with temper1 but soon broke out1 reproaching the nobleman with his want of truth1 and adding1 ,you have not to do with ,holbein1 but with me2 ,i tell you1 of seven peasants ,i can make seven lords2 but of seven lords ,i cannot make one ,holbein6 ,begone1 and remember that if you ever attempt to revenge yourself1 ,i shall look on any injury offered to the painter as done to myself4 ,,holbein',s ,,portrait ,,of ,,the ,,duchess ,,dowager ,,of ,,milan4 ,after the death of ,jane ,seymour1 ,holbein was sent to ,flanders by the ,king1 to paint the portrait of the ,duchess ,dowager of ,milan1 widow of ,francesco ,sforza1 whom ,charles ,v4 had recommended to ,henry for a fourth wife1 although the ,german ,emperor subsequently changed his mind1 and prevented the marriage4 ,there is a letter among the ,holbein ,,mss4 from ,sir ,thomas ,wyatt1 congratulating his ,majesty on his escape1 as the ,duchess' chastity was somewhat equivocal1 but says ,walpole1 ,if it was1 ,i am apt to think1 considering ,henry's temper1 that the ,duchess had the greater escape6--,about the same time it is said that the ,duchess herself1 sent the ,king word1 ,that she had but one head2 if she had two1 one of them should be at his ,majesty's service4 ,,holbein',s ,,flattery ,,in ,,portraits--,a ,,warning ,,to ,,painters4 ,holbein was dispatched by ,cromwell1 ,henry's ,minister1 to paint the ,lady ,anne of ,cleves1 and by practising the common flattery of his profession1 he was1 says ,walpole1 the immediate cause of the destruction of that great subject1 and of the disgrace which fell upon the princess herself4 ,he drew so favorable a likeness that ,henry was content to wed her2 but when he found her so inferior to the miniature1 the storm which should have really been directed at the painter1 burst on the minister2 and ,cromwell lost his head1 because ,anne was a ,flanders mare1 and not a ,venus1 as ,holbein had represented her4 ,,holbein',s ,,portrait ,,of ,,cratzer4 ,he painted the portrait of ,nicholas ,cratzer1 astronomer to ,henry ,,viii41 which ,walpole mentions as being in the ,royal collection in ,france4 ,this astronomer erected the dial at ,corpus ,christi1 ,oxford ,college1 in #aeej4 ,after thirty years' residence in ,england1 he had scarce learned to speak the language1 and his ,majesty asking him how that happened1 he replied1 ,i beseech your highness to pardon me2 what can a man learn in only thirty years8 ,the latter half of this memorable sentence may remind the reader of ,sir ,isaac ,newton2 and perhaps the study of astronomy does naturally produce such a feeling in the reflective mind4 ,,holbein',s ,,portraits ,,of ,,sir ,,thomas ,,more ,,and ,,family4 ,holbein painted the portraits of the ,chancellor and family2 and no less than six different pictures of this subject are attributed to his hand2 but of these ,walpole thinks only two to possess good evidences of originality4 ,one of these was in ,deloo's collection1 and after his death was purchased by ,mr4 ,roper1 ,more's grandson4 ,another was in the ,palazzo ,delfino at ,venice1 where it was long on sale1 the price first set being #aejj2 but the ,king of ,poland purchased it about #agej1 for near #djj4 ,the coloring of this work is beautiful beyond description1 and the carnations have that bloom so peculiar to ,holbein1 who touched his works until not a touch remained discernible4 ,walpole says1 ,it was evidently designed for a small altar-piece to a chapel2 in the middle on a throne sits the ,virgin and child2 on one side kneels an elderly gentleman with two sons1 one of them a naked infant opposite kneeling are his wife and daughters4 ,there is recorded a bon-mot of ,sir ,thomas on the birth of his son4 ,he had three daughters1 but his wife was impatient for a son3 at last they had one1 but not much above an idiot--you have prayed so long for a boy1 said the ,chancellor1 that now we have got one who ,i believe will be a boy as long as he lives6 ,,sir ,,john ,,vanbrugh ,,and ,,his ,,critics4 ,this eminent ,english architect1 who flourished about the commencement of the #ahth century1 had to contend with the wits of the age4 ,they waged no war against him as a wit1 for he was not inferior2 but as an architect1 he was the object of their keenest derision1 particularly for his celebrated work of the stupendous palace of ,blenheim1 erected for the ,duke of ,marlborough in accordance with the vote of a grateful nation4 ,swift was a satirist1 therefore no true critic2 and his disparagement of ,blenheim arose from party-feeling4 ,pope was more decisive1 and by the harmony of his numbers contributed to lead and bias the public opinion1 until a new light emanated from the criticism of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds2 and this national palace is now to be considered1 not on its architectural1 but its picturesque merits4 ,a criticism which caused so memorable a revolution in public taste1 must be worthy of an extract4 ,i pretend to no skill in architecture--,i judge now of the art merely as a painter4 ,to speak then of ,vanbrugh in the language of a painter1 he had originality of invention1 he understood light and shadow1 and had great skill in composition4 ,to support his principal object he produced his second and third groups of masses2 he perfectly understood in his art what is most difficult in ours1 the conduct of the background1 by which the design and invention is set off to the greatest advantage4 ,what the background is in painting1 is the real ground upon which the building is erected2 and no architect took greater care that his works should not appear crude and hard2 that is1 it did not start abruptly out of the ground1 without speculation or preparation4 ,this is the tribute which a painter owes to an architect who composed like a painter4 ,besides this1 the testimony of ,knight1 ,price1 and ,gilpin1 have contributed to remove the prejudices against ,vanbrugh4 ,knight says in his ,principles of ,taste1 ,sir ,john ,vanbrugh is the only architect ,i know of1 who has either planned or placed his houses according to the principles recommended2 and in his two chief works1 ,blenheim and ,castle ,howard1 it appears to have been strictly adhered to1 at least in the placing of them1 and both are certainly worthy of the best situations1 which not only the respective places1 but the island of ,great ,britain could afford4 ,vanbrugh also evinced great talent as a dramatic writer1 and his masterly powers in comedy are so well evinced in the ,relapse1 the ,provoked ,wife1 and other plays1 that were it not for their strong libertine tendency which have properly banished them from the stage1 and almost from the closet1 he would have been regarded as a standard classic author in ,english dramatic literature4 ,his private character seems to have been amiable1 and his conduct tolerably correct4 ,he died at his own house in ,whitehall1 in #agbf4 ,in his character of architect1 ,dr4 ,evans bestowed on him the following witty epitaph3 ,lie heavy on him1 earth1 for he ,laid many a heavy load on thee6 ,,anecdote ,,of ,,the ,,english ,,painter ,,james ,,seymour4 ,he was employed by the ,duke of ,somerset1 commonly called the ,proud ,duke1 to paint the portraits of his horses at ,petworth1 who condescended to sit with ,seymour 7his namesake7 at table4 ,one day at dinner1 the ,duke filled his glass1 and saying with a sneer1 ,cousin ,seymour1 your health1 drank it off4 ,my ,lord1 said the artist1 ,i believe ,i have the honor of being related to your grace4 ,the proud peer rose from the table1 and ordered his steward to dismiss the presumptuous painter1 and employ an humbler brother of the brush4 ,this was accordingly done2 but when the new painter saw the spirited works of his predecessor1 he shook his head1 and retiring said1 ,no man in ,england can compete with ,james ,seymour4 ,the ,duke now condescended to recall his discarded cousin4 ,my ,lord1 was the answer of ,seymour1 ,i will now prove to the world that ,i am of your blood--,i won't come4 ,upon receiving this laconic reply1 the ,duke sent his steward to demand a former loan of #ajj4 ,seymour briefly replied that he would write to his ,grace4 ,he did so1 but directed his letter1 ,northumberland ,house1 opposite the ,trunkmaker's1 ,charing ,cross4 ,enraged at this additional insult1 the ,duke threw the letter into the fire without opening it1 and immediately ordered his steward to have him arrested4 ,but ,seymour1 struck with an opportunity of evasion1 carelessly observed that it was hasty in his ,grace to burn his letter1 because it contained a bank note for #ajj1 and that therefore1 they were now quits4 ,,precocity ,,of ,,luca ,,giordano4 ,at the age of five years1 the natural taste of ,lucia ,giordano for painting1 led him to adopt the pencil as a plaything2 at six he could draw the human figure with surprising correctness4 ,the ,cav4 ,stanzioni1 passing by his father's shop1 and seeing the child at work1 stopped to see his performances1 and is said to have predicted that he would one day become the first painter of the age4 ,before he was eight years old he painted1 unknown to his father1 two cherubs in a fresco1 entrusted to that artist1 in an obscure part of the church of ,s4 ,maria ,nuova--figures so graceful as to attract considerable attention4 ,this fact coming to the knowledge of the ,duke de ,medina de las ,torres1 the ,viceroy of ,naples1 he rewarded the precocious painter with some gold ducats1 and recommended him to the instruction of ,spagnoletto1 then the most celebrated painter in ,naples1 who accordingly received him into his studio4 ,there1 says ,palomino1 he spent nine years in close application to study1 and there1 he probably enjoyed the advantage of seeing ,velasquez1 during that great artist's second visit to ,naples4 ,,giordano',s ,,enthusiasm4 ,when ,giordano was about seventeen years old1 having learned from ,ribera all he could teach him1 he conceived a strong desire to prosecute his studies at ,rome4 ,to this step1 his father1 who was poor1 and could perhaps ill afford to lose his earnings1 refused to give his consent4 ,luca therefore embraced the earliest opportunity to abscond1 and ran away on foot to the metropolis of art1 where he applied himself with the greatest assiduity4 ,he copied all the great frescos of ,raffaelle in the ,vatican several times2 he next turned his rapid pencil against the works of ,annibale ,caracci in the ,farnese palace4 ,meantime1 his father divining the direction which the truant had taken1 followed him to ,rome1 where1 after a long search1 he discovered him sketching in ,st4 ,peter's church4 ,,luca ,,fa ,,presto4 ,giordano resided at ,rome about three years with his father1 who seems to have been a helpless creature1 subsisting by the sale of his son's drawings2 but ,luca cared for nothing but his studies1 satisfied with a piece of bread or a few maccaroni4 ,when their purse was low1 the old man would accompany him to the scene of his labors1 and constantly urge him on1 by repeating ,luca1 fa presto1 7hurry ,luca7 which became a byword among the painters1 and was fixed upon the young artist as a nickname1 singularly appropriate to his wonderful celerity of execution4 ,he afterwards traveled through ,lombardy to ,venice1 still accompanied by his father1 and having studied the works of ,correggio1 ,titian1 and other great masters1 returned by way of ,florence and ,leghorn to ,naples1 where he soon after married the ,donna ,margarita ,ardi1 a woman of exquisite beauty1 who served him as a model for his ,virgins1 ,madonnas1 ,lucretias1 and ,venuses4 ,,giordano',s ,,skill ,,in ,,copying4 ,luca ,giordano could copy any master so accurately as to deceive the best judges4 ,among his patrons in his youth was one ,gasparo ,romero1 who was in the habit of inflicting upon him a great deal of tedious and impertinent advice4 ,for this he had his revenge by causing his father to send to that connoisseur as originals1 some of his imitations of ,titian1 ,tintoretto1 and ,bassano1 and afterwards avowing the deception2 but he managed the joke so pleasantly that ,romero was rather pleased than offended at his skill and wit4 ,,giordano',s ,,success ,,at ,,naples4 ,in #afee1 ,giordano painted in competition with ,giacomo ,forelli1 a large picture of ,st4 ,nicholas borne away by angels1 for the church of ,s4 ,brigida1 a work of such power and splendor1 that it completely eclipsed his rival1 and established his reputation at the early age of twenty-three4 ,two years after1 he was employed by the ,viceroy to paint several pictures for the church of ,s4 ,maria del ,pianto1 in competition with ,andrea ,vaccaro4 ,the principal subjects which fell to ,giordano1 were the ,crucifixion1 and the ,virgin and ,st4 ,januarius pleading with the ,saviour for ,naples1 afflicted with pestilence2 these he executed with great ability4 ,he and ,vaccaro having a dispute about placing the pictures1 the matter was referred to the ,viceroy1 who gave the choice to ,vaccaro as the senior artist2 ,giordano immediately yielded with so much grace and discretion1 that he made a firm friend of his successful rival4 ,his master1 ,ribera1 being now dead1 he soon stepped into the vacant place of that popular artist4 ,the religious bodies of the kingdom1 the dignitaries of the church1 and princes and nobles1 eagerly sought after his works4 ,,giordano1 ,,the ,,viceroy1 ,,and ,,the ,,duke ,,of ,,diano4 ,the honors heaped upon ,giordano by the ,marquess of ,heliche1 compelled him to neglect and offend other patrons4 ,one of these personages1 the ,duke of ,diano1 being very anxious for the completion of his orders1 at last1 lost all patience1 and collaring the artist1 he threatened him with personal chastisement if he did not immediately fulfil his engagements4 ,the ,viceroy being informed of the insult1 took up the painter's quarrel in right royal style4 ,he invited the ,duke1 who affected connoisseurship1 to pass judgment on a picture lately painted by ,luca for the palace1 in imitation of the style of ,rubens4 ,the unlucky noble fell into the trap1 and pronounced it an undoubted work by the great ,fleming4 ,seeming to assent to this criticism1 the ,viceroy replied that ,giordano was painting a companion to the picture1 a piece of information which ,diano received with a sneer and a remark on the artist's uncivil treatment to persons of honor4 ,here ,heliche hastily interposed1 telling him that the work which he had praised was painted1 not by ,rubens1 but by ,giordano1 and repeating the sentiment expressed by several crowned heads on like occasions1 admonished him of the respect due to a man so highly endowed by his ,maker4 ,and how dare you1 cried he1 in a loud tone1 and seizing the ,duke by the collar1 as the latter had done to ,giordano1 thus insult a man1 who is besides1 retained in my service8 ,know1 for the future1 that none shall play the brave here1 so long as ,i bear rule in ,naples6 ,this scene1 says ,dominici1 passing in the presence of many of the courtiers1 and some of these1 witnesses of the insult offered to the painter1 so mortified the pride of the provincial grandee1 that he retired1 covered with confusion1 and falling into despondency1 died soon after of a fever4 ,,giordano ,,invited ,,to ,,florence4 ,in #afgi1 ,giordano was invited to ,florence by the ,grand ,duke1 ,cosmo ,,iii41 to decorate the chapel of ,s4 ,andrea ,corsini in the ,carmine4 ,his works gave so much satisfaction to that prince1 that he not only liberally rewarded him1 but overwhelmed him with civilities1 and presented him with a gold medal and chain1 which he did him the honor to place about his neck with his own royal hands4 ,,giordano ,,and ,,carlo ,,dolci4 ,while sojourning in that city1 he became acquainted with ,carlo ,dolci1 then advanced in years1 who is said to have been so affected at seeing the rapid ,neapolitan execute in a few hours what would have required him months to perform1 in his own slow and laborious manner1 that he fell into a profound melancholy1 of which he soon after died3 ,this circumstance ,dominici assures us1 ,giordano long afterwards remembered with tears1 on being shown at ,naples a picture painted by poor ,carlino4 ,,giordano',s ,,visit ,,to ,,spain4 ,the fame of ,giordano had already reached ,madrid1 when ,don ,cristobal de ,ontaon1 a favorite courtier of ,charles ,,ii41 returning from ,italy1 full of admiration for ,giordano and his works1 so sounded his praises in the royal ear1 that the ,king invited him to his court1 paying the expense of his journey1 and giving him a gratuity of #aejj ducats1 and appointing him his principal painter1 with a salary of #bjj crowns a month4 ,the painter embarked from ,naples on board one of the royal galleys1 accompanied by his son ,nicolo1 a nephew named ,baldassare ,valente1 and two scholars1 ,aniello ,rossi and ,matteo ,pacelli1 attended by three servants4 ,landing at ,barcelona1 and resting there a few days1 he proceeded to ,madrid1 where he arrived in ,may #afib4 ,six of the royal coaches were sent to meet him on the road1 and conduct him to the house of his friend ,ontaon4 ,on the day of his arrival1 by the desire of the ,king1 he was carried to the ,alcaza and presented to his ,majesty4 ,charles received him with great kindness1 inquired how he had borne the fatigues of his journey1 and expressed his joy at finding him much younger in appearance than he had been taught to expect4 ,the painter1 with his usual courtly tact1 replied1 that the journey he had undertaken to enter the service of so great a monarch1 had revived his youth1 and that in the presence of his ,majesty1 he felt as if he were twenty again4 ,then1 said ,charles smiling1 you are not too weary to pay a visit to my gallery1 and led him through the noble halls of ,philip ,,ii41 rich with the finest pictures of ,italy and ,spain4 ,it was probably on this occasion1 that ,giordano1 passing before ,velasquez's celebrated picture of the ,infanta and her menias1 bestowed on it the well known name of the ,theology of ,painting4 ,the ,king1 who paid the painter the extraordinary honor to embrace him when first presented1 gave him a still greater mark of his favor at parting1 by kissing him on the forehead1 and presenting him with the golden key as gentleman of the royal bed-chamber4 ,,giordano',s ,,works ,,in ,,spain4 ,luca ,giordano resided in ,spain ten years1 and in that time he executed an incredible number of grand frescos1 and other works for the royal palaces1 churches1 and convents1 as well as many more for individuals1 enough to have occupied an ordinary man a long life4 ,in the short space of two years1 he painted in fresco1 the stupendous ceiling of the church1 and the grand staircase of the ,escurial2 the latter1 representing the ,battle of ,st4 ,quintin1 and the ,capture of ,montmorenci1 is considered one of his finest works4 ,his next productions were the great saloon in the ,bueno ,retiro2 the sacristy of the great church at ,toledo2 the ceiling of the ,royal ,chapel at ,madrid1 and other important works4 ,after the death of ,charles ,,ii41 he was employed in the same capacity by his successor1 ,philip ,v4 ,these labors raised his reputation to the highest pitch2 he was loaded with riches and favors1 and ,charles conferred upon him the honor of knighthood4 ,,giordano ,,at ,,the ,,escurial4 ,whilst ,giordano was employed at the ,escurial two ,doctors of ,theology were ordered to attend upon him1 to answer his questions1 and resolve any doubts that might arise as to the orthodox manner of treating his subjects4 ,a courier was despatched every evening to ,madrid1 with a letter from the prior to the ,king1 rendering an account of the artist's day's work2 and within the present century1 some of these letters were preserved at the ,escurial4 ,on one occasion he wrote thus1 ,sire1 your ,giordano has painted this day about twelve figures1 thrice as large as life4 ,to these he has added the powers and dominations1 with proper angels1 cherubs1 and seraphs1 and clouds to support the same4 ,the two ,doctors of ,divinity have not answers ready for all his questions1 and their tongues are too slow too keep pace with the speed of his pencil4 ,,giordano',s ,,habits ,,in ,,spain4 ,giordano was temperate and frugal4 ,he wrought incessantly1 and to the scandal of the more devout1 was found at his easel1 even on days of religious festivals4 ,his daily habit was to paint from eight in the morning1 till noon1 when he dined and rested two hours4 ,at two he resumed his pencil1 and wrought till five or six o'clock4 ,he then took an airing in one of the royal carriages which was placed at his disposal4 ,if ,i am idle a single day1 he used to say1 my pencils get the better of me2 ,i must keep them in subjection by constant practice4 ,the ,spanish writers accuse him of avarice1 and attribute his intense application to his ambition to acquire a large fortune2 that he received large prices for his works1 and never spent a maravedi except in the purchase of jewelry1 of which he was very fond1 and considered a good investment2 thus he astonished ,palomino by showing him a magnificent pearl necklace2 but it should be recollected he was in the service of the ,king1 and had a fixed salary1 by no means large1 which he was entitled to receive whether he wrought or played4 ,he was doubtless better paid for his private commissions1 which he could quickly despatch1 than for his royal labors4 ,,giordano',s ,,first ,,pictures ,,painted ,,at ,,madrid4 ,the first work ,giordano executed in ,spain was a fine imitation of a picture by ,bassano1 which happened under the following circumstances4 ,the ,king1 during his first interview with the painter1 had remarked with regret1 that a certain picture in the ,alcaza1 by that master1 wanted a companion1 ,giordano secretly procured a frame and a piece of old ,venetian canvas of the size of the other1 and speedily produced a picture1 having all the appearance of age and a fine match to the original1 and hung it by its side4 ,the ,king1 in his next walk through the gallery1 instantly noticed the change with surprise and satisfaction1 and learning the story from his courtiers1 he approached the artist1 and laying his hand on his shoulder1 saluted him with ,long life to ,giordano4 ,,giordano ,a ,,favorite ,,at ,,court4 ,no painter1 not even ,titian himself1 was more caressed at court1 than ,giordano4 ,not only ,charles ,,ii41 but ,philip ,v41 delighted to do him honor1 and treated him with extraordinary favor and familiarity4 ,his brilliant success is said to have shortened the life of ,claudio ,coello1 the ablest of his ,castilian rivals4 ,according to ,dominici1 that painter1 jealous of ,giordano1 and desirous of impairing his credit at the court of ,spain1 challenged him to paint in competition with him in the presence of the ,king1 a large composition fifteen palms high1 representing the ,archangel ,michael vanquishing ,satan4 ,giordano at once accepted the challenge1 and in little more than three hours1 produced a work which not only amazed and delighted the royal judge1 but confounded poor ,coello4 ,look you1 man1 said the ,king to the discomfited ,spaniard1 and pointing to ,luca ,fa-presto1 there stands the best painter in ,naples1 ,spain1 and the whole world2 verily1 he is a painter for a ,king4 ,both ,charles and ,queen ,mariana of ,neuberg1 sat several times to ,giordano for their portraits4 ,they were never weary of visiting his studio1 and took great pleasure in his lively conversation1 and exhibitions of artistic skill4 ,one day1 the ,queen questioned him curiously about the personal appearance of his wife1 who she had learned was very beautiful4 ,giordano dashed off the portrait of his ,cara ,sposa1 and cut short her interrogation by saying1 ,here1 ,madame1 is your ,majesty's most humble servant herself1 an effort of skill and memory1 which struck the ,queen as something so wonderful as to require a particular mark of her approbation1--she accordingly sent to the ,donna ,margarita a string of pearls from the neck of her most gracious sovereign4 ,giordano would sometimes amuse the royal pair1 by laying on his colors with his fingers and thumb1 instead of brushes4 ,in this manner1 says ,palomino1 he executed a tolerable portrait of ,don ,francisco ,filipin1 a feat over which the monarch rejoiced with almost boyish transport4 ,it seemed to him as if he was carried back to that delightful night when he first saw his beautiful ,maria ,louisa dance a saraband at the ball of ,don ,pedro of ,aragon4 ,his satisfaction found vent in a mark of favor which not a little disconcerted the recipient4 ,removing the sculpel which the artist had permission to wear in the royal presence1 he kissed him on the crown of the head1 pronounced him a prodigy1 and desired him to execute in the same digital style1 a picture of ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi for the ,queen4 ,charles1 on another occasion1 complimented the artist1 by saying1 ,if1 as a ,king ,i am greater than ,luca1 ,luca as a man wonderfully gifted by ,god1 is greater than myself1 a sentiment altogether novel for a powerful monarch of the #agth century4 ,the ,queen mother1 ,mariana of ,austria1 was equally an admirer of the fortunate artist4 ,on occasion of his painting for her apartment a picture of the ,nativity of our ,lord1 she presented him with a rich jewel and a diamond ring of great value1 from her own imperial finger4 ,it was thus1 doubtless1 that he obtained the rich jewels which astonished ,palomino1 and not by purchase4 ,charles ,,ii41 dying in #agjj1 ,giordano continued for a time in the service of his successor ,philip ,v41 who treated him with the same marked favor1 and commissioned him to paint a series of pictures as a present to his grandfather1 ,louis ,,xiv41 of ,france4 ,,giordano',s ,,return ,,to ,,naples4 ,the war of succession1 however1 breaking out1 ,giordano was glad to seize the opportunity of re-returning to his family1 on the occasion of the ,king's visit to ,naples4 ,he accompanied the court to ,barcelona1 in ,february1 #agjb1 but as ,philip delayed his embarkation1 he asked and received permission to proceed by land4 ,parting through ,genoa and ,florence to ,rome1 he was received everywhere with distinction1 and left some pictures in those cities4 ,at ,rome he had the honor to kiss the feet of ,clement ,,xi41 and was permitted by special favor to enter the ,papal apartments with his sword at his side1 and his spectacles upon his nose4 ,these condescensions he repaid with two large pictures1 highly praised1 representing the passage of the ,red ,sea1 and ,moses striking the ,rock4 ,on his arrival at ,naples1 he met with the most enthusiastic reception from his fellow-citizens1 his renown in ,spain having made him still more famous at home4 ,commissions poured into him1 more than he could execute1 and though rich1 he does not seem to have relaxed his efforts or his habits of industry1 but he did not long survive2 he died of a putrid fever in ,january1 #agje1 in the #gc;d year of his age4 ,,giordano',s ,,personal ,,appearance ,,and ,,character4 ,in person1 ,luca ,giordano was of the middle height1 and well-proportioned4 ,his complexion was dark1 his countenance spare1 and chiefly remarkable for the size of its nose1 and an expression rather melancholy than joyous4 ,he was1 however1 a man of ready wit and jovial humor2 he was an accomplished courtier1 understood the weak points of men that might be touched to advantage1 and possessed manners so engaging1 that he passed through life a social favorite4 ,his school was always filled with scholars1 and as a master he was kind and popular1 although1 according to ,palomino1 on one occasion he was so provoked that he broke a silver-mounted maul-stick over the head of one of his assistants4 ,greediness of gain seems to have been his besetting sin4 ,he refused no commission that was offered to him1 and he despatched them according to the prices he received1 saying that he had three sorts of pencils1 made of gold1 of silver1 and of wood4 ,yet he frequently painted works gratuitously1 as pious offerings to the altars of poor churches and convents4 ,,giordano',s ,,riches4 ,giordano died very rich1 leaving #aej1jjj ducats invested in various ways2 #bj1jjj ducats worth of jewels2 many thousands in ready money1 #a1cjj pounds weight of gold and silver plate1 and a fine house full of rich furniture4 ,out of this he founded an entailed estate for his eldest son1 ,lorenzo1 and made liberal provisions for his widow1 two younger sons and six daughters4 ,his sons and sons-in-law enjoyed several posts conferred on them in the kingdom of ,naples by the favor of ,charles ,,ii4 ,,giordano',s ,,wonderful ,,facility ,,of ,,hand4 ,giordano may be said to have been born with a pencil in his hand1 and by constant practice1 added to a natural quickness1 he acquired that extraordinary facility of hand which1 while in his subsequent career1 it tended to corrupt art1 materially aided his fame and success4 ,he was also indefatigable in his application4 ,bellori says1 he made twelve different designs of the ,loggia and paintings by ,raffaelle in the ,vatican2 and twenty after the ,battle of ,constantine by ,giulio ,romano1 besides many after ,michael ,angelo1 ,polidoro da ,caravaggio1 and others4 ,the demand for his drawings and sketches was so great1 that ,luca1 when obliged to take refreshments1 did not retire from his work1 but gaping like a young bird1 gave notice to his father of the calls of nature1 who1 always on the watch1 instantly supplied him with food1 at the same time repeating1 ,luca1 fa presto4 ,the only principle which his father instilled into his mind was despatch4 ,probably no artist1 not even ,tintoretto1 produced so many pictures as ,giordano4 ,lanzi says1 his facility was not derived wholly from a rapidity of pencil1 but was aided by the quickness of his imagination1 which enabled him clearly to perceive1 from the commencement of the work1 the result he intended1 without hesitating to consider the component parts1 or doubling1 proving1 and selecting1 like other painters4 ,hence ,giordano was also called1 ,il proteo della pittura1 and ,il ,falmine della pittura--the ,proteus1 and the ,lightning of painting4 ,as an instance of the latter1 it is recorded that he painted a picture while his guests were waiting for dinner4 ,,giordano',s ,,powers ,,of ,,imitation4 ,giordano had the rare talent of being able to imitate the manner of every master so successfully as frequently to deceive the best judges2 he could do this also without looking at the originals1 the result of a wonderful memory1 which retained everything once seen4 ,there are numerous instances of pictures painted by him in the style of ,albert ,durer1 ,bassano1 ,titian1 and ,rubens1 which are valued in commerce at two or three times the price of pictures in his own style4 ,in the church of ,s4 ,teresa at ,naples1 are two pictures by him in the style of ,guido1 and there is a ,holy ,family at ,madrid1 which ,mengs says may be easily mistaken for a production of ,raffaelle4 ,giordano also had several scholars1 who imitated his own style with great precision4 ,,giordano',s ,,fame ,,and ,,reputation4 ,perhaps no artist ever enjoyed a greater share of contemporary fame than ,luca ,giordano4 ,possessed of inexhaustible invention1 and marvellous facility of hand1 which enabled him to multiply his works to any required amount he had the good fortune to hit upon a style which pleased1 though it still farther corrupted the declining taste of the age4 ,he despatched a large picture in the presence of ,cosmo ,,iii41 ,grand ,duke of ,florence1 in so short a space of time as caused him to exclaim in wonder1 ,you are fit to be the painter of a sovereign prince4 ,the same eulogium1 under similar circumstances1 was passed upon him by ,charles ,,ii4 ,a similar feat at ,naples1 had previously won the admiration and approbation of the ,viceroy1 the ,marquess de ,heliche1 and laid the foundation of his fortune4 ,it became the fashion1 to admire everything that came from his prolific pencil1 at ,madrid1 as well as at ,naples4 ,everywhere1 his works1 good or bad1 were received with applause4 ,when it was related as a wonder that ,giordano painted with his fingers1 no ,angelo was found to observe1 ,why does not the blockhead use his brush4 ,that ,giordano was a man of genius1 there can be no doubt1 but had he executed only a tenth part of the multitude he did1 his fame would have been handed down to posterity with much greater lustre4 ,cean ,bermudez says of his works in ,spain1 ,he left nothing that is absolutely bad1 and nothing that is perfectly good4 ,his compositions generally bear the marks of furious haste1 and they are disfigured in many cases by incongruous associations of pagan mythology with sacred history1 and of allegory with history1 a blemish on the literature as well as the art of the age4 ,bermudez also accuses him of having corrupted and degraded ,spanish art1 by introducing a new and false style1 which his great reputation and royal favoritism1 brought into vogue4 ,still1 he deserves praise for the great facility of his invention1 the force and richness of his coloring1 and a certain grandeur of conception and freedom of execution which belong only to a great master4 ,the royal gallery at ,madrid possesses no less than fifty-five of his pictures1 selected from the multitude he left in the various royal palaces4 ,there are also many in the churches4 ,lanzi says1 ,naples abounds with the works of ,giordano1 both public and private4 ,there is scarcely a church in this great city which does not boast some of his works4 ,,remarkable ,,instance ,,of ,,giordano',s ,,rapidity ,,of ,,execution4 ,giordano1 on his return to ,naples from ,florence1 established himself in ,ribera's fine house1 opposite the ,jesuit's church of ,s4 ,francesco ,xavier4 ,in #afhe he was commissioned by the ,fathers to paint a large picture for one of the principal altars1 and agreed that it should be completed by the approaching festival of the patron saint4 ,giordano1 having other engagements on hand1 put off the execution of the altar-piece so long1 that the ,jesuits began to be clamorous1 and at length appealed to the ,viceroy to exercise his authority4 ,determined to see for himself how matters stood1 that great man paid an unexpected visit to ,giordano's studio4 ,the painter had barely time to escape by a back door to avoid his wrath1 when the ,marquess de ,heliche entered1 who perceiving that he had not touched the vast canvas with his brush1 as suddenly retired1 muttering imprecations and menaces4 ,luca's dashing pencil now stood him in good stead4 ,he immediately sketched the outlines of his composition1 and setting his disciples to prepare his palettes1 he painted all that day and night with so much diligence that by the following afternoon1 he was able to announce to the impatient ,fathers the completion of the picture4 ,the subject was the patron of the church1 ,st4 ,francis ,xavier1 the great ,jesuit missionary1 baptizing the people of ,japan4 ,he is represented standing on a lofty flight of steps2 behind him1 in the distance1 is a party of zealous converts pulling down the images of their gods1 and beneath in the foreground1 kneels ,st4 ,francis ,borgia in the attitude of prayer4 ,the picture was executed with such boldness and freedom1 and excellence of coloring1 that at the proper distance it produced a grand and magnificent effect4 ,it was immediately carried to the church1 and placed over the destined altar1 the day before the appointed festival1 and the ,viceroy whose anger had hardly cooled1 invited to inspect it4 ,charmed with the beauty of the work1 and amazed by the celerity of its execution1 he exclaimed1 the painter of this picture must be either an angel or a demon4 ,giordano received his compliments1 and made his own excuses with so much address1 that the ,marquess1 forgetting all past offences engaged him to paint in the palace1 and passed much of his time by his side1 observing his progress1 and enjoying his lively conversation4 ,,revival ,,of ,,painting ,,in ,,italy4 ,poetry1 ,painting1 and ,sculpture1 says ,cunningham1 are of the same high order of genius2 but1 as words provide at once shape and color to our thoughts1 ,poetry has ever led the way in the march of intellect3 as material forms are ready made1 and require but to be skillfully copied1 ,sculpture succeeded2 and as lights and shadows demand science and experience to work them into shape1 and endow them with sentiment1 ,painting was the last to rise into elegance and sublimity4 ,in this order these high ,arts rose in ancient ,greece2 and in the like order they rose in modern ,italy2 but none of them reached true excellence1 till the light of knowledge dawned on the human mind1 nor before civilization1 following in the steps of barbarism1 prepared the world for the reception of works of polished grace and tranquil grandeur4 ,from the swoon into which the ,fine ,arts were cast by the overthrow of the ,roman ,empire1 they were long in waking3 all that was learned or lofty was extinguished3 of ,painting1 there remained but the memory1 and of ,sculpture1 some broken stones1 yet smothered in the ruins of temples and cities the rules which gave art its science were lost2 the knowledge of colors was passed away1 and that high spirit which filled ,italy and ,greece with shapes and sentiments allied to heaven1 had expired4 ,in their own good time1 ,painting and ,sculpture arose from the ruins in which they had been overwhelmed1 but their looks were altered2 their air was saddened2 their voice was low1 though it was1 as it had been in ,greece1 holy1 and it called men to the contemplation of works of a rude grace1 and a but dawning beauty4 ,these 'sisters-twin' came at first with pale looks and trembling steps1 and with none of the confidence which a certainty of pleasing bestows3 they came too with few of the charms of the heathen about them3 of the scientific unity of proportion1 of the modest ease1 the graceful simplicity1 or the almost severe and always divine composure of ,greece1 they had little or none4 ,but they came1 nevertheless1 with an original air and character all their own2 they spoke of the presence of a loveliness and sentiment derived from a nobler source than pagan inspiration2 they spoke of ,jesus ,christ and his sublime lessons of peace1 and charity1 and belief1 with which he had preached down the altars and temples of the heathen1 and rebuked their lying gods into eternal silence4 ,though ,sculpture and ,painting arose early in ,italy1 and arose with the mantle of the ,christian religion about them1 it was centuries before they were able to put on their full lustre and beauty4 ,for this1 various causes may be assigned4 #a4 ,the nations1 or rather wild hordes1 who ruled where consuls and emperors once reigned1 ruled but for a little while1 or were continually employed in expeditions of bloodshed and war4 #b4 ,the armed feet of the barbarians had trodden into dust all of art that was elegant or beautiful3--they lighted their camp-fires with the verses of ,euripides or ,virgil2 they covered their tents with the paintings of ,protogenes and ,apelles1 and they repaired the breaches in the walls of a besieged city1 with the statues of ,phidias and ,praxiteles2--the desires of these barbarians were all barbarous4 #c4 ,painting and ,sculpture had to begin their labors anew2 all rules were lost2 all examples1 particularly of the former1 destroyed3 men unable1 therefore1 to drink at the fountains of ,greece1 did not think1 for centuries1 of striking the rock for themselves4 #d4 ,the ,christian religion1 for which ,art first wrought1 demanded sentiment rather than shape3 it was a matter of mind which was wanted3 the personal beauty of ,jesus ,christ is nowhere insisted upon in all the ,new ,testament3 the earliest artists1 when they had impressed an air of holiness or serenity on their works1 thought they had done enough2 and it was only when the fears of looking like the heathen were overcome1 and a sense of the exquisite beauty of ,grecian sculpture prevailed1 that the geometrical loveliness of the human form found its way into art4 ,it may be added1 that no modern people1 save the ,italians alone1 seem to share fully in the high sense of the ideal and the poetic1 visible in the works of ,greece4 ,the first fruits of this new impulse were representations of ,christ on the ,cross2 of his forerunner1 ,st4 ,john2 of his ,virgin ,mother2 and of his companions1 the ,apostles4 ,our ,saviour had a meek and melancholy look2 the hands of the ,virgin are held up in prayer2 something of the wildness of the wilderness was in the air of ,st4 ,john1 and the twelve ,apostles were kneeling or preaching4 ,they were all clothed from head to heel2 the faces1 the hands1 and the feet1 alone were bare2 the sentiment of suffering or rejoicing holiness1 alone was aimed at4 ,the artists of the heathen religion wrought in a far different spirit2 the forms which they called to their canvas1 and endowed with life and beauty1 were all1 or mostly naked2 they saw and felt the symmetry and exquisite harmony of the human body1 and they represented it in such elegance1 such true simplicity and sweetness1 as to render their nude figures the rivals in modesty and innocence of the most carefully dressed4 ,a sense of this excellence of form is expressed by many writers4 ',if1' says ,plato1 'you take a man as he is made by nature1 and compare him with another who is the effect of art1 the work of nature will always appear the less beautiful1 because art is more accurate than nature4' ,maximus ,tyrus also says1 that 'the image which is taken by a painter from several bodies1 produces a beauty which it is impossible to find in any single natural body1 approaching to the perfection of the fairest statues4' ,and ,cicero informs us1 that ,zeuxis drew his wondrous picture of ,helen from various models1 all the most beautiful that could be found2 for he could not find in one body all those perfections1 which his idea of that princess required4 ,so far did the heathens carry their notions of ideal beauty1 that they taxed ,demetrius with being too natural1 and ,dionysius they reproached as but a painter of men4 ,lysippus himself upbraided the ordinary sculptors of his day1 for making men such as they were in nature1 and boasted of himself1 that he made men as they ought to be4 ,phidias copied his statues of ,jupiter and ,pallas from forms in his own soul1 or those which the muse of ,homer supplied4 ,seneca seems to wonder1 that1 the sculptor having never beheld either ,jove or ,pallas1 yet could conceive their divine images in his mind2 and another eminent ancient says1 that 'the fancy more instructs the painter than the imitation2 for the last makes only the things which it sees1 but the first makes also the things which it never sees4' ,such were also1 in the fulness of time and study1 the ideas of the most distinguished moderns4 ,alberti tells us1 that 'we ought not so much to love the likeness as the beauty1 and to choose from the fairest bodies1 severally1 the fairest parts4' ,da ,vinci uses almost the same words1 and desires the painter to form the idea for himself2 and the incomparable ,raphael thus writes to ,castiglione concerning his ,galatea3 ',to paint a fair one1 it is necessary for me to see many fair ones2 but because there is so great a scarcity of lovely women1 ,i am constrained to make use of one certain idea1 which ,i have formed in my own fancy4' ,guido ,reni approaches still closer to the pure ideal of the great ,christian ,school of ,painting1 when he wishes for the wings of an angel1 to ascend to ,paradise1 and see1 with his own eyes1 the forms and faces of the blessed spirits1 that he might put more of heaven into his pictures4 ,of the heaven which the great artist wished to infuse into his works1 there was but little in painting1 when it rose to aid religion in ,italy4 ,the shape was uncooth1 the coloring ungraceful1 and there was but the faint dawn of that divine sentiment1 which in time elevated ,roman art to the same eminence as the ,grecian4 ,yet all that ,christianity demanded from ,art1 at first1 was readily accomplished3 fine forms1 and delicate hues1 were not required for centuries1 by the successors of the ,apostles2 a ,christ on the ,cross2 the ,virgin lulling her divine ,babe in her bosom2 the ,miracle of ,lazarus2 the ,preaching on the ,mount2 the ,conversion of ,st4 ,paul2 and the ,ascension--roughly sculptured or coarsely painted1 perhaps by the unskilful hands of the ,christian preachers themselves--were found sufficient to explain to a barbarous people some of the great ruling truths of ,christianity4 ,these1 and such as these1 were placed in churches1 or borne about by gospel missionaries and were appealed to1 when words failed to express the doctrines and mysteries which were required to be taught4 ,such appeals were no doubt frequent1 in times when ,greek and ,latin ceased to be commonly spoken1 and the present languages of ,europe were shaping themselves1 like fruit in the leaf1 out of the barbarous dissonance of the wild tongues which then prevailed4 ,these ,christian preachers1 with their emblems and their relics1 were listened to by the ,gothic subverters of the empire of art and elegance1 with the more patience and complacency1 since they desired not to share in their plunder or their conquests1 and opened to them the way to a far nobler kingdom--a kingdom not of this earth4 ,though abundance of figures of saints were carved1 and innumerable ,madonnas painted throughout ,italy1 in the earlier days of the ,christian church1 they were either literal transcripts of common life1 or mechanical copies or imitations of works furnished from the great store looms of the ,asiatic ,greeks4 ,there were thousands--nay1 tens of thousands of men1 who wrote themselves artists1 while not one of them had enough of imagination and skill to lift art above the low estate in which the rule and square of mechanical imitation had placed it4 ,niccolo ,pisano appears to have been the first who1 at ,pisa1 took the right way in sculpture3 his groups1 still in existence1 are sometimes too crowded2 his figures badly designed1 and the whole defective in sentiment2 but he gave an impulse--communicated through the antique--to composition1 not unperceived by his scholars1 who saw with his eyes and wrought with his spirit4 ,the school which he founded produced1 soon after1 the celebrated ,ghiberti1 whose gates of bronze1 embellished with figures1 for the church of ,san ,giovanni1 were pronounced by ,michael ,angelo worthy to be the gates of ,paradise4 ,while the sister art took these large strides towards fame1 ,painting lagged ruefully behind2 she had no true models1 and she had no true rules2 but 'the time and the man' came at last1 and this man was ,giovanni ,cimabue4 ,,giovanni ,,cimabue4 ,this great painter is universally considered the restorer of modern painting4 ,the ,italians call him the ,father of modern ,painting2 and other nations1 the ,creator of the ,italian or ,epic style of ,painting4 ,he was born at ,florence in #abdj1 of a noble family1 and was skilled both in architecture and sculpture4 ,the legends of his own land make him the pupil of ,giunta2 for the men of ,florence are reluctant to believe that he was instructed in painting by those ,greek artists who were called in to embellish their city with miracles and ,madonnas4 ,he soon conquered an education which consisted in reproducing1 in exact shape and color1 the works of other men3 he desired to advance3 he went to nature for his forms2 he grouped them with a new skill2 he bestowed ease on his draperies1 and a higher expression on his heads4 ,his talent did not reside in the neat1 the graceful1 and the lovely2 his ,madonnas have little beauty1 and his angels are all of one make3 he succeeded best in the heads of the old and the holy1 and impressed on them1 in spite of the barbarism of his times1 a bold sublimity1 which few have since surpassed4 ,critics object to the fierceness of his eyes1 the want of delicacy in the noses of his figures1 and the absence of perspective in his compositions2 but they admit that his coloring is bright and vigorous1 his conceptions grand and vast1 and that he loved the daring and the splendid4 ,nevertheless1 a touch of the mechanical ,greek ,school1 and a rudeness all his own1 have been observed in the works of this great painter4 ,his compositions were all of a scriptural or religious kind1 such as the church required3 kings were his visitors1 and the people of ,florence paid him honors almost divine4 ,,cimabue',s ,,passion ,,for ,,art4 ,cimabue gave early proof of an accurate judgment and a clear understanding1 and his father designed to give him a liberal education1 but instead of devoting himself to letters1 says ,vasari1 he consumed the whole day in drawing men1 horses1 houses1 and other various fancies on his books and different papers--an occupation to which he felt himself impelled by nature2 and this natural inclination was favored by fortune1 for the governors of the city1 had invited certain ,greek painters to ,florence1 for the purpose of restoring the art of painting1 which had not merely degenerated1 but was altogether lost2 those artists1 among other works1 began to paint the chapel of ,gondi1 situated next to the principal chapel in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 where ,giovanni was being educated1 who often escaping from school1 and having already made a commencement in the art he was so fond of1 would stand watching these masters at their work the day through4 ,vasari goes on to say1 that this passion at length induced his father1 already persuaded that he had the genius to become a great painter1 to place ,giovanni under the instruction of these ,greek artists4 ,from this time1 he labored incessantly day and night1 and aided by his great natural powers1 he soon surpassed his teachers4 ,,cimabue',s ,,famous ,,picture ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,cimabue had already distinguished himself by many works1 executed in fresco and distemper for the churches at ,florence1 ,pisa1 and ,assisi1 when he painted his famous picture of the ,holy ,virgin for the church of ,s4 ,maria ,novella in the former city4 ,this picture was accounted such a wonderful performance by his fellow citizens1 that they carried it from the house of ,cimabue to the church in solemn procession1 with sound of trumpets and every demonstration of joy4 ,it is further reported1 says ,vasari1 that whilst ,cimabue was painting this picture in a garden near the gate of ,san ,pietro1 ,king ,charles the elder1 of ,anjou1 passed through ,florence1 and the authorities of the city1 among other marks of respect1 conducted him to see the picture of ,cimabue4 ,this picture1 representing the ,virgin and ,infant ,jesus surrounded by angels1 larger than life1 then so novel1 was regarded as such a wonderful performance1 that all the people of ,florence flocked in crowds to admire it1 making all possible demonstrations of delight4 ,it still adorns the chapel of the ,rucellai family in the church of ,s4 ,maria ,novella for which it was painted4 ,the heads of the ,virgin1 of the infant ,jesus1 and the angels1 are all fine1 but the hands are badly drawn2 this defect1 however1 is common with the ,quattrocentisti1 or artists of the #adth century4 ,the editors of the ,florentine edition of ,vasari1 commenced in #ahdf1 by an association of learned ,italians1 observe1 ,this picture1 still in fair preservation1 is in the chapel of the ,rucellai family2 and whoever will examine it carefully1 comparing it1 not only with works before the time of ,cimabue1 but also with those painted after him1 by the ,florentine masters1 particularly ,giotto1 will perceive that the praises of ,vasari are justified in every particular4 ,,the ,,works ,,of ,,cimabue4 ,some writers assert that the works of ,cimabue possessed little merit when compared with those of later times2 and that the extraordinary applause which he received flowed from an age ignorant of art4 ,it should be recollected1 however1 that it is much easier to copy or follow1 when the path has been marked out1 than to invent or discover2 and hence that the glorious productions of the ,prince of modern ,painters1 form no criterion by which to judge of the merits of those of the ,father of modern ,painters4 ,the former had the accumulated wisdom of ages before him1 of which he availed himself freely2 the latter had nothing worthy of note1 but his own talents and the wild field of nature1 from which he was the first of the moderns who drew in the spirit of inspiration4 ,giotto1 says ,vasari1 did obscure the fame of ,cimabue1 as a great light diminishes the splendor of a lesser one2 so that1 although ,cimabue may be considered the cause of the restoration of the art of painting1 yet ,giotto1 his disciple1 impelled by a laudable ambition1 and well aided by heaven and nature1 was the man1 who1 attaining to superior elevation of thought1 threw open the gate of the true way1 to those who afterwards exalted the art to that perfection and greatness which it displays in our own age2 when accustomed1 as men are1 daily to see the prodigies and miracles1 nay the impossibilities1 now performed by artists1 they have arrived at such a point1 that they no longer marvel at anything accomplished by man1 even though it be more divine than human4 ,fortunate1 indeed1 are artists who now labor1 however meritoriously1 if they do not incur censure instead of praise2 nay1 if they can even escape disgrace4 ,it should be recollected that ,vasari held this language in the days of ,michael ,angelo4 ,all the great frescos of ,cimabue1 and most of his easel pictures1 have perished4 ,besides the picture of the ,virgin before mentioned1 there is a ,st4 ,francis in the church of ,s4 ,croce1 an excellent picture of ,st4 ,cecilia1 in that of ,s4 ,stefano1 and a ,madonna in the convent of ,s4 ,paolino at ,florence4 ,there are also two paintings by ,cimabue in the ,louvre--the ,virgin with angels1 and the ,virgin with the infant ,jesus4 ,others are attributed to him1 but their authenticity is very doubtful4 ,,death ,,of ,,cimabue4 ,according to ,vasari1 ,cimabue died in #acjj1 and was entombed in the church of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore at ,florence4 ,the following epitaph1 composed by one of the ,nini1 was inscribed on his monument3 ,credidit ut ,cimabos pictur castra tenere ,sic tenuit1 vivens1 nunc tenet astra poli4 ,it appears1 however1 from an authentic document1 cited by ,campi1 that ,cimabue was employed in #acjb in executing a mosaic picture of ,st4 ,john1 for the cathedral of ,pisa2 and as he left this figure unfinished1 it is probable that he did not long survive that year4 ,,giotto4 ,this great artist1 one of the fathers of modern painting1 was born at ,vespignano1 a small town near ,florence1 in #abgf4 ,he was the son of a shepherd named ,bondone1 and while watching his father's flocks in the field1 he showed a natural genius for art by constantly delineating the objects around him4 ,a sheep which he had drawn upon a flat stone1 after nature1 attracted the attention of ,cimabue1 who persuaded his father1 ,bondone1 to allow him to go to ,florence1 confident that he would be an ornament to the art4 ,giotto commenced by imitating his master1 but he quickly surpassed him4 ,a picture of the ,annunciation1 in the possession of the ,fathers of ,badia at ,florence1 is one of his earliest works1 and manifests a grace and beauty superior to ,cimabue1 though the style is somewhat dry4 ,in his works1 symmetry became more chaste1 design more pleasing1 and coloring softer than before4 ,lanzi says that if ,cimabue was the ,michael ,angelo of that age1 ,giotto was the ,raffaelle4 ,he was highly honored1 and his works were in great demand4 ,he was invited to ,rome by ,boniface ,,viii41 and afterwards to ,avignon by ,clement ,v4 ,the noble families of ,verona1 ,milan1 ,ravenna1 ,urbino1 and ,bologna1 were eager to possess his works4 ,in #acaf1 according to ,vasari1 he returned from ,avignon1 and was employed at ,padua1 where he painted the chapel of the ,nunziata all' ,arena1 divided all around into compartments1 each of which represents some scriptural event4 ,lanzi says it is truly surprising to behold1 not less on account of its high state of preservation beyond any other of his frescos1 than for its graceful expression1 and that air of grandeur which ,giotto so well understood4 ,about #acbe he was invited to ,naples by ,king ,robert1 to paint the church of ,s4 ,chiara1 which he decorated with subjects from the ,new ,testament1 and the ,mysteries of the ,apocalypse4 ,these1 like many of his works1 have been destroyed2 but there remains a ,madonna1 and several other pictures1 in this church4 ,giotto's portraits were greatly admired1 particularly for their air of truth and correct resemblance4 ,among other illustrious persons whom he painted1 were the poet ,dante1 and ,clement ,,viii4 ,the portrait of the former was discovered in the chapel of the ,podesta1 now the ,bargello1 at ,florence1 which had for two centuries been covered with whitewash1 and divided into cells for prisoners4 ,the whitewash was removed by the painter ,marini1 at the instance of ,signor ,bezzi and others1 and the portrait discovered in the ,gloria described by ,vasari4 ,giotto was also distinguished in the art of mosaic1 particularly for the famous ,death of the ,virgin at ,florence1 greatly admired by ,michael ,angelo2 also the celebrated ,navicella1 or ,boat of ,st4 ,peter1 in the portico of the ,basilica of ,st4 ,peter's at ,rome1 which is now so mutilated and altered as to leave little of the original design4 ,as an architect1 ,giotto attained considerable eminence1 according to ,milizia1 and erected many important edifices1 among which is the bell-tower of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore4 ,the thickness of the walls is about ten feet2 the height is two hundred and eighty feet4 ,the cornice which supports the parapet is very bold and striking2 the whole exterior is of ,gothic design1 inlaid with marble and mosaic1 and the work may be considered one of the finest specimens of campanile in ,italy4 ,,giotto',s ,,st4 ,,francis ,,stigmata ,in the church of ,s4 ,francesco at ,pisa1 is a picture by ,giotto1 representing ,st4 ,francis receiving the ,stigmata1,a which is in good preservation1 and held in great veneration1 not only for the sake of the master1 but for the excellence of the work4 ,vasari says1 ,it represents ,st4 ,francis1 standing on the frightful rocks of ,la ,verna2 and is finished with extraordinary care4 ,it exhibits a landscape with many trees and precipices1 which was a new thing in those times4 ,in the attitude and expression of ,st4 ,francis1 who is on his knees receiving the ,stigmata1 the most eager desire to obtain them is clearly manifest1 as well as infinite love towards ,jesus ,christ1 who1 from heaven above1 where he is seen surrounded by the seraphim1 grants those stigmata to his servant1 with looks of such lively affection1 that it is not possible to conceive anything more perfect4 ,beneath this picture are three others1 also from the life of ,st4 ,francis1 and very beautiful4 ,footnote ,a3 ,stigmata1 signifies the five wounds of the ,saviour impressed by himself on the persons of certain saints1 male and female1 in reward for their sanctity and devotion to the service4 ,,giotto',s ,,invitation ,,to ,,rome4 ,boniface ,,viii41 desirous of decorating ,st4 ,peter's church with some paintings1 having heard of the extraordinary talents of ,giotto1 despatched one of his courtiers to ,tuscany1 to ascertain the truth1 as to his merits1 and to procure designs from other artists for his approbation and selection4 ,vasari says1 ,the messenger1 when on his way to visit ,giotto1 and to enquire what other good masters there were in ,florence1 spoke first with many artists in ,siena--then1 having received designs from them1 he proceeded to ,florence1 and repaired one morning to the workshop where ,giotto was occupied with his labors4 ,he declared the purpose of the ,pope1 and the manner in which that pontiff desired to avail himself of his assistance1 and finally requested to have a drawing that he might send it to his holiness4 ,giotto1 who was very courteous1 took a sheet of paper and a pencil dipped in a red color2 then resting his elbow on his side to form a sort of compass1 with one turn of the hand1 he drew a circle so perfect and exact that it was a marvel to behold4 ,this done1 he turned smiling to the courtier1 saying1 ',there is your drawing4' ',am ,i to have nothing more than this8' enquired the latter1 conceiving himself to be jested with4 ',that is enough and to spare1' replied ,giotto1 'send it with the rest1 and you will see if it will not be recognized4' ,the messenger1 unable to obtain anything more1 went away very ill satisfied1 and fearing that he had been fooled4 ,nevertheless1 having despatched the other drawings to the ,pope1 with the names of those who had done them1 he sent that of ,giotto also1 relating the mode in which he had made his circle1 without moving his arm and without compass2 from which the ,pope1 and such of the courtiers as were well versed in the subject1 perceived how far ,giotto surpassed all the other painters of his time4 ,this incident becoming known1 gave rise to the proverb still used in relation to people of dull wits1 ',in sei pi tondo che l',o di ,giotto1' 7round as ,giotto's ,o17 the significance of which consists in the double meaning of the word tondo1 which is used in the ,tuscan for slowness of intellect1 and slowness of comprehension1 as well as for an exact circle4 ,the proverb besides has an interest from the circumstance which gave it birth4 ,giotto was immediately invited to ,rome by the ,pope1 who received him with distinction1 and commissioned him to paint a large picture in the sacristy of ,st4 ,peter's1 with five others in the church1 representing subjects from the life of ,christ1 which gave so much satisfaction to the pontiff1 that he commanded #fjj gold ducats to be paid to the artist1 besides conferring on him so many favors1 says ,vasari1 that there was talk of them throughout ,italy4 ,,giotto',s ,,living ,,model4 ,giotto1 about to paint a picture of the ,crucifixion1 induced a poor man to suffer himself to be bound to a cross1 under the promise of being set at liberty in an hour1 and handsomely rewarded for his pains4 ,instead of this1 as soon as ,giotto had made his victim secure1 he seized a dagger1 and1 shocking to tell1 stabbed him to the heart6 ,he then set about painting the dying agonies of the victim to his foul treachery4 ,when he had finished his picture1 he carried it to the ,pope2 who was so well pleased with it1 that he resolved to place it above the altar of his own chapel4 ,giotto observed1 that1 as his holiness liked the copy so well1 he might perhaps like to see the original4 ,the ,pope1 shocked at the impiety of the idea1 uttered an exclamation of surprise4 ,i mean1 added ,giotto1 ,i will show you the person whom ,i employed as my model in this picture1 but it must be on condition that your holiness will absolve me from all punishment for the use which ,i have made of him4 ,the ,pope promised ,giotto the absolution for which he stipulated1 and accompanied the artist to his workshop4 ,on entering1 ,giotto drew aside a curtain which hung before the dead man1 still stretched on the cross1 and covered with blood4 ,the barbarous exhibition struck the pontiff with horror2 he told ,giotto he could never give him absolution for so cruel a deed1 and that he must expect to suffer the most exemplary punishment4 ,giotto1 with seeming resignation1 said that he had only one favor to ask1 that his holiness would give him leave to finish the piece before he died4 ,the request had too important an object to be denied2 the ,pope readily granted it2 and1 in the meantime1 a guard was set over ,giotto to prevent his escape4 ,on the painting being replaced in the artist's hands1 the first thing he did was to take a brush1 and1 dipping it into a thick varnish1 he daubed the picture all over with it1 and then announced that he had finished his task4 ,his holiness was greatly incensed at this abuse of the indulgence he had given1 and threatened ,giotto that he should be put to the most cruel death1 unless he painted another picture equal to the one which he had destroyed4 ,of what avail is your threat1 replied ,giotto1 to a man whom you have doomed to death at any rate8 ,but1 replied his holiness1 ,i can revoke that doom4 ,yes1 continued ,giotto1 but you cannot prevail on me to trust to your verbal promise a second time4 ,you shall have a pardon under my signet before you begin4 ,on that1 a conditional pardon was accordingly made out and given to ,giotto1 who1 taking a wet sponge1 in a few minutes wiped off the coating with which he had bedaubed the picture1 and instead of a copy1 restored the original in all its beauty to his holiness4 ,although this story is related by many writers1 it is doubtless a gross libel on the fair fame of this great artist1 originating with some witless wag1 who thought nothing too horrible to impose upon the credulity of mankind4 ,it is discredited by the best authors4 ,a similar fable is related of ,parrhasius4 ,see the ,olynthian ,captive1 vol4 ,i4 page #aea of this work4 ,,giotto ,,and ,,the ,,king ,,of ,,naples4 ,after ,giotto's return to ,florence1 about #acbe1 ,robert1 ,king of ,naples1 wrote to his son ,charles1 ,king of ,calabria1 who was then in ,florence1 desiring that he would by all means send ,giotto to him at ,naples1 to decorate the church and convent of ,santa ,clara1 which he had just completed1 and desired to have adorned with noble paintings4 ,giotto readily accepted this flattering invitation from so great and renowned a monarch1 and immediately set out to do him service4 ,he was received at ,naples with every mark of distinction1 and executed many subjects from the old and ,new ,testaments in the different chapels of the building4 ,it is said that the pictures from the ,apocalypse1 which he painted in one of the chapels1 were the inventions of ,dante2 but ,dante was then dead1 and if ,giotto derived any advantage from him1 it must have been from previous discussions on the subject4 ,these works gave the greatest satisfaction to the ,king1 who munificently rewarded the artist1 and treated him with great kindness and extraordinary familiarity4 ,vasari says that ,giotto was greatly beloved by ,king ,robert1 who delighted to visit him in his painting room1 to watch the progress of his work1 to hear his remarks1 and to hold conversation with him2 for ,giotto had a ready wit1 and was always as ready to amuse the monarch with his lively conversation and witty replies as with his pencil4 ,one day the ,king said to him1 ,giotto1 ,i will make you the first man in ,naples1 to which ,giotto promptly replied1 ,i am already the first man in ,naples2 for this reason it is that ,i dwell at the ,porta ,reale4 ,at another time the ,king1 fearing that he would injure himself by overworking in the hot season1 said to him1 ,giotto1 if ,i were in your place1 now that it is so hot1 ,i would give up painting for a time1 and take my rest4 ,and so would ,i do1 certainly1 replied ,giotto1 were ,i the ,king of ,naples4 ,one day the ,king to amuse himself1 desired ,giotto to paint his kingdom4 ,the painter drew an ass carrying a packsaddle loaded with a crown and sceptre1 while a similar saddle1 also bearing the ensigns of royalty1 lay at his feet2 these last were all new1 and the ass scented them1 with an eager desire to change them for those he bore4 ,what does this signify1 ,giotto8 enquired the ,king4 ,such is thy kingdom1 replied ,giotto1 and such thy subjects1 who are every day desiring a new lord4 ,,giotto ,,and ,,dante4 ,the children of ,giotto were remarkably ill-favored4 ,dante1 one day1 quizzed him by asking1 ,giotto1 how is it that you1 who make the children of others so beautiful1 make your own so ugly8 ,ah1 my dear friend1 replied the painter1 mine were made in the dark4 ,,death ,,of ,,giotto4 ,giotto1 says ,vasari1 having passed his life in the production of so many admirable works1 and proved himself a good ,christian1 as well as an excellent painter1 resigned his soul to ,god in the year #accf1 not only to the great regret of his fellow citizens1 but of all who had known him1 or even heard his name4 ,he was honorably entombed1 as his high deserts had well merited1 having been beloved all his life1 but more especially by the learned men of all professions4 ,dante and ,petrarch were his warm admirers1 and immortalized him in their verse4 ,the commentator of ,dante1 who was cotemporary with ,giotto1 says1 ,giotto was1 and is1 the most eminent of all the painters of ,florence1 and to this his works bear testimony in ,rome1 ,naples1 ,avignon1 ,florence1 ,padua1 and many other parts of the world4 ,,buonamico ,,buffalmacco4 ,the first worthy successor of ,giotto in the ,florentine school1 was ,buffalmacco1 whose name has been immortalized by ,boccaccio in his ,decameron1 as a man of most facetious character4 ,he executed many works in fresco and distemper1 but they have mostly perished4 ,he chiefly excelled in ,crucifixions and ,ascensions4 ,he was born1 according to ,vasari1 in #abfb1 and died in #acdj1 aged #gh2 but ,baldinucci says that he lived later than #aceh4 ,his name is mentioned in the old ,book of the ,company of ,painters1 under the date of #acea1 7,editors of the ,florentine edition of ,vasari1 #ahdf474 ,buffalmacco was a merry wag1 and a careless spendthrift1 and died in the public hospital4 ,,buffalmacco ,,and ,,his ,,master4 ,among the ,three ,hundred ,stories of ,franco ,saccheti1 says ,vasari1 we find it related to begin with1 what our artist did in his youth--that when ,buffalmacco was studying with ,andrea ,tafi1 his master had the habit of rising before daylight when the nights were long1 compelling his scholars also to awake and proceed to their work4 ,this provoked ,buonamico1 who did not approve of being aroused from his sweetest sleep4 ,he accordingly bethought himself of finding some means by which ,andrea might be prevented from rising so early1 and soon found what he sought4 ,now it happened that ,tafi was a very superstitious man1 believing that demons and hobgoblins walked the earth at their pleasure4 ,buffalmacco1 having caught about thirty large beetles1 he fastened to the back of each1 by means of small needles1 a minute taper1 which he lighted1 and sent them one by one into his master's room1 through a crack in the door1 about the time he was accustomed to rise and summon him to his labors4 ,tafi seeing these strange lights wandering about his room1 began to tremble with fright1 and repeated his prayers and exorcisms1 but finding they produced no effect on the apparitions1 he covered his head with the bed clothes1 and lay almost petrified with terror till daylight4 ,when he rose he enquired of ,buonamico1 if he had seen more than a thousand demons wandering about his room1 as he had himself in the night8 ,buonamico replied that he had seen nothing1 and wondered he had not been called to work4 ,call thee to work6 exclaimed the master1 ,i had other things to think of besides painting1 and am resolved to stay in this house no longer2 and away he ran to consult the parish priest1 who seems to have been as superstitious as the poor painter himself4 ,when ,tafi discoursed of this strange affair with ,buonamico1 the latter told him that he had been taught to believe that the demons were the greatest enemies of ,god1 consequently they must be the most deadly adversaries of painters4 ,for1 said he1 besides that we always make them most hideous1 we think of nothing but painting saints1 both men and women1 on walls and pictures1 which is much worse1 since we thereby render men better and more devout to the great despite of the demons2 and for all this1 the devils being angry with us1 and having more power by night than by day1 they play these tricks upon us4 ,i verily believe too1 that they will get worse and worse1 if this practice of rising to work in the night be not discontinued altogether4 ,buffalmacco then advised his master to make the experiment1 and see whether the devils would disturb him if he did not work at night4 ,tafi followed this advice for a short time1 and the demons ceased to disturb him2 but forgetting his fright1 he began to rise betimes1 as before1 and to call ,buffalmacco to his work4 ,the beetles then recommenced their wanderings1 till ,tafi was compelled by his fears and the earnest advice of the priest to desist altogether from that practice4 ,nay1 says ,vasari1 the story becoming known through the city1 produced such an effect that neither ,tafi1 nor any other painter dared for a long time to work at night4 ,another laughable story is related of ,buffalmacco's ingenuity to rid himself of annoyance4 ,soon after he left ,tafi1 he took apartments adjoining those occupied by a man who was a penurious old simpleton1 and compelled his wife to rise long before daylight to commence work at her spinning wheel4 ,the old woman was often at her wheel1 when ,buonamico retired to bed from his revels4 ,the buzz of the instrument put all sleep out of the question2 so the painter resolved to put a stop to this annoyance4 ,having provided himself with a long tube1 and removed a brick next to the chimney1 he watched his opportunity1 and blew salt into their soup till it was spoiled4 ,he then succeeded in making them believe that it was the work of demons1 and to desist from such early rising4 ,whenever the old woman touched her wheel before daylight1 the soup was sure to be spoiled1 but when she was allowed reasonable rest1 it was fresh and savory4 ,,buffalmacco ,,and ,,the ,,nuns ,,of ,,the ,,convent ,,of ,,faenza4 ,soon after ,buffalmacco left his master1 he was employed by the nuns of ,faenza to execute a picture for their convent4 ,the subject was the slaughter of the ,innocents4 ,while the work was in progress1 those ladies some times took a peep at the picture through the screen he had raised for its protection4 ,now ,buffalmacco1 says ,vasari1 was very eccentric and peculiar in his dress1 as well as manner of living1 and as he did not always wear the head-dress and mantle usual at the time1 the nuns remarked to their intendant1 that it did not please them to see him appear thus in his doublet2 but the steward found means to pacify them1 and they remained silent on the subject for some time4 ,at length1 however1 seeing the painter always accoutred in like manner1 and fancying that he must be some apprentice1 who ought to be merely grinding colors1 they sent a messenger to ,buonamico from the abbess1 to the effect1 that they would like to see the master sometimes at the work1 and not always himself4 ,to this ,buffalmacco1 who was very pleasant in manner1 replied1 that as soon as the master came to the work he would let them know of his arrival2 for he perceived clearly how the matter stood4 ,thereupon1 he placed two stools1 one on the other1 with a water-jar on the top2 on the neck of the jar he set a cap1 which was supported by the handle2 he then arranged a long mantle carefully around the whole1 and securing a pencil within the mouth1 on that side of the jar whence the water is poured1 he departed4 ,the nuns1 returning to examine the work through the hole which they had made in the screen1 saw the supposed master in full robes1 when1 believing him to be working with all his might1 and that he would produce a very different kind of thing from any that his predecessor in the jacket could accomplish1 they went away contented1 and thought no more of the matter for some days4 ,at length1 they were desirous of seeing what fine things the master had done1 and at the end of a fortnight 7during which ,buffalmacco had never set foot within the place71 they went by night1 when they concluded that he would not be there1 to see his work4 ,but they were all confused and ashamed1 when one1 bolder than the rest1 approached near enough to discover the truth respecting this solemn master1 who for fifteen days had been so busy doing nothing4 ,they acknowledged1 nevertheless1 that they had got but what they merited--the work executed by the painter in the jacket being all that could be desired4 ,the intendant was therefore commanded to recall ,buonamico1 who returned in great glee and with many a laugh1 to his labor1 having taught these good ladies the difference between a man and a water-jug1 and shown them that they should not always judge the works of men by their vestments4 ,,buffalmacco ,,and ,,the ,,nuns' ,,wine4 ,buffalmacco executed an historical painting for the nuns1 which greatly pleased them1 every part being excellent in their estimation1 except the faces1 which they thought too pale and wan4 ,buonamico1 knowing that they kept the very best ,vernaccia 7a kind of delicious ,tuscan wine1 kept for the uses of the mass7 to be found in ,florence1 told his fair patrons1 that this defect could only be remedied by mixing the colors with good ,vernaccia1 but that when the cheeks were touched with colors thus tempered1 they would become rosy and life-like enough4 ,the good ladies1 says ,vasari1 believing all he said1 kept him supplied with the very best ,vernaccia during all the time that his labors lasted1 and he joyously swallowing this delicious nectar1 found color enough on his palette to give his faces the fresh rosiness they so much desired4 ,bottari says1 that ,buonamico1 on one occasion1 was surprised by the nuns1 while drinking the ,vernaccia1 when he instantly spirted what he had in his mouth on the picture1 whereby they were fully satisfied2 if they cut short his supply1 his pictures looked pale and lifeless1 but the ,vernaccia always restored them to warmth and beauty4 ,the nuns were so much pleased with his performances that they employed him a long time1 and he decorated their whole church with his own hand1 representing subjects from the life of ,christ1 all extremely well executed4 ,,buffalmacco1 ,,bishop ,,guido1 ,,and ,,his ,,monkey4 ,in the year #acjb1 says ,vasari1 ,buffalmacco was invited to ,assisi1 where1 in the church of ,san ,francesco1 he painted in fresco the chapel of ,santa ,caterina1 with stories taken from her life4 ,these paintings are still preserved1 and many figures in them are well worthy of praise4 ,having finished this chapel1 ,buonamico was passing through ,arezzo1 when he was detained by the ,bishop ,guido1 who had heard that he was a cheerful companion1 as well as a good painter1 and who wished him to remain for a time in that city1 to paint the chapel of the episcopal church1 where the baptistery now is4 ,buonamico began the work1 and had already completed the greater part of it1 when a very curious circumstance occurred2 and this1 according to ,franco ,sacchetti1 who relates it among his ,three ,hundred ,stories1 was as follows4 ,the bishop had a large ape1 of extraordinary cunning1 the most sportive and mischievous creature in the world4 ,this animal sometimes stood on the scaffold1 watching ,buonamico at his work1 and giving a grave attention to every action3 with his eyes constantly fixed on the painter1 he observed him mingle his colors1 handle the various flasks and tools1 beat the eggs for his paintings in distemper--all that he did1 in short2 for nothing escaped the creature's observation4 ,one ,saturday evening1 ,buffalmacco left his work2 and on the ,sunday morning1 the ape1 although fastened to a great log of wood1 which the bishop had commanded his servants to fix to his foot1 that he might not leap about at his pleasure1 contrived1 in despite of the weight1 which was considerable1 to get on the scaffold where ,buonamico was accustomed to work4 ,here he fell at once upon the vases which held the colors1 mingled them all together1 beat up whatever eggs he could find1 and1 plunging the pencils into this mixture1 he daubed over every figure1 and did not cease till he had repainted the whole work with his own hand4 ,having done that1 he mixed all the remaining colors together1 and getting down from the scaffold1 he went his way4 ,when ,monday morning came1 ,buffalmacco returned to his work2 and1 finding his figures ruined1 his vessels all heaped together1 and every thing turned topsy-turvy1 he stood amazed in sore confusion4 ,finally1 having considered the matter within himself1 he arrived at the conclusion that some ,aretine1 moved by jealousy1 or other cause1 had worked the mischief he beheld4 ,proceeding to the bishop1 he related what had happened1 and declared his suspicions1 by all which that prelate was greatly disturbed2 but1 consoling ,buonamico as best he could1 he persuaded him to return to his labors1 and repair the mischief4 ,bishop ,guido1 thinking him nevertheless likely to be right1 his opinion being a very probable one1 gave him six soldiers1 who were ordered to remain concealed on the watch1 with drawn weapons1 during the master's absence1 and were commanded to cut down any one1 who might be caught in the act1 without mercy4 ,the figures were again completed in a certain time2 and one day as the soldiers were on guard1 they heard a strange kind of rolling sound in the church1 and immediately after saw the ape clamber up to the scaffold and seize the pencils4 ,in the twinkling of an eye1 the new master had mingled his colors2 and the soldiers saw him set to work on the saints of ,buonamico4 ,they then summoned the artist1 and showing him the malefactor1 they all stood watching the animal at his operations1 being in danger of fainting with laughter1 ,buonamico more than all2 for1 though exceedingly disturbed by what had happened1 he could not help laughing till the tears ran down his cheeks4 ,at length he betook himself to the bishop1 and said3 ',my lord1 you desire to have your chapel painted in one fashion1 but your ape chooses to have it done in another4' ,then1 relating the story1 he added3 ',there was no need whatever for your lordship to send to foreign parts for a painter1 since you had the master in your house2 but perhaps he did not know exactly how to mix the colors2 however1 as he is now acquainted with the method1 he can proceed without further help2 ,i am no longer required here1 since we have discovered his talents1 and will ask no other reward for my labors1 but your permission to return to ,florence4' ,hearing all this1 the bishop1 although heartily vexed1 could not restrain his laughter2 and the rather1 as he remembered that he who was thus tricked by an ape1 was himself the most incorrigible trickster in the world4 ,however1 when they had talked and laughed over this new occurrence to their hearts' content1 the bishop persuaded ,buonamico to remain2 and the painter agreed to set himself to work for the third time1 when the chapel was happily completed4 ,but the ape1 for his punishment1 and in expiation of the crimes he had committed1 was shut up in a strong wooden cage1 and fastened on the platform where ,buonamico worked2 there he was kept till the whole was finished2 and no imagination could conceive the leaps and flings of the creature thus enclosed in his cage1 nor the contortions he made with his feet1 hands1 muzzle1 and whole body1 at the sight of others working1 while he was not permitted to do anything4 ,,buffalmacco',s ,,trick ,,on ,,the ,,bishop ,,of ,,arezzo4 ,when the works of the chapel before mentioned1 were completed1 the bishop ordered ,buonamico--either for a jest1 or for some other cause--to paint1 on one of the walls of his palace1 an eagle on the back of a lion1 which the bird had killed4 ,the crafty painter1 having promised to do all that the bishop desired1 caused a stout scaffolding and screen of wood-work to be made before the building1 saying that he could not be seen to paint such a thing4 ,thus prepared1 and shut up alone within his screen1 ,buonamico painted the direct contrary of what the bishop had required--a lion1 namely1 tearing an eagle to pieces2 and1 having painted the picture1 he requested permission from the bishop to repair to ,florence1 for the purpose of seeking certain colors needful to his work4 ,he then locked up the scaffold1 and departed to ,florence1 resolving to return no more to the bishop4 ,but the latter1 after waiting some time1 and finding that the painter did not reappear1 caused the scaffolding to be taken down1 and discovered that ,buonamico had been making a jest of him4 ,furious at this affront1 ,guido condemned the artist to banishment for life from his dominions2 which1 when ,buonamico learnt1 he sent word to the bishop that he might do his worst1 whereupon the bishop threatened him with fearful consequences4 ,yet considering afterwards that he had been tricked1 only because he had intended to put an affront upon the painter1 ,bishop ,guido forgave him1 and even rewarded him liberally for his labors4 ,nay1 ,buffalmacco was again invited to ,arezzo1 no long time after1 by the same prelate1 who always treated him as a valued servant and familiar friend1 confiding many works in the old cathedral to his care1 all of which1 unhappily1 are now destroyed4 ,buonamico also painted the apsis of the principal chapel in the church of ,san ,giustino in ,arezzo4 ,in the notes of the ,roman and other earlier editions of ,vasari1 we are told that the lion being the insignia of ,florence1 and the eagle1 that of ,arezzo1 the bishop designed to assert his own superiority over the former city1 he being lord of ,arezzo2 but later commentators affirm1 that ,guido1 being a furious ,ghibelline1 intended rather to offer an affront to the ,guelfs1 by exalting the eagle1 which was the emblem of his party1 over the lion1 that of the ,guelfs4 ,,origin ,,of ,,label ,,painting4 ,buffalmacco is generally considered the inventor of label painting1 or the use of a label drawn from the mouth to represent it speaking2 but it was practiced by ,cimabue1 and probably long before his time1 in ,italy4 ,pliny tells us that it was practiced by the early ,greek painters4 ,vasari says that ,buffalmacco was invited to ,pisa1 where he painted many pictures in the ,abbey of ,st4 ,paul1 on the banks of the ,arno1 which then belonged to the monks of ,vallambrosa4 ,he covered the entire surface of the church1 from the roof to the floor1 with histories from the ,old ,testament1 beginning with the creation of man and continuing to the building of the ,tower of ,babel4 ,in the church of ,st4 ,anastasia1 he also painted certain stories from the life of that saint1 in which1 says ,vasari1 are very many beautiful costumes and head-dresses of women1 painted with a charming grace of manner4 ,bruno de ,giovanni1 the friend and pupil of ,buonamico1 was associated with him in this work4 ,he too1 is celebrated by ,boccaccio1 as a man of joyous memory4 ,when the stories on the faade were finished1 ,bruno painted in the same church1 an altar-piece of ,st4 ,ursula1 with her company of virgins4 ,in one hand of the saint1 he placed a standard bearing the arms of ,pisa--a white cross on a field of red2 the other is extended towards a woman1 who1 climbing between two rocks1 has one foot in the sea1 and stretches out both hands towards the saint1 in the act of supplication4 ,this female form represents ,pisa4 ,she bears a golden horn upon her head1 and wears a mantle sprinkled over with circlets and eagles4 ,being hard pressed by the waves1 she earnestly implores succor of the saint4 ,while employed on this work1 ,bruno complained that his faces had not the life and expression which distinguished those of ,buonamico1 when the latter1 in his playful manner1 advised him to paint words proceeding from the mouth of the woman supplicating the saint1 and in like manner those proceeding from the saint in reply4 ,this1 said the wag1 will make your figures not only life-like1 but even eloquently expressive4 ,bruno followed this advice2 ,and this method1 says ,vasari1 as it pleased ,bruno and other dull people of that day1 so does it equally satisfy certain simpletons of our own1 who are well served by artists as commonplace as themselves4 ,it must1 in truth1 be allowed to be an extraordinary thing that a practice thus originating in jest1 and in no other way1 should have passed into general use2 insomuch that even a great part of the ,campo ,santo1 decorated by much esteemed masters1 is full of this absurdity4 ,this picture is now in the ,academy of the ,fine ,arts at ,pisa4 ,,utility ,,of ,,ancient ,,works4 ,the works of ,buffalmacco greatly pleased the good people of ,pisa1 who gave him abundant employment2 yet he and his boon companion ,bruno1 merrily squandered all they had earned1 and returned to ,florence1 as poor as when they left that city4 ,here they also found plenty of work4 ,they decorated the church of ,s4 ,maria ,novella with several productions which were much applauded1 particularly the ,martyrdom of ,st4 ,maurice and his companions1 who were decapitated for their adherence to the faith of ,christ4 ,the picture was designed by ,buonamico1 and painted by ,bruno1 who had no great power of invention or design4 ,it was painted for ,guido ,campere1 then constable of ,florence1 whose portrait was introduced as ,st4 ,maurice4--,the martyrs are led to execution by a troop of soldiers1 armed in the ancient manner1 and presenting a very fine spectacle4 ,this picture1 says ,vasari1 can scarcely be called a very fine one1 but it is nevertheless worthy of consideration as well for the design and invention of ,buffalmacco1 as for the variety of vestments1 helmets1 and other armor used in those times2 and from which ,i have myself derived great assistance in certain historical paintings1 executed for our lord1 the ,duke ,cosmo1 wherein it was necessary to represent men armed in the ancient manner1 with other accessories belonging to that period2 and his illustrious excellency1 as well as all else who have seen these works1 have been greatly pleased with them2 whence we may infer the valuable assistance to be obtained from the inventions and performances of the old master1 and the mode in which great advantages may be derived from them1 even though they may not be altogether perfect2 for it is these artists who have opened the path to us1 and led the way to all the wonders performed down to the present time1 and still being performed even in these of our days4 ,,buffalmacco ,,and ,,the ,,countryman4 ,while ,buonamico was employed at ,florence1 a countryman came and engaged him to paint a picture of ,st4 ,christopher for his parish church2 the contract was1 that the figure should be twelve braccia in length1,b and the price eight florins4 ,but when the painter proceeded to look at the church for which the picture was ordered1 he found it but nine braccia high1 and the same in length2 therefore1 as he was unable to paint the saint in an upright position he represented him reclining1 bent the legs at the knees1 and turned them up against the opposite wall4 ,when the work was completed1 the countryman declared that he had been cheated1 and refused to pay for it4 ,the matter was then referred to the authorities1 who decided that ,buffalmacco had performed his contract1 and ordered the stipulated payment to be made4 ,footnote ,b3 ,the braccio1 7arm1 cubit7 is an ,italian measure which varies in length1 not only in different parts of ,italy1 but also according to the thing measured4 ,in ,parma1 for example1 the braccio for measuring silk is #bc inches1 for woolens and cottons #be and a fraction1 while that for roads and buildings is #ba only4 ,in ,siena1 the braccio for cloth is #ad inches1 while in ,florence it is #bc1 and in ,milan it is #ci inches1 ,english measure4 ,the writer of these pages1 in his intercourse with artists1 has met with incidents as comical as that just related of ,buonamico4 ,some artists proceed to paint without having previously designed1 or even sketched out their subject on the canvass4 ,we know an artist1 who painted a fancy portrait of a child1 in a landscape1 reclining on a bank beside a stream2 but when he had executed the landscape1 and the greater part of the figure1 he found he had not room in his canvass to get the feet in2 so he turned the legs up in such a manner1 as to give the child the appearance of being in great danger of sliding into the water4 ,we greatly offended the painter by advising him to drive a couple of stakes into the bank to prevent such a catastrophe4 ,another artist1 engaged in painting a full-length portrait1 found1 when he had got his picture nearly finished1 that his canvass was at least four inches too short4 ,what shall ,i do1 said the painter to a friend1 ,i have not room for the feet4 ,cover them up with green grass1 was the reply4 ,but my background represents an interior4 ,well1 hay will do as well4 ,confound your jokes2 a barn is a fine place to be sure for fine carpets1 fine furniture1 and a fine gentleman4 ,i'll tell you what ,i'll do2 ,i'll place one foot on this stool1 and hide the other beneath this chair4 ,he did so1 but the figure looked all body and no legs1 and the sitter refused to take the portrait4 ,,buffalmacco ,,and ,,the ,,people ,,of ,,perugia4 ,the ,perugians engaged ,buonamico to decorate their market-place with a picture of the patron saint of the city4 ,having erected an enclosure of planks and matting1 that he might not be disturbed in his labors1 the painter commenced his operations4 ,ten days had scarcely elapsed before every one who passed by enquired with eager curiosity1 when the picture would be finished8 as though they thought such works could be cast in a mould4 ,buffalmacco1 wearied and disgusted at their impatient outcries1 resolved on a bit of revenge4 ,therefore1 keeping the work still enclosed1 he admitted the ,perugians to examine it1 and when they declared themselves satisfied and delighted with the performance1 and wished to remove the planks and matting1 ,buonamico requested that they would permit them to remain two days longer as he wished to retouch certain parts when the painting was fully dry4 ,this was agreed to2 and ,buonamico instantly mounting his scaffold1 removed the great gilt diadem from the head of the saint1 and replaced it with a coronet of gudgeons4 ,this accomplished1 he paid his host1 and set off to ,florence4 ,two days having past1 and the ,perugians not seeing the painter going about as they were accustomed to do1 inquired of his host what had become of him1 and learning that he had left the city1 they hastened to remove the screen that concealed the picture1 when they discovered their saint solemnly crowned with gudgeons4 ,their rage now knew no bounds1 and they instantly despatched horsemen in pursuit of ,buonamico1--but in vain--the painter having found shelter in ,florence4 ,they then set an artist of their own to remove the crown of fishes and replace the gilded diadem1 consoling themselves for the affront1 by hurling maledictions at the head of ,buonamico and every other ,florentine4 ,,buffalmacco',s ,,novel ,,method ,,of ,,enforcing ,,payment4 ,buffalmacco painted a fresco at ,calcinaia1 representing the ,virgin with the ,child in her arms4 ,but the man for whom it was executed1 only made fair promises in place of payment4 ,buonamico was not a man to be trifled with or made a tool of2 therefore1 he repaired early one morning to ,calcinaia1 and turned the child in the arms of the ,holy ,virgin into a young bear4 ,the change being soon discovered1 caused the greatest scandal1 and the poor countryman for whom it was painted1 hastened to the painter1 and implored him to remove the cub and replace the child as before1 declaring himself ready to pay all demands4 ,this ,buonamico agreed to do on being paid for the first and second painting1 which last was only in water colors1 when with a wet sponge1 he immediately restored the picture to its peristine beauty4 ,the ,editors of the ,florentine edition of ,vasari1 7#ahdf7 say that in a room of the priory of ,calcinaia1 are still to be seen the remains of a picture on the walls1 representing the ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 and other saints1 evidently a work of the #adth century2 and a tradition preserved to this day1 declares that painting to be the one alluded to by our author4 ,,stefano ,,fiorentino4 ,this old ,florentine painter was born in #acja4 ,he was the grandson and disciple of ,giotto1 whom1 according to ,vasari1 he greatly excelled in every department of art4 ,from his close imitations of nature1 he was called by his fellow citizens1 ,stefano the ,ape1 7ape of nature47 ,he was the first artist who attempted to show the naked under his draperies1 which were loose1 easy1 and delicate4 ,he established the rules of perspective1 little known at that early period1 on more scientific principles4 ,he was the first who attempted the difficult task of foreshortening4 ,he also succeeded better than any of his cotemporaries in giving expression to his heads1 and a less ,gothic turn to his figures4 ,he acquired a high reputation1 and executed many works1 in fresco and distemper1 for the churches and public edifices of ,florence1 ,rome1 and other cities1 all of which have perished1 according to ,lanzi1 except a picture of the ,virgin and ,infant ,christ in the ,campo ,santo at ,pisa4 ,he died in #acej4 ,,giottino4 ,tommaso ,stefano1 called ,,ii ,giottino1 the son and scholar of ,stefano ,fiorentino1 was born at ,florence in #acbd4 ,according to ,vasari1 he adhered so closely to the style of ,giotto1 that the good people of ,florence called him ,giottino1 and averred that the soul of his great ancestor had transmigrated and animated him4 ,there are some frescoes by him1 still preserved at ,assissi1 and a ,dead ,christ with the ,virgin and ,st4 ,john1 in the church of ,s4 ,remigio at ,florence1 which so strongly partake of the manner of ,giotto as to justify the name bestowed upon him by his fellow citizens4 ,he died in the flower of his life at ,florence in #acef4 ,,paolo ,,uccello4 ,this old painter was born at ,florence in #acdi1 and was a disciple of ,antonio ,veneziano4 ,his name was ,mazzocchi1 but being very celebrated as a painter of animals1 and especially so of birds1 of which last he formed a large collection of the most curious1 he was called ,uccello 7bird74 ,he was one of the first painters who cultivated perspective4 ,before his time buildings had not a true point of perspective1 and figures appeared sometimes as if falling or slipping off the canvass4 ,he made this branch so much his hobby1 that he neglected other essential parts of the art4 ,to improve himself he studied geometry with ,giovanni ,manetti1 a celebrated mathematician4 ,he acquired great distinction in his time and some of his works still remain in the churches and convents of ,florence4 ,in the church of ,s4 ,maria ,novella are several fresco histories from the ,old ,testament1 which he selected for the purpose of introducing a multitude of his favorite objects1 beasts and birds2 among them1 are ,adam and ,eve in ,paradise1 ,noah entering the ,ark1 the ,deluge1 c4 ,he painted battles of lions1 tigers1 serpents1 c1 with peasants flying in terror from the scene of combat4 ,he also painted landscapes with figures1 cattle and ruins1 possessing so much truth and nature1 that ,lanzi says he may be justly called the ,bassano of his age4 ,he was living in #adcf4 ,vasari places his birth in #acif-g1 and his death in #adgi1 but later writers have proved his dates to be altogether erroneous4 ,,uccello',s ,,enthusiasm4 ,paolo ,uccello employed himself perpetually and without any intermission1 says ,vasari1 in the consideration of the most difficult questions connected with art1 insomuch that he brought the method of preparing the plans and elevations of buildings1 by the study of linear perspective1 to perfection4 ,from the ground plan to the cornice1 and summit of the roof1 he reduced all to strict rules1 by the convergence of intersecting lines1 which he diminished towards the centre1 after having fixed the point of view higher or lower1 as seemed good to him2 he labored1 in short1 so earnestly in these difficult matters that he found means1 and fixed rules1 for making his figures really to seem standing on the plane whereon they were placed2 not only showing how in order manifestly to draw back or retire1 they must gradually be diminished1 but also giving the precise manner and degree required for this1 which had previously been done by chance1 or effected at the discretion of the artist1 as he best could4 ,he also discovered the method of turning the arches and cross-vaulting of ceilings1 taught how floors are to be foreshortened by the convergence of the beams2 showed how the artist must proceed to represent the columns bending round the sharp corners of a building1 so that when drawn in perspective1 they efface the angle and cause it to seem level4 ,to pore over all these matters1 ,paolo would remain alone1 almost like a hermit1 shut up in his house for weeks and months without suffering himself to be approached4 ,,uccello ,,and ,,the ,,monks ,,of ,,san ,,miniato4 ,uccello was employed to decorate one of the cloisters of the monastery of ,san ,miniato1 situated without the city of ,florence1 with subjects from the lives of the ,holy ,fathers4 ,while he was engaged on these works1 the monks gave him scarcely anything to eat but cheese1 of which the painter soon became tired1 and being shy and timid1 he resolved to go no more to work in the cloister4 ,the prior sent to enquire the cause of his absence1 but when ,paolo heard the monks asking for him1 he would never be at home1 and if he chanced to meet any of the brothers of that order in the street1 he gave them a wide berth4 ,this extraordinary conduct excited the curiosity of the monks to such a degree that one day1 two of the brothers1 more swift of foot than the rest1 gave chase to ,paolo1 and having1 cornered him1 demanded why he did not come to finish the work according to his agreement1 and wherefore he fled at the sight of one of their body4 ,faith1 replied the painter1 you have so murdered me1 that ,i not only run away from you1 but dare not stop near the house of any joiner1 or even pass by one2 and all this owing to the bad management of your abbot2 for1 what with his cheese-pies1 and cheese-soup1 he has made me swallow such a mountain of cheese1 that ,i am all turned into cheese myself1 and tremble lest the carpenters should seize me1 to make their glue of me2 of a certainty had ,i stayed any longer with you1 ,i should be no more ,paolo1 but a huge lump of cheese4 ,the monks1 bursting with laughter1 went their way1 and told the story to their abbot1 who at length prevailed on ,uccello to return to his work on condition that he would order him no more dishes made of cheese4 ,,uccello',s ,,five ,,portraits4 ,uccello was a man of very eccentric character and peculiar habits2 but he was a great lover of art1 and applauded those who excelled in any of its branches4 ,he painted the portraits of five distinguished men1 in one oblong picture1 that he might preserve their memory and features to posterity4 ,he kept it in his own house1 as a memorial of them1 as long as he lived4 ,in the time of ,vasari1 it was in the possession of ,giuliano da ,sangallo4 ,at the present day1 7,editor's ,florentine edition of ,vasari1 #ahdf7 all trace of this remarkable picture is lost4 ,the first of these portraits was that of the painter ,giotto1 as one who had given new light and life to art2 the second1 ,fillippo ,brunelleschi1 distinguished for architecture2 the third1 ,donatello1 eminent for sculpture2 the fourth1 ,uccello himself1 for perspective and animals2 and the fifth was his friend ,giovanni ,manetti1 for the mathematics4 ,,uccello',s ,,incredulity ,,of ,,st4 ,,thomas4 ,it is related1 says ,vasari1 of this master1 that being commissioned to paint a picture of ,st4 ,thomas seeking the wound in the side of ,christ1 above the door of the church dedicated to that saint1 in the ,mercato ,vecchio1 he declared that he would make known in that work1 the extent of what he had acquired and was capable of producing4 ,he accordingly bestowed upon it the utmost care and consideration1 and erected an enclosure around the place that he might not be disturbed until it should be completed4 ,one day1 his friend ,donatello met him1 and asked him1 ,what kind of work is this of thine1 that thou art shutting up so closely8 ,paolo replied1 ,thou shalt see it some day2 let that suffice thee4 ,donatello would not press him1 thinking that when the time came1 he should1 as usual1 behold a miracle of art4 ,it happened one morning1 as he was in the ,mercato ,vecchio1 buying fruit1 he saw ,paolo uncovering his picture1 and saluting him courteously1 the latter anxiously demanded what he thought of his work4 ,donatello having examined the painting very closely1 turned to the painter with a disappointed look1 and said1 ,why1 ,paolo1 thou art uncovering thy picture at the very moment when thou shouldst be shutting it up from the sight of all6 ,these words so grievously afflicted the painter1 who at once perceived that he would be more likely to incur derision from his boasted master-piece1 than the honor he had hoped for1 that he hastened home and shut himself up1 devoting himself to the study of perspective1 which1 says ,vasari1 kept him in poverty and depression till the day of his death4 ,if this story be true1 ,uccello must have painted the picture referred to in his old age4 ,,the ,,italian ,,schools ,,of ,,painting4 ,the fame and success of ,cimabue and ,giotto1 brought forth painters in abundance1 and created schools all over ,italy4 ,the church increasing in power and riches1 called on the arts of painting and sculpture1 to add to the beauty and magnificence of her sanctuaries2 riches and honors were showered on men whose genius added a new ray of grace to the ,madonna1 or conferred a diviner air on ,st4 ,peter or ,st4 ,paul2 and as much of the wealth of ,christendom found its way to ,rome1 the successors of the apostles were enabled to distribute their patronage over all the schools of ,italy4 ,lanzi reckons fourteen schools of painting in ,italy1 each of which is distinguished by some peculiar characteristics1 as follows3 #a1 the ,florentine school2 #b1 the ,sienese school2 #c1 the ,roman school2 #d1 the ,neapolitan school2 #e1 the ,venetian school2 #f1 the ,mantuan school2 #g1 the ,modenese school2 #h1 the school of ,parma2 #i1 the school of ,cremona2 #aj1 the school of ,milan2 #aa1 the school of ,bologna2 #ab1 the school of ,ferrara2 #ac1 the school of ,genoa2 #ad1 the school of ,piedmont4 ,of these1 the ,florentine1 the ,roman1 and the ,bolognese are celebrated for their epic grandeur of composition2 that of ,siena for its poetic taste2 that of ,naples for its fire2 and that of ,venice for the splendor of its coloring4 ,other writers make different divisions1 according to style or country2 thus1 ,correggio1 being by birth a ,lombard1 and the originator of a new style1 the name of the ,lombard school has been conferred by many upon the followers of his maxims1 the characteristics of which are contours drawn round and full1 the countenances warm and smiling1 the union of the colors clear and strong1 and the foreshortenings frequent1 with a particular attention to the chiaro-scuro4 ,others again1 rank the artists of ,milan1 ,mantua ,parma1 ,modena1 and ,cremona1 under the one head of the ,lombard school2 but ,lanzi justly makes the distinctions before mentioned1 because their manners are very different4 ,writers of other nations rank all these subdivisions under one head--the ,italian school4 ,lanzi again divides these schools into epochs1 as they rose from their infancy1 to their greatest perfection1 and again declined into mannerism1 or servile imitation1 or as eminent artists rose who formed an era in art4 ,thus writers speak of the schools of ,lionardo da ,vinci1 of ,michael ,angelo1 of ,raffaelle1 of ,correggio1 of ,titian1 of the ,caracci1 and of every artist who acquired a distinguished reputation1 and had many followers4 ,several great artists formed such a marked era in their schools1 that their names and those of their schools are often used synonymously by many writers2 thus1 when they speak of the ,roman school1 they mean that of ,raffaelle2 of the ,florentine1 that of ,michael ,angelo2 of ,parma or ,lombardy1 that of ,correggio2 of ,bologna1 that of the ,caracci2 but not so of the ,venetian and ,neapolitan schools1 because the ,venetian school produced several splendid colorists1 and that of ,naples as many1 distinguished by other peculiarities4 ,these distinctions should be borne in mind in order rightly to understand writers1 especially foreigners1 on ,italian art4 ,,claude ,,joseph ,,vernet4 ,claude ,joseph ,vernet1 the father of ,carl ,vernet1 and the grandfather of ,horace1 was born at ,avignon in #agad4 ,he was the son of ,antoine ,vernet1 an obscure painter1 who foretold that he would one day render his family illustrious in art1 and gave him every advantage that his limited means would permit4 ,such were the extraordinary talents he exhibited almost in his infancy1 that his father regarded him as a prodigy1 and dreaming of nothing but seeing him become the greatest historical painter of the age1 he resolved to send him to ,rome2 and having1 by great economy1 saved a few louis d'or1 he put them into ,joseph's pocket1 when he was about eighteen years of age1 and sent him off with a wagoner1 who undertook to conduct him to ,marseilles4 ,,vernet',s ,,precocity4 ,the wonderful stories told about the early exhibitions of genius in many celebrated painters are really true with respect to ,joseph ,vernet4 ,in his infancy1 he exhibited the most extraordinary passion for painting4 ,he himself has related1 that on his return from ,italy1 his mother gave him some drawings which he had executed at the age of five years1 when he was rewarded by being allowed to use the pencils he had tried to purloin4 ,before he was fifteen1 he painted frieze-panels1 fire-screens1 coach-panels1 sedan chair-panels1 and the like1 whenever he could get a commission2 he also gave proof of that facility of conceiving and executing1 which was one of the characteristics of his genius4 ,,vernet',s ,,enthusiasm4 ,it has been before stated that ,vernet's father intended him for an historical painter1 but nature formed his genius to imitate her sweetest1 as well as most terrible aspect4 ,when he was on his way to ,marseilles1 he met with so many charming prospects1 that he induced his companion to halt so often while he sketched them1 that it took them a much longer time to reach that port than it would otherwise have done4 ,when he first saw the sea from the high hill1 called ,la ,viste1 near ,marseilles1 he stood wrapt in admiration4 ,before him stretched the blue waters of the ,mediterranean as far as the eye could reach1 while three islands1 a few leagues from the shore1 seemed to have been placed there on purpose to break the uniformity of the immense expanse of waters1 and to gratify the eye2 on his right rose a sloping town of country houses1 intersected with trees1 rising above one another on successive terraces2 on his left was the little harbor of ,mastigues2 in front1 innumerable vessels rocked to and fro in the harbor of ,marseilles1 while the horizon was terminated by the picturesque tower of ,bouc1 nearly lost1 however1 in the distance4 ,this scene made a lasting impression on ,vernet4 ,nature seemed not only to invite1 but to woo him to paint marine subjects1 and from that moment his vocation was decided on4 ,thus nature frequently instructs men of genius1 and leads them on in the true path to excellence and renown4 ,like the olian harp1 which waits for a breath of air to produce a sound1 so they frequently wait or strive in vain1 till nature strikes a sympathetic chord1 that vibrates to the soul4 ,thus ,joseph ,vernet never thought of his forte till he first stood on ,la ,viste2 and after that1 he was nothing but a painter of ships and harbors1 and tranquil seas1 till the day when lashed to the mast1 he first beheld the wild sea in such rude commotion1 as threatened to engulf the noble ship and all on board at every moment4 ,then his mind was elevated to the grandeur of the scene2 and he recollected forever the minutest incident of the occasion4 ,it was on going from ,marseilles to ,rome1 says one of his biographers1 ,m4 ,pitra1 that ,joseph ,vernet1 on seeing a tempest gathering1 when they were off the ,island of ,sardinia1 was seized1 not with terror1 but with admiration2 in the midst of the general alarm1 the painter seemed really to relish the peril2 his only desire was to face the tempest1 and to be1 so to say1 mixed up with it1 in order that1 some day or other1 he might astonish and frighten others by the terrible effects he would learn to produce2 his only fear was that he might lose the sight of a spectacle so new to him4 ,he had himself lashed to the main mast1 and while he was tossed about in every direction1 saturated with seawater1 and excited by this hand-to-hand struggle with his model1 he painted the tempest1 not on his canvass1 but in his memory1 which never forgot anything4 ,he saw and remembered all--clouds1 waves1 and rock1 hues and colors1 with the motion of the boats and the rocking of the ship1 and the accidental light which intersected a slate-colored sky that served as a ground to the whiteness of the sea-foam4 ,but1 according to ,d',argenville and others1 this event occurred in #ageb1 when he was on his way to ,paris1 at the invitation of ,louis ,,xv4 ,embarking at ,leghorn in a small felucca1 he sailed to ,marseilles4 ,a violent storm happened on the voyage1 which greatly terrified some of the passengers1 but ,vernet1 undaunted1 and struck with the grandeur of the scene1 requested the sailors to lash him to the mast head1 and there he remained1 absorbed in admiration1 and endeavoring to transfer to his sketch-book1 a correct picture of the sublime scene with which he was surrounded4 ,his grandson1 ,horace ,vernet1 painted an excellent picture of this scene1 which was exhibited in the ,louvre in #ahaf1 and attracted a great deal of attention4 ,,vernet ,,at ,,rome4 ,vernet arrived at ,rome in #agcb1 and became the scholar of ,bernardino ,fergioni1 then a celebrated marine painter1 but ,lanzi says1 he was soon eclipsed by ,joseph ,vernet1 who had taken up his abode at ,rome4 ,entirely unknown in that metropolis of art1 always swarming with artists1 ,vernet lived for several years in the greatest poverty1 subsisting by the occasional sale of a drawing or picture at any price he could get4 ,he even painted panels for coach builders1 which were subsequently sawed out and sold as works of great value4 ,fiorillo relates that he painted a superb marine for a suit of coarse clothes1 which brought #ejjj francs at the sale of ,m4 de ,julienne4 ,finding large pictures less saleable1 he painted small ones1 which he sold for two sequins a-piece1 till a ,cardinal1 one day gave him four louis d'or for a marine4 ,yet his ardor and enthusiasm were unabated2 on the contrary1 he studied with the greatest assiduity1 striving to perfect himself in his art1 and feeling confident that his talents would ultimately command a just reward4 ,,vernet',s ,,alphabet ,,of ,,tones4 ,it was the custom of ,vernet to rise with the lark1 and he often walked forth before dawn and spent the whole day in wandering about the surrounding country1 to study the ever changing face of nature4 ,he watched the various hues presented by the horizon at different hours of the day4 ,he soon found that with all his powers of observation and pencil1 great and impassioned as they were1 he could not keep pace with the rapidly changing and evanescent hues of the morning and evening sky4 ,he began to despair of ever being able to represent on canvass the moving harmony of those pictures which nature required so little time to execute in such perfection1 and which so quickly passed away4 ,at length1 after long contemplating how he could best succeed in catching and transferring these furtive tints to his canvass1 bethought himself of a contrivance which he called his ,alphabet of tones1 and which is described by ,renou in his ,art de ,peindre4 ,the various characters of this alphabet are joined together1 and correspond to an equal number of different tints2 if ,vernet saw the sun rise silvery and fresh1 or set in the colors of crimson2 or if he saw a storm approaching or disappearing1 he opened his table and set down the gradations of the tones he admired1 as quickly as he could write ten or twelve letters on a piece of paper4 ,after having thus noted down in short hand1 the beauties of the sky and the accidental effects of nature1 he returned to his studio1 and endeavored to make stationary on canvass the moving picture he had just been contemplating4 ,effects which had long disappeared were thus recomposed in all their charming harmony to delight the eye of every lover of painting4 ,,vernet ,,and ,,the ,,connoisseur4 ,vernet relates1 that he was once employed to paint a landscape1 with a cave1 and ,st4 ,jerome in it2 he accordingly painted the landscape1 with ,st4 ,jerome at the entrance of the cave4 ,when he delivered the picture1 the purchaser1 who understood nothing of perspective1 said1 the landscape and the cave are well made1 but ,st4 ,jerome is not in the cave4 ,i understand you1 ,sir1 replied ,vernet1 ,i will alter it4 ,he therefore took the painting1 and made the shade darker1 so that the saint seemed to sit farther in4 ,the gentleman took the painting2 but it again appeared to him that the saint was not in the cave4 ,vernet then wiped out the figure1 and gave it to the gentleman1 who seemed perfectly satisfied4 ,whenever he saw strangers to whom he shewed the picture1 he said1 ,here you see a picture by ,vernet1 with ,st4 ,jerome in the cave4 ,but we cannot see the saint1 replied the visitors4 ,excuse me1 gentlemen1 answered the possessor1 he is there2 for ,i have seen him standing at the entrance1 and afterwards farther back2 and am therefore quite sure that he is in it4 ,,vernet',s ,,works4 ,far from confining himself within the narrow limits of one branch of his profession1 ,vernet determined to take as wide a range as possible4 ,at ,rome1 he made the acquaintance of ,lucatelli1 ,pannini1 and ,solimene4 ,like them1 he studied the splendid ruins of the architecture of ancient ,rome1 and the noble landscapes of its environs1 together with every interesting scene and object1 especially the celebrated cascades of ,tivoli4 ,he paid particular attention to the proportions and attitudes of his figures1 which were mostly those of fishermen and lazzaroni1 as well as to the picturesque appearance of their costume4 ,such love of nature and of art1 such assiduous study of nature at different hours of the day1 of the phenomena of light1 and such profound study of the numerous accessories essential to beauty and effect1 made an excellent landscape painter of ,vernet1 though his fame rests chiefly on the unrivalled excellence of his marine subjects4 ,diderot remarks1 that though he was undoubtedly inferior to ,claude ,lorraine in producing bold and luminous effects1 he was quite equal to that great painter in rendering the effects of vapor1 and superior to him in the invention of scenes1 in designing figures1 and in the variety of his incidents4 ,at a later period1 ,diderot compared his favorite painter to the ,jupiter of ,lucian1 who1 tired of listening to the lamentable cries of mankind1 rose from table and exclaimed3 ',let it hail in ,thrace6' and the trees were immediately stripped of their leaves1 the heaviest cut to pieces1 and the thatch of the houses scattered before the wind3 then he said1 ,let the plague fall on ,asia6 and the doors of the houses were immediately closed1 the streets were deserted1 and men shunned one another2 and again he exclaimed3 ',let a volcano appear here6' and the earth immediately shook1 the buildings were thrown down1 the animals were terrified1 and the inhabitants fled into the surrounding country2 and on his crying out3 ',let this place be visited with a death6' the old husbandman died of want at his door4 ,jupiter calls that governing the world1 but he was wrong4 ,vernet calls it painting pictures1 and he is right4 ,it was with reference to the twenty-five paintings exhibited by ,vernet1 in #agfe1 that ,diderot penned the foregoing lines1 which formed the peroration to an eloquent and lengthy eulogium1 such as it rarely falls to a painter to be the subject of4 ,among other things1 the great critic there says3 ,there is hardly a single one of his compositions which any painter would have taken not less than two years to execute1 however well he might have employed his time4 ,what incredible effects of light do we not behold in them6 ,what magnificent skies6 what water6 what ordonnance6 what prodigious variety in the scenes6 ,here1 we see a child borne off on the shoulders of his father1 after having been saved from a watery grave2 while there1 lies a woman dead upon the beach1 with her forlorn and widowed husband weeping at her side4 ,the sea roars1 the wind bowls1 the thunder fills the air with its peals1 and the pale and sombre glimmers of the lightning that shoots incessantly through the sky1 illuminate and hide the scene in turn4 ,it appears as if you heard the sides of the ship crack1 so natural does it look with its broken masts and lacerated sails2 the persons on deck are stretching their hands toward heaven1 while others have thrown themselves into the sea4 ,the latter are swept by the waves against the neighboring rocks1 where their blood mingles with the white foam of the raging billows4 ,some1 too1 are floating on the surface of the sea1 some are about to sink1 and some are endeavoring to reach the shore1 against which they will be inevitably dashed to pieces4 ,the same variety of character1 action1 and expression is observable among the spectators1 some of whom are turning aside with a shudder1 some are doing their utmost to assist the drowning persons1 while others remain motionless and are merely looking on4 ,a few persons have made a fire beneath a rock1 and are endeavoring to revive a woman1 who is apparently expiring4 ,but now turn your eyes1 reader1 towards another picture1 and you will there see a calm1 with all its charms4 ,the waters1 which are tranquil1 smooth1 and cheerful-looking1 insensibly lose their transparency as they extend further from the sight1 while their surface gradually assumes a lighter tint1 as they roll from the shore to the horizon4 ,the ships are motionless1 and the sailors and passengers are whiling away the time in various amusements4 ,if it is morning1 what light vapors are seen rising all around6 and how they have refreshed and vivified every object they have fallen on6 ,if it is evening1 what a golden tint do the tops of the mountains assume6 ,how various1 too1 are the hues of the sky6 ,and how gently do the clouds move along1 as they cast the reflection of their different colors into the sea6 ,go1 reader1 into the country1 lift your eyes up towards the azure vault of heaven1 observe well the phenomena you then see there1 and you will think that a large piece of the canvass lighted by the sun himself has been cut out and placed upon the easel of the artist3 or form your hand into a tube1 so that1 by looking through it1 you will only be able to see a limited space of the canvass painted by nature1 and you will at once fancy that you are gazing on one of ,vernet's pictures which has been taken from off his easel and placed in the sky4 ,his nights1 too1 are as touching as his days are fine2 while his ports are as fine as his imaginative pieces are piquant4 ,he is equally wonderful1 whether he employs his pencil to depict a subject of everyday life1 or he abandons himself completely to his imagination2 and he is equally incomprehensible1 whether he employs the orb of day or the orb of night1 natural or artificial lights1 to light his pictures with3 he is always bold1 harmonious1 and staid1 like those great poets whose judgment balances all things so well1 that they are never either exaggerated or cold4 ,his fabrics1 edifices1 costumes1 actions1 men and animals are all true4 ,when near1 he astonishes you1 and1 at a distance1 he astonishes you still more4 ,,vernet',s ,,passion ,,for ,,music ,vernet1 notwithstanding he loved to depict the sea in its most convulsed and terrible aspects1 was a perfect gentleman of the ,french school1 whose manners were most amiable and engaging4 ,what he most loved after painting was music4 ,he had formed at ,rome1 an intimate friendship with ,pergolesi1 the composer1 who afterwards became so celebrated1 and they lived almost continually together4 ,vernet placed a harpsichord in his studio for the express use of his friend1 and while the painter1 carried away by his imagination1 put the waters of the mighty main into commotion1 or suspended persons on the towering waves1 the grave composer sought1 with the tips of his fingers1 for the rudiments of his immortal melodies4 ,it was thus that the melancholy stanzas of that chef d'oeuvre of sadness and sorrow1 the ,stabat-,mater1 were composed for a little convent in which one of ,pergolesi's sisters resided4 ,it seems to one that while listening to this plaintive music1 ,vernet must have given a more mellow tint to his painting2 and it was1 perhaps1 while under its influence1 that he worked at his calms and moonlights1 or1 making a truce with the roaring billows of the sea1 painted it tranquil and smooth1 and represented on the shore nothing but motionless fishermen1 sailors seated between the carriages of two cannons1 and whiling away the time by relating their travels to one another1 or else stretched on the grass in so quiescent a state1 that the spectator himself becomes motionless while gazing on them4 ,pergolesi died in the arms of ,joseph ,vernet1 who could never after hear the name of his friend pronounced1 without being moved to tears4 ,he religiously preserved the scraps of paper1 on which he had seen the music of the ,stabat-,mater dotted down before his eyes1 and brought them with him to ,france in #ageb1 at which period he was sent for by the ,marquis de ,marigny1 after an absence of twenty years4 ,vernet's love for music procured ,grtry a hearty welcome1 when the young composer came to ,paris4 ,vernet discovered his talent1 and predicted his success4 ,some of ,grtry's features1 his delicate constitution1 and1 above all1 several of his simple and expressive airs1 reminded the painter of the immortal man to whom music owes so large a portion of its present importance2 for it was ,pergolesi who first introduced in ,italy the custom of paying such strict attention to the sense of the words and to the choice of the accompaniments4 ,,vernet',s ,,opinion ,,of ,,his ,,own ,,merits4 ,though ,vernet rose to great distinction1 he was never fully appreciated till long after his decease4 ,at the present day1 he is placed in the first rank of marine painters1 not only by his own countrymen1 but by every other nation4 ,he himself pronounced judgment on his own merits1 the justness of which1 posterity has sanctioned4 ,the sentence deserves to be preserved1 for it is great4 ,comparing himself to the great painters1 his rivals1 he says1 ,if you ask me whether ,i painted skies better than such and such an artist1 ,i should answer 'no6' or figures better than any one else1 ,i should also say 'no6' or trees and landscapes better than others1 still ,i should answer 'no6' or fogs1 water1 and vapors better than others1 my answer would ever be the same but though inferior to each of them in one branch of the art1 ,i surpass them in all the others4 ,,curious ,,letter ,,of ,,vernet4 ,the ,marquis de ,marigny1 like his sister1 ,madame de ,pompadour1 loved and protected the arts4 ,it was mainly through his influence that ,vernet was invited to ,paris in #ageb1 and commissioned to paint the sea-ports of ,france4 ,no one could have been found better fitted for the ungrateful task1 which1 though offering so few resources1 required so much knowledge4 ,thus imprisoned in official programme1 ,vernet must have felt ill at ease1 if we may judge from a letter which he wrote to the ,marquis at a subsequent period1 with respect to another order4 ,indeed1 the truth of his remarks were verified in the very series just mentioned1 which are not considered among his happiest productions4 ,the following is the main part of the letter referred to1 dated ,may #fth1 #agfe3 ,i am not accustomed to make sketches for my pictures4 ,my general practice is to compose on the canvass of the picture ,i am about to execute1 and to paint it immediately1 while my imagination is still warm with conception2 the size1 too1 of my canvas tells me at once what ,i have to do1 and makes me compose accordingly4 ,i am sure1 if ,i made a sketch beforehand1 that ,i should not only not put in it what might be in the picture1 but that ,i should also throw into it all the fire ,i possess1 and the larger picture would1 in consequence1 become cold4 ,this would also be making a sort of copy1 which it would annoy me to do4 ,thus1 sir1 after thoroughly weighing and examining everything1 ,i think it best that ,i should be left free to act as ,i like4 ,this is what ,i require from all those for whom ,i wish to do my best2 and this is also what ,i beg your friend towards whom ,i am desirous of acting conscientiously1 to let me do4 ,he can tell me what size he wishes the picture to be1 with the general subject of it1 such as calm1 tempest1 sun-rise1 sun-set1 moon-light1 landscape1 marine-piece1 etc41 but nothing more4 ,experience has taught me that1 when ,i am constrained by the least thing1 ,i always succeed worse than generally4 ,if you wish to know the usual prices of my pictures1 they are as follows3--,for every one four feet wide1 and two and a half1 or three high1 #fj1 for every one three feet wide1 and of a proportionate height1 #dh2 for every one two feet and a half wide #dj2 for every one two feet wide1 #cb2 and for every one eighteen inches wide1 #bd1 with larger or smaller ones as required2 but it is as well to mention that ,i succeed much better with the large ones4 ,,charles ,,vernet4 ,antoine ,charles ,horace ,vernet was the son of ,claude ,joseph ,vernet1 and born at ,bordeaux in #ageh4 ,he acquired distinction as a painter1 and was made a ,chevalier of the ,legion of ,honor1 and of the order of ,st ,michael4 ,he chiefly excelled in battle and parade pieces of large dimensions2 and he thus commemorated the battles of ,rivoli1 ,marengo1 ,austerlitz1 ,wagram1 the ,departure of the ,marshals1 and other events of ,french history which occurred during his artistical career4 ,more pleasing to many are his smaller pictures1 mostly referring to battles and camps4 ,he was uncommonly successful in depicting the horse1 and there are numerous equestrian portraits by him1 which are greatly admired4 ,his studies from nature1 and his hunting pieces1 for vivacity1 spirit1 and boldness of conception1 are only rivaled by those of his son ,horace4 ,many of his works have been lithographed2 the twenty-eight plates in folio1 illustrating the ,campaign of ,bonaparte in ,italy1 are esteemed among his most successful efforts4 ,he died in #ahcf4 ,,anecdote ,,of ,,charles ,,vernet4 ,a short time before his death1 ,charles ,vernet1 having some business to transact with one of the public functionaries1 called at his office and sent in his card4 ,the minister left him waiting two whole hours in the anteroom before he admitted him to his presence1 when the business was quickly dispatched4 ,meeting ,vernet at a soiree soon afterwards1 the minister apologized for his apparent neglect1 which not appearing very satisfactory to the veteran painter1 he mildly rebuked him by observing1 ,it is of no consequence1 sir1 but permit me to say that ,i think a little more respect should have been shown to the son of ,joseph and the father of ,horace ,vernet4 ,m4 ,,de ,,lasson',s ,,caricature4 ,a ,norman priest1 who lived in the middle of the seventeenth century1 named the ,abb ,malotru1 was remarkably deformed in his figure1 and ridiculous in his dress4 ,one day1 while he was performing mass1 he observed a smile of contempt on the face of ,m4 de ,lasson1 which irritated him so much that the moment the service was over1 he instituted a process against him4 ,lasson possessed the talent of caricature drawing3 he sketched a figure of the ill-made priest1 accoutred1 as he used to be1 in half a dozen black caps over one another1 nine waistcoats1 and as many pair of breeches4 ,when the court before whom he was cited urged him to produce his defense1 he suddenly exhibited his ,abb ,malotru1 and the irresistible laughter which it occasioned insured his acquittal4 ,,frank ,,hals ,,and ,,vandyke4 ,in the early part of ,frank ,hals' life1 to accommodate his countrymen1 who were sparing both of their time and money1 he painted portraits for a low price at one sitting in a single hour4 ,vandyke on his way to ,rome1 passing through the place1 sat his hour as a stranger to the rapid portrait painter4 ,hals had seen some of the works of ,vandyke1 but was unacquainted with his person4 ,when the picture was finished1 ,vandyke1 assuming a silly manner1 said it appeared to be easy work1 and that he thought he could do it4 ,hals1 thinking to have some fun1 consented to sit an hour precisely by the clock1 and not to rise or look at what he fully expected to find a laughable daub4 ,vandyke began his work2 ,hals looked like a sitter4 ,at the close1 the wag rose with all his risible muscles prepared for a hearty laugh2 but when he saw the splendid sketch1 he started1 looked1 and exclaimed1 ,you must be either ,vandyke or the ,devil6