of St. Stephen: this is a fine piece for defign, Caracci. character, colouring, &c. by Caracci. An exCopy of cellent copy of a famous Magdalene by Titian. Titian. Portia fwallowing live coals; another copy from from Gui- Guido. Hagar, her Child, and an Angel: this Another do. Carlo Cignani, picture is very interefting; the diftrefs of Hagar is worked up to the highest pitch; the child is in the agonies of death; the foreft wild, and the rest of the country parched and dry. The whole picture taken together is well composed; by Carlo Cignani. A beautiful fleeping Child, by Guido. Two philofophers, Democritus and Heraclitus, Efpagno- by Espagnolette: there is a life and a force in the manner of this mafter, that was he a poet, inftead of a painter, we fhould fay, his works infpire more horror than terror and pity. Two or three Vandyke pictures of children by Vandyke, as natural as poffible; and a very fine picture of a sleeping Venus and a Satyr; its only fault is being too red. lette. Palace of no Duraz zo. Luc.Gior dano. In the palace of Marcellino Durazzo are three Marcelli- capital pictures, by Luc, Giordano: the fubject of the first is Seneca in the Bath. Although this picture is highly efteemed here, yet I think that in the poffeffion of the Duke of Marlborough much fuperior to it; for in this the character of Seneca has the bafenefs of a flave, though his dif ciples poffefs all the dignity of virtue which fhould more eminently diftinguish their mafter. In the picture at Blenheim, Seneca's character is finely fuftained, and the colour, I think, is more mel low. low. The fecond reprefents Olindus and Sophronia fastened to a pile of wood; Clorinda appearing, ftops the executioner. The moment the painter has chofen is from these two lines of Taffo: Sono ambo ftretti al palo fteffo, e volto The figure of Sophronia is graceful and charming; her lover is tolerable; but Clorinda has not had justice done her: the colouring is rather too yellow, but the light thrown with great judgment. The third is Phineus overcome by the view of Medufa's head: this head and the figure of Perfeus fall very short of the excellence that might be expected, and which you have already seen upon the fame fubject in Luc. Giordano. The next capital picture is by Paul Veronefe; the fubject the anointing of our Saviour's feet in the houfe of the Pharifee. This picture is greatly admired by Connoiffeurs; nevertheless, I do not like the Magdalene, one of the principal figures, and the most efteemed; her attitude appears unnatural, the drawing is falfe, and fails in the keeping; her character that of a common streetwalker. Paul Veronefe had forgot the feven devils Paul Vewere caft out of her long before the performed this ronese. act of devotion. However, to fee this picture, fo as to do it justice, it must be contemplated in a large looking-glafs, placed fo as to fhew its merits to the greatest advantage. As to the carnation of the flesh, and the beauty of the stuffs, Paul is almost without a competitor. A fragment of a picture, representing the crucifixion. More than one half has been confumed by fire; what remains is in the greatest manner, and cannot be too much Tintoret admired: this is by Tintoretto. A very large Rubens. picture by Rubens; the subject, Juno fitting in to. Rembrandt. Andrea del Sarto. all majesty, having commanded the eyes of Argus to be placed in her peacocks tails; her first maid of honour, Mifs Iris, is picking them out of Argus's head with a bodkin, and presents them to little Cupids, who are all bufy in sticking them into the tails of the peacocks. The trunk of Argus, but just beheaded, is too well done to bear contemplation; the veins of the neck still spouting blood, is very shocking: the unfeeling characters of Juno and Iris, though well done in themselves, are disgusting, from the inhumanity of their occu pations; and, upon the whole, this picture is very disagreeable, by reason of the subject; though the drapery is admirable, the grouping fine, and the colouring perfect. A picture representing a High Prieft; it is a fine piece, by Rembrandt. A Holy Family, with St. Elizabeth and St. John: the head of the Virgin, for grace, drawing, and colouring, is admirable. St. Elizabeth is as fine an old woman as can be imagined, and the infant Jefus as perfect in every respect as the most beautiful child can be; les graces enfantine's that the French admire fo much, Andrea del Sarto has hit off in the luckieft manner. This piece is worthy Carlo rato. the admiration of the curious. A Saint Catherine reading; he is quite alive, and exceedingly handfome; by Carlo Dolci. A portrait of a woman, Dolci. finely painted, on paper, by Vandyke.-In one Vandyke. of the oratories, a beautiful Madona, by Saffo Saffo FerFerrato. Another St. Catherine; Queen of Swe- Carlo den, by Carlo Dolci. Six pictures of Caftiglione, Dolci. Caftiggreatly esteemed; that which represents a Baccha- lione. nal is the beft. There are feveral more pictures worthy of notice in this palace; but I spare you, for I feel you, wish I had done: however, if hereafter you fhould be curious about the reft, I can fhew you a pocket-book in which they are all entered: at prefent I shall add but one more, an original portrait of Anne Boleyn. This picture Anne Boleyn. (as the Conceirge told us) was presented to the mafter of the house by a young English nobleman, who fent it from England as a return for fome civilities he had received during his refidence at Genoa; but he had forgot his name. This portrait is very handsome, and dreffed in the fashion of the day, which is curious; a green hat, of an oval form, becomes her wonderfully. I am ftrongly inclined to believe it an original by the attitude, which is natural to a fault; fhe wants grace, but is full of good humour. The painter has failed in the hands; the author of this picture is not mentioned in the catalogue.-A baffo Statues. relievo, in Carara marble, reprefenting an infant Jefus Jesus asleep upon a heap of straw. Parodi. Parodi, and is tolerably well done. Carara. of Genoa. This is by There are four statues, by the fame, after the manner of Baratta di Bernini; and two others by Baratta di Carara: not void of merit.-One entire piece of sculpture; the fubject, the Rape of Proferpine; the flesh is not destitute of the appearance of flexibility, but the attitudes are extraordinary. This block of marble is so perfect, that if ftruck with the finger it founds like a bell; it is alfo of a beautiful Schiafino whitenefs. The fculptor's name, Schiafino of Genoa ; he worked after the models of the Chevalier Rufconi, his master.-But the only very valuable piece of antique fculpture, is a busto of Vitellius; it is admirable, and so natural, that one inftinctively touches the face to try if it will not yield. It has acquired by time, or by having lain in water, certain fmall punctures on the furface, no ftatuary would have ventured to have given it with the chiffel, which have an extraordinary good effect.Can you hear of more pictures? Here then are those of the palace of Pallavicini, with which I fhall conclude this letter; for happily for you, there is a law-fuit in the family of the prefent poffeffor of the paintings *The pictures are (probably) to be divided with the Princefs of Monaco; and the prefent poffeffor fears to let them be feen, left fome value fhould be put upon them, and come to the ears of the Princefs. Miconi's collection of fhells is also in this palace; but cannot be fhewn to ftrangers at present for the fame reafon. contained |