The Press. — London, England, 1854-05-06 00:00:00

MAY 6, 1854. ittraturt. Treasures of Art in Great Britain. By Dr. Waagen. 3 vols. London : Murray. DR. WAAGEN does not pretend in these volumes to completely enumerate our art collections. Many galleries were unvisited by and perhaps unknown to him. Yet some idea may be formed of his industry and of our treasures by a mere glance at his useful index, detailing the works he inspected and has described. He considers generally that our collections are weakest in Italian masters : he doubts whether we have any considerable specimens of the Flo rentine school, though it is worthily repre seated in our National Gallery by the great work of Sebastian del Piombo, the " Raising of La zarus," and by the fine picture of " Christ and the Doctors," reputed to be by Leonardo da Vinci. In the " Lazarus " the genius of Michael Angelo is unquestionably evident: the cartoon for the picture was probably designed by him, though, for reasons which Dr. Waagen alleges, it is unlikely he took any part in the actual painting. Sebastian had studied in the great school of colour, Venice, and it occurred to the Florentine that, with his drawing and the Venetian's execution, the works of Raffaelle might be surpassed. In the paintings for the Cathedral of Narbonne, Raffaelle and Sebastian both put forth their whole genuis. The works produced are still unrivalled, though, with all Michael Angelo's assistance, the " Lazarus " cannot afford competition with its rival. It is said that for this work Mr. Beckford, in his day of pride, offered Mr. Angerstein 15,0001., the largest sum at that time ever named for a single picture. It is seen to little advantage in our gallery. Another noble specimen of Se bastian's highest style is in the collection of Mr. Baring. The reputed Da Vinci is asserted by Dr. Waagen to be really the work of the Milanese Bernardino Luini. The flesh tints, he urges, are too warm, the local colours in the draperies too full, the expression too soft, and the draw ing too weak for Da Vinci. Though the features of Christ are attractive from their ex pression of tender melancholy, yet they have not the deep seriousness and intense meaning which Da Vinci gave to his countenances. Judgments thus formed are often erroneous, — as every connoisseur well knows,—yet on the whole we are inclined to think that in this instance the doctor is right. On the other hand, a picture at Wootton-hall ascribed to Luini is by the doctor referred to Da Vinci. Some half-dozen other works bearing Da Vinci's name are noticed in different collec tions ; but " La Vierge aux rochers," at Lord Suffolk's seat, Charlton Park, is classed as about our best specimen. The heads alone, however, show his masterly modelling and noble expression ; the other parts are by an inferior hand. We may console ourselves for the absence of any undoubted and capital work by Da Vinci if it be true, as here stated, that in all Europe we might seek in vain for a large picture entirely finished by his hand. Another Florentine master, Andrea del Sarto, is not well represented in our gallery, but there are noble pictures by him in some of our private collections. Twenty-eight of his works are noticed here, one of the finest being " The Carita," in Mr. Ashburnham's gallery. An admirable portrait of himself is to be seen at Earl Cowper's seat, Panshanger. In the Roman school we sigh for a master piece by Raffaelle; but the cartoons at Hamp ton Court so grandly exhibit the qualities for which he was most famous—invention, com position, drawing, expression—that we m ay well be satisfied with the bright reflection which they afford of his genius. Including them, there are noticed twenty-eight works by Raffaelle. A delicate and charming cab inet picture by him of "Virgin and Child " is in the possession of Lady Garvagh. Of Giulio Romano there are noticed but fourteen works, and scarcely one of a high class. In the Lombard school we fare better. In the National Gallery we possess unquestionably some of Correggio's finest works. The worth of the " Ecce Homo " is not to be measured in money: as a specimen of the great master 's THE PRESS. powers it has no superior. The picture being well known, we are tempted to extract Dr. Waagen's remarks on it : The noble features of the countenance of Christ ex press the utmost pain, without being in the least dis figured by it. Correggio alone could so paint this dark, tearful expression of the eyes. How striking is the hold ing out of the fettered hands, which are of the finest form ! as if to say, " Behold, these are bound for you The Virgin Mary, who, in order to see her Son, has held by the balustrade which separates him from her, is so overcome by excessive grief at the sight that she sinks fainting. Her lips still seem to tremble with weeping, but the cor ners of the mouth are already fixed; it is involuntarily open: the arched eyelids are on the point of covering the closing eyes ; the hands with which she has held fast let go the balustrade. She is supported by Mary Magdalen, whose countenance expresses the tenderest compassion. In the foreground to the left, the fine profile of a soldier indicates a feeling of pity. On the right, Pilate looking out of a window in the middle distance, and pointing to the Christ, is necessarily of least importance in the scene. In all other respects, too, this picture is one of Correggio's best ; all the forms are far more severe and noble than usual ; the execution admirable. The whole is painted with a full brush, and the colouring is of extraordinary power and depth. The effect of the pale countenance of the Virgin is enhanced by the contrast of the dark blue cloak which is drawn over her head ' like a veil. If it be one of the highest objects of art so to purify and elevate, by the beauty of the representation, the most painful suffering, that the sight of it produces only a soothing and conso• latory effect, Correggio has here attained that object in an astonishing degree. • * a * • lilengs attributed this picture to the earlier time of Correggio, and I am further inclined to agree with Pungileoni, who fixes the date at 1520. Correggio, it is true, was then only twenty six years old, but, nevertheless, in the zenith of his art. The other ' s Correggios in the gallery are ad mirable, and /there are several of his good pictures in our private collections. Of the Carucci our specimens are numerous—forty eight by Annibale, twenty-four by Lodovico, and half a dozen by Agostino. Of Guido Reni fifty-eight works are enumerated, and of Do menichino forty-six. Thirty-two works by Giorgione, eighty-seven by Titian, forty by Paul Veronese, and fifty three by Tintoretto, show that we are not wanting in specimens of the Venetian school ; but unfortunately not many of these works are readily accessible to the public. Landscapes have always been a favoured department of art in England. No country, we suppose, is richer in the works of Claude. We possess upwards of one hundred of his pictures, and many of them of the choicest character. His " Liber Veritatis " at Devon shire-house is a treasure which the author had the privilege of inspecting, and of which he speaks with becoming gusto. With him Gaspar Poussin and Salvator Rosa constitute a glorious triumvirate. Of the first Dr. Waagen notices eighty-eight works, and of the second sixty-four. Of Spanish masters we can boast some ad mirable works, though scarcely of the highest kind. Velasquez can be worthily studied in Spain alone, his chief pictures being the pro perty of the Spanish Crown ; but forty-six of his works are noticed here, and of Murillo's • . . eighty-eight, several of them of a choice cha racter. It is, however, in pictures of the Fleming and Dutch schools that we are by far the richest. We have 148 pictures by the magnificent Rubens, and those but a small part of the number he sent from his easel. We have heard, and can well believe, that in the Louvre, before the spoils taken from so many nations were restored, the works of this great painter, by their number and splendour, overpowered all others. What prodigality of genius is dis played by his invention, and what wealth of resource by his unrivalled facility ! We are richer still in the productions of his contem porary Vandyck, Dr. Waagen enumerating no less than 230 of his pieces. Our cabinet pic tures of these schools would, if collected, be the best in the world. By Rembrandt we have one hundred pictures, though not one superior to the masterpiece in the National Gallery, " The Woman taken in Adultery." Of genre pieces by Terburg, Gerard Dow, Nicholas Maas, David Teniers, Jan Steen, and De Hooge ; of landscapes by Cuyp, Van der Neer, and, before all others, by Jacob Ruysdaol and Hobbema ; of cattle-pieces by Paul Pot ter, Van Ostade (Adrian), and Wouvermans; of marine pictures by Van de Velde ;—our col lections aro rich in specimens of the very highest class. The Pcel gallery alone is a noble one. It seemed probable, from the late 423 Sir Robert's well-known desire to promote a public taste for art, that he might have be queathed some of his masterpieces to the National Gallery, as so many genuine lovers of art have done ; but the instinct of family, it is to be supposed, was too strong for his public spirit. Sad to say, we have to lament even now the dispersion of those treasures which Charles I. collected with so much diligence and taste. He may be regarded as the founder of art in England, and in this one respect—perhaps as the result of his early travel—was greatly in advance of the English mind. Such pictures as the " Ecce Homo " of Titian, and " The Holy Family" of Raffaolle, which Philip IV. hailed as his " pearl" when he received it at Madrid, are little likely ever to reach England again. The Crowns of Europe rejoiced in that fanaticism of our Parliament which be lieved it was enriching the country by the sale of those priceless works; and too often is the modern traveller, when surveying some chef d'oeuvre of continental galleries, pained to re member how much they have gained by our folly. In turn, however, we have profited by revolutionary troubles. The purchase of the Orleans collection was but the prelude to that general importation from the Continent which has so greatly enriched us. Industry and order reaped their reward in the progress of those sciences which improve, and those arts which grace, national life. The coarser kinds of social occupation may be little injured by civil tumult, but, for the time, art perishes in the convulsion. In criticising many of our masterpieces the author notices how much they have been in jured by injudicious cleaning. The " Ecce Homo " of Correggio " has suffered not a little " by painting and repairs ;" and of the "Christ and the Doctors" it is said : According to the fashion of many Italian restorers, the flesh parts have been stippled over with glazing colours, and thus unmeaning smoothness and inanity have been produced, which indeed deceive the multitude, but excite the most painful feelings, and the most lively indignation in the true friend of art, who seeks in vain the original touches of the brush. Dr. Waagen cautiously avoids all allusion to the recent scrubbings which have excited so much discussion, yet it is impossible that ho could have approved of such a flaying as the fine Cuyp—to take but one instance—has undergone. As ho says, it is the touches of the brush which are truly precious to the amateur. Let us see the master's hand in his work, and not be cheated with a mere resem blance of the original, from which every trace of free and masterly execution has been rubbed away. The pretence for this scouring is of course to give the work a showier look, and make it more acceptable to holiday-gazers. It is questionable whether any gallery can ever be made at once agreeable to the multitude, and satisfactory to artists and amateurs. The kind of' works required for the two classes are essentially distinct ; and perhaps, as our col lections become more extensive, an artists' gallery kept free from " cleanings " and " restorations " might advantageously be formed quite distinct from that which is in tended to Ideas° the public at large. In our National liallery there are many works which, though prized by the student, had much better be kept from tho general eye, us they can but disgust it. The portions of this book which will be read with most pleasure are the impartial notices of our modern artists. Dr. Waagen thinks we are advancing. Since 1.895 he can mark a decided progress in the school of English painting, and he surely. predicts " a brilliant " future to English art." This is encouraging ; yet to our eye recent losses have formed a gap, even in our annual exhibitions, which at pro sent does not seem likely to be filled up. The critique on the Marlborough-house collection principally concerns masters now numbered with the past. Landseer is with us, and, though no longer young, still vigorous ; but we do not yet discern the promise of a rising Wilkie or Turner. The latter master is cha racterised by our author at some length. Wo like the appreciative better than the dispa raging portion of his remarks, and confine our extract to them:— In point of fact, no hmdscape•painter has yet appeare with such versatility of talent. His historical landscape