The Express.
London, England, 1857-02-05 00:00:00

GOSSIP FROM ROME.

(riots •

ROME, ;AN. 29.

Rome is unusually full this season. The unsettled
state of Naples, sad the premiend presence of sundry
crowned beads here, are the teS•4O/11/ assigned fur the more
bitant demands of Padrene, which startlo the stranger on his
arrival, and make him think twice lmforc ho decides to mend
the winter in the Eternal City. l'rovisione of all Undo are
dear. The met of living has nearly doubled itself within the
last five years, so that those who contemplate an eeenomicd
sojourn in Italy must be content with Florence or Piss—at
least till the Roman mason is past, that is to say, until after
Easter, when apartments undergo a sudden depreciation of
fifty or sixty per cent. The spoiling process, commenced by
the English, is receiving its finielting touch at the hand'
of the Ameriesns. If Englishmen lavish their money
like Prince*, Americans lavish theirs like Emperors.
" Of all families I have ever 'crud," said a shrewd
intelligent courier, " give me an American for lie
herd expenditure, a Russian for closenees and mean.
nem," The parsimony of the Ituasian mite et
Nice is the gossip of the place, and dues not add Is
the popularity of the Court, Queen Christina, the Quo-
Mother of Spain, goes altogether on a different tad, and
makes her presence here felt to the inconvenience of melded'
and visitors, by monopolising the beet toles at the opera
and theatres, and the best seats at concert* Ristori plays
her first engagement in Rome since her great success In Paris
and London, early in next month, and fur a week past the
subscription list ha. been fall. So much for the gossip of
the day, ere we take our way to the calmer atmosphere of
the studios which congregate here in Rome thick and fast—
England, America, Franco, and Germany contributing eves
more largely than Italy to swell the rude of tartlets.
The coloured Venus in Mr.G axon's studio is still the subject
of much discussion. For the benefit of those who cannot
see it, a short description may not be amiss. No Inas
living, perhaps, is so thorough a master of form and
proportion as Mr. Gibson, and big Venus is, in these respects.
his chef-drawers. The modelling of the torso and limbs is
very fine, the form end sentiment of the back beautiful.
Greek art is to Mr. Gibson evidently the alpha and omega of
all sit The Greeks coloured their stature ; why should not
the moderns ? sad so Mr. Gibson took brush in head and
covered the beautiful, highly-wrought marble with a this
pink wash, stained the hair a delicate tow, pencilled the
head-fillet blue and gold, gilded the apple in the hand, and
made the hem of the robe to (*nerved with the band is
the hair. Thus, neither flesh nor marble, statue nor woman,
Mande the Venus, challenging all beholders to accept or
reject the innovation. Near to the Verve is a coloured copy
of his beautiful Cupid, even more eccentric than the Venus;
the flesh a delicate salmon-tint, the hair a warmer tow than
the Venus, in virtue of virility perhaps, the eyes fixed and
staring, looking over, not at, the butterfly on his breast, this
wings tinted in palest hucsof row and blue; while the pedestd
en which this masquerading god stands is of a deep tawny
yellow, a bed imitation of giallo notice. Given the advantage
of colouring marble, one cannot but feel, while looking at
the.* statute, how dhrtinct I. the art of the sculptor and the
painter; and any eye sensitive to colour must experiences ems-
nation of relief in turning to the stately group of the Queen.
L supported by Judie. and Clemency, the original of which is
' just placed in the House of Lords, and to the barect-nlievo
• Cupid and Psyche, than which nothing more chaste and pure
modern art exists.. In looking at Mr. Gibson's works, on*
feele that study and skill can no further go. They speak else
enently of a life devoted to the culture of art, and it would b•
difficult to find • more devoted disciple and follower of the
! great masters of antiquity.

A despatch from Dresden, dated Tuesday, says :
Buon Farah Rouen, the French on. oy at our court, WY
received to-day, at twelve o'clock, in role= audience, to des
liver to kb Majesty the Grand Cross of the Legion al
Honour." _ _

Lieutenant-Colonel de Kwiet, a distinguished
RUMiIIII officer of engineers, and Profesace at the School
Artillery and Fortifications at St. Petersburg, has been
charged by Ma government with a special miserion in Frame,
He is el present engaged in visiting the work at Meta.
It is stead by the Malta papers that Giuseppe
/deli, the murderer of the late Superintendent of the Porte,
has became Maine, and that he has ooneequontly beet
veneesd hue dis-Oorreeline prison to the Inealis septum- •