The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-08-25 00:00:00

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rIOIVABLE PARTIES.

I gives a graarl eisarvtainiorut to a leer
,sisbed personages os Friday seat, at Chao:
Lady Graaville entertained the Duke of Devoe.
!Seeped', sad a select party at dines% yesterdsy,
hi:ose is flustee.street, Berkeley-opoure.
The Coasters of itsrringto• medalled s petrol Arobiss.
ots Mooney ~slimy, at her horse is the Stable.r.a,
linirs's, mean whoa were—The Doke sad Daslons of
liiiniter, the End aad Countess of Hardwieke. Lek Barr '-
parr, Sur Joh* and Lady Mures, Lady Elisabeth Steward,
Colonises Augusta de Bakarr ; Madams la Cosaiessdo Bal.
men. the Kn. Mr. sad Mrs./. Asada. the Booourable and
Rev. Mr Fitzroy Stanhope, Hon. Mn. Lon Welltelly, Mr.
Foam, Sr. _

TIE REMAINS OP ANCIENT ART
IN THE PAINTED mutant.

littlest the repairs of the grand gate at the en-
trincolut Weeboinster-hall have commenced. ad-
vantage has been taken of the opportunity afforded
by the peoragatioss of Parliament to inspect, repair,
and renew the interior of many of the ancient
baildings of the old Palace and Chapel of West•
wieder. The roof and walls of the House of Com-
atose are undergoing repairs of no moment, but the
Witted Chamber adjoining the old House of Lords
has been under the hands of 'workmen for upwards
of three weeks ; and the pulling down of the old
ceiling from the roof, the plaster from the walls, soil
the brick blinds (or rather walls), which stopped up
the old window casements and the chief fire-place.
has disclosed within the laid few days some inte-
resting specimens of the Arts in our early history.
They are of course more interesting to the antiquary
than to the artist, for in our early ages, painting
having been rendered entirely subsidiary to archi-
tecture, both for design and effect, lost many oppor-
tunities of asserting its own power, and was com-
pelled to take a subordinate and mechanical place
in the estimation of the times, until the revival of
the Arts in Italy. and the incomparable end unrip
walled talents of the Italian painters fixed the at-
tention of Europe upon the great capabilities of
their art, and enabled them to carry it to that 'ter-
faction which it has so lung acquired in the general
estimation of mankind.
The walls of the Painted Chamber have been
entirely laid bare, and the edifice unroofed.
when, as in the enlargement of the Hotter of
Commons at the time of the Union with Ire-
land. the ancient and original ornaments of the
place wl►en appropriated to religious worship,
were disclosed to view, some parts in full
preservation. but the greater part mistilated less by
the hand of time than by the cureless manner in
which the walls have been from lime to tune ham-
mered at for the convenience of emergencies. The
Painted Chamber was fitted up for the accontMo-
dation of the House of Commons at the time of the
Uilioti with Ireland until the present House was
enlarged for the Menibers, and we believe the sur-
face of the walls then received some injury. They
are now, as we have said, entirely laid bare. three
out of six of the old windows opened, and the ceil-
ing unroofed. The remains of Art brought to view
by these alterations are as interesting as those which
were disclosed at the time of the Union, and are
of great value to the antiquarian in art.
St. Stephen's Chapel load originally, both under
(where the Speaker's room, we believe, is) and ad-
joining it, several other tributary Chapels under its
jurisdiction, which, ultimately, after an appeal to
the Pope, according to old authorities, fell under
the control of Westminster Abbey. as well as the
other Chapels in the parish of St. Margaret, there
can be no doubt that the Painted Chamber was
one of these Chapels, for the chief or►saments now
disclosed are clerical, with those grotesque appen-
dages and ornamental borders to subdivisions and
compartments which are to be found in the old
Gothic paintings and architecture. The principal
figures are full-length, with the mitre and crosier, and
the old sacerdotal habit. There are several inscrip-
tions which we have no doubt, with care, may be ren-
dered legible ; many of them. as well as the designs
of the figures, we lamest to say, are defaced front
want of core in the different alterations which the
building has endured since its original state. The
architecture is not precisely uniform ; some of it
seems to be of the character of the time of Edward
the First, though the enlargement of the principal
windows, and the ornamental paintings, evidently
denote the improvement of a later period, and that
florid style of ornament which marked the taste of
Edward the Second's reign. The roof has evidently
undergone many alterations ; the ceiling, before it
was pulled down a few days ago, presented a flat
surface of oak boards, un many divisions of which
were placed medallions of coals of arms and other
heraldic symbols; these were white-washed over. cud
in some places plastered, a►►d the iute►►tion of the
architect, to whom the repairs are intrusted, was to
take down these medallions, have them recast, as in
the exterior improvements of Henry the Seventh's
Chapel, and the new ceiling made to correspond;
but, on removing them. a considerable number of
painted busts were found on the oak boards of the
ceiling, above the roof where the medallions were
placed. They have been carefully taken down and
deposited in the old House of Lords; there are al-
ready about 36 or 40 of those heads, about a foot
and a half square each, so removed, many of them
in high preservation. They are the heads of Apos-
tles. Saints, and Martyrs, and were manifestly the
original decorations of a place of worship in the
early ages. The colours of some are remarkably
bright—the red. brown, and other colours, formed.
no doubt, of ►nineral substance. and which partake
of sulphate of iron, are in many of the heads
as perfect as they were when first painted,
the forms a►►d design are also in some pleasing,
though in others cold and undefined, and the curve
and alluding of the wings attached to some of them
show great proficiency in art ; the expression in all
is mild and devotional, and exactly suited to in-
spire the ideas which the building was originally
calculated to excite. Within the arch of one of the
windows the heads of two angels are in fine pre-
servation; they are surrounded by gulden rays, and
they appear to hold golden crowns over figures
which► are considerably defaced. The great defect
of the figures appears to be their want of true per-
spective—they hvVv, the bright colours. and the
marking of feativreslliat we find in Chinese works,
with► certainly more ~r 6 lie expression. and * sense
of breadth and richness of effect, but an almo►t
equal ignorance of the true rules of perspective ;
they are therefore without that roundne►s and cha-
racier which we find in modern paintings. The
paintings on the walls are in fresco, and must en-
tirely moulder away if the greatest care is not taken
in the proves' of the work. The heads on the
ceiling are painted on thin oak slip*, dovetailed.
as it were. together, and fitted after the ancient
style. before toe improvement of jointing was
practised in this country in carpenter work.—
We base no doubt that great care will be taken
to preserve these remains of art. The Society of
Aniiquariatis published engraving', of the curious
paintings discovered in the repairs of the House of
Commons, after the Union; said Mr. J. T. Smith,
engraver. published some excellent itod detailed
specimens of then', in his Antiquities of Westinin-

tter. We repeat, that we hare no doubt peeper
rtepa will be taken by those who are best coaspetent
for the purpose, to render the musing n( Art now
disclosed in the Painted Chruiber, useful to the
Autiquary and the Artist.

?Mae Este
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