The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-21 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

We were yesterday favoured with the sight of a painting
supposed—and not without good reason—to be the work
Leonardo Da Vinci, which may be seen at the house of the
proprietor, Mr. Chisholm, of Abcburch Yard. The
painting is a Scriptural one, and is entitled, " Preparations
for the Entombment." It consists of a group, three-fourths
the size of life, of some five or six figures, who are crowd-
ing round the corpse of our Saviour, who has apparently
been but just taken down from the cross. The grouping
of these figures is managed with consummate skill. Among
the most prominent is Joseph of Arimathea, whose coun-
tenance is truly characteristic, expressing all that mingled
dignity and benevolence for which he is so honourably dis-
tinguished in the Scriptural records. .A turban is tightly
and gracefully folded round his head—so gracefully indeed,
as at once to rivet the spectator's attention. Just below
him, and gazing with all a mother's anguish, on the dead
body of her son, is the Virgin Mary. This is by
far the most expressive figure in the groupe, and proves
that Leonardo da Vinci was deep read in the human heart.
There is no mistaking the expression that speaks in the
subdued eye, and quivers on the restless lip of the child-
less parent. You see at a glance that she has lost all that
earth contained, most dear to her. Her son is dead. " No-
thing can touch her farther." The dead body of our Sa-
viour is drawn with anatomical accuracy. The flesh tints,
though in general somewhat harsh—a fault of no. uncom-
mon occurrence in the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci—are,
generally speaking, full of truth of effect. But the ghastly,
anguished countenance is the crowning glory of the
picture. Death has evidently been occasioned by acute,
protracted torture. The ineffable langour of expression—
the relaxed muscles—the weight of the eye-lids, which have
just half-closed over eyes from which the light of life and
divinity has for a time departed—and the peculiarly sodden
hue of the brow—all bear unerring testimony to the agony
of the crucifixion. The chest bones are perhaps a little
too much protruded, and the figure generally wears too
much of a skeleton character ; but this, if a defect, is a
very venial one, when it is borne in mind that extreme
emaciation is, in warm climates, the almost inevi-
table result of death, occasioned by lingering tor-
ments. On the whole, the picture is an imposing
one, showing in every part of it marks of that
profound and patient study—that determination to leave
nothing undone which can heighten, without exaggerating,
effect, which are so perceptible in the works of many of
the old masters. As a striking proof of this, we may
instance the likeness which the thoughtful care of Leonardo
has induced him to institute between the Virgin Mary and
her son. We understand that not less than two thousand
pounds have been offered and declined for this noble
painting. The sum is unquestionably a large one, but
when we remember the prices that far inferior works of
art have fetched, it is by no means extravagant. The
history of the painting remains in obscurity. It has been
traced, however, to an officer in Napoleon's army, and the
stuff with which it was smeared over, while occupying the
situation of chimney-board in a garret, is conjectured to
be the same as that used by the artillery for greasing the
wheels of the carriages. We conclude therefore that it
was the spoil of war, and the composition used for the
double purpose of preserving and concealing the painting.