Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-03-14
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EUROPE

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EUROPE
by N. p. WILLIS.
Pdlaces--Palas.o Grimani--od stdtu-
ary---male aud female cheru6s--the bath
of Cieopdtre-7itian's pdtaee--uafn-
ished picture OF The great mdster---his
Magdalen and bust Of his daughter in
arms Of a satyr--beaufifH female heads
the churches Of Feaice---ouriat places
Of the doges---tomd Of Caaora---depat-
ture from Verona, etc:
We have passed day in visiting
palaces. There are some eight or ten
in Venice, whose galleries are still
splendid. We landed first at the stairs
OF the Palaszo Grimani, and were re-
ceived by an old family servant, who
sat leaning on his knees, and gazing
idly into the canal. Tho court and
stat rcase were ornamented with statu-
airy, that had not been moved for Gen.
turtles. In the ante-room was q frcsco
painting by scorgione, in which there
were two female cherubs, the first Of
that sex ! ever saw represented. They
were beautifully contrasted with tbs
two male cherubs, who completed the
picture, and reminded me strongly O
Greenough's group in sculpture. AZ.
ter examining several rooms, tapestried
and furnished in such a style as befitted
the palace of Venetian noble, when
Venice was in her glory, we passed on
to the gallery. The best picture in
the first room was large one by
Cigoli, the bath Of Cleopatra. The
four attendants ofthe fair Egyptian are
!. about her, and one is bathing her feet
from rich vase. Her figure is rather
a voluptuous one, and her head is
| turned, but without alarm, to Antony,
who is just putting aside the curtain
and entering the room. 1t is piece
of fine coloring rather of the Titan
School, and one ofthe few good pictures
left by the English, who have bought
up almost all the private galleries Of
| Venice.
We stopped next at the stairs Of the
noble old Barberigo Palace, in which
Titan lived and died. We mounted
the decaying staircases, imagining the
choice spirits Of the great painter s
thine, who had trodden them before us,
land (as it was for ages the dwelling OF
one of the proudest races of Venice
the beauty and rank that had swept up
and down those worn slabs Of marble
on nights of revel, in the days when
Venice was a paradise Of splendid pleas
lure. How thickly came romantic fan
cies in such place as this. We pas
sed through the hall hung with neglec-
ted pictures to an inner room, occupied
only with those of Titan. Here he
painted, and here is picture half fin
shed, as he left it when he died. His
famous lHagdaien hangs on the wall,
covered with dirt; and so indeed is ev.
cry thing in the palace. TIE negleci
is melancholy. On marble table STOOD
plaster Dust of Titan, moulded by
himseifin his old age. II is most
noble head. audit is difficult to look al
! it and believe he could have painted q
picture which hangs just against it
has opn daughter in the arms Of a satyr.
There is an engraving from it in one
of the souvenirs; but instead of the sa
tyr's head, she holds a casket in hel
/. hands, which though it does not sufh
, GENTLY account for the delight OF hel
I countenance, it is an Improvement upoI
, the original. Here too, are seyera
, slight sketches of female heads, by th'
, same master. Oh how beautiful they
are!-There is one, less than the siz'
: of life, which would rather have thai
! his Magdalen.
| have spent my last day in Venice
} in visiting churches. Their splendoul
makes the eye ache and the magma
: ton weary. You would think the sur
4 plus wealth of half the empires of thu
} world would scarce suffice 20 fill then
: as they are. | can give you no des
{ criptions. The gorgeous tombs ofth'
doges are interesting, and the piair
black monument over Marine Faliert
made me inger. Canova's tomb il
} splendid; and the simple slab under you
feet in the church of the Frari, wher'
= Titan lies with his brief epitaph, is at
fecting-.but, though shall remembe
1 all these, the simplest as well as tn
grandest, description would be weari
some to all who had not seen them
Ths evening at ssasss | starr b IN