Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-10-10

famed, her people pastoral and refined,
and ever valley landscape Of Area
dia. | can conceive no higher plea
sure for the Imagination than TO see a
Claude in travelling through Italy,
II is finding home for ones visionary
fancies-those children Of moonshine
that one begets in a colder cline, but
scarce dare acknowledge till he has
seen them under more congenial sky.
More plainly, one does not know whe-
Their his abstract imaginations of pas.
toral life and scenery are not ridiculous
and unreal, till he has seen one OF these
landscapes, and felt STEPPED, if | may
use such word, in the very loneliness
which inspired the pencil of the paint
er. There he finds the pastures, the
groves, the fairy structures, the clear
waters, the straying groups, the whole
delicious scenery, as bright as is his
dreams, and he feels as if he should
bless the artist for the liberty TO &C.
knowledge freely TO himself the posi-
bility of so beautiful world.
We went on through the long gale
ries, going back again and again to see
the Claudes. In the third division Of
the gallery were one or two small and
bright landscapes, by BrilLs that would
have enchanted us if seen elsewhere;
and four strange pictures, by Breng-
hel, representing the four elements, by
a kind of half poetical, half supernatu-
raj landscapes, one of which had We
ry lovely view of distant village
Then there was the famous picture of
the "woman catching fleas," by Cher
ardodelle Motif, perfect piece of life.
She stands close TO a lamp, with ves-
sci Of hot water before her, and is just
closing her thumb and finger over a
flea, which she has detected on the boz
som of her dress. Some eight or ten
are boiling already in the water, and
the expression upon the girls face is
that of the most grave and unconscious
interest in her employment. Next to
this amusing picture hangs a portrait
of Queen Giovanni, of Naples, by
Leonardo da Vinci, copy of which |
had seen much priced, in the posses.
sion of the Archbishop of Torento.-
1t scarce looks like the talented and
ambitious queen she was, but it does
full justice to her passion for amorous
intrigue--a face full of the woman.
The last picture we came to, was
one not even mentioned in the cata-
logue, an old portrait Of one of the fe-
males Of the Doria family. 1t was
girl of eighteen, with a kind of face
that in life must have been extremely
fascinating. While we were looking
at it, we heard kind of gibbering
laugh from the outer apartment, and
an old man, in cardinals dress, dwarf.
ish in size, and with delofmed and use-
less legs, came shutting into the gal
lery, supported by two priests. His
features were imbecility itself, render
ed almost horrible by the contrast of
the Cardinals red cap. The cuStode
took off his hat, and bowed low, and
the old man gave us half bow and a
long laugh in passing, and disappeared
at the end of the gallery. This was
the Prince Doria, the owner of the pal
ace, and a Cardinal of Rome!--the sole
remaining representative OF one OF the
most powerful and ambitious families
of Italyi There could not be more
affecting type ofthe great ''mlstress OF
the world" herself. Her very children
have dwindled into ideots.
We crossed the Corso to the Palace
Sciarra. The collection here is small
f but choice. Half dozen small but
exquisite landscapes, by Brill and Both,
grace the second room. Here are also
three small Claudes, very beautiful
In the next room is finely colored,
, but most indecent picture of Noah IN
, toxicated, by Andrea Sacchi, and a
t portrait by Giulio Romano, of Raph-
aels celebrated Fornarna, TO whose
lovely face one becomes so accustomed
. in Italy, that it seems like that OF an
. acquaintance.
, In this last room are two of the most
& celebrated pictures in Rome. The
\ first is by Leonardo da Vinci, and re-
Q presents Vanity and Modesty, by two
!. females standing together in converse
a tion-one a handsome, gay, volatile
h looking creature, covered with orna-
r ments, and listening unwilllngly TO
J. what seems lecture from the other
;. upon her foibles. The face OF the 9TH
e er is a heavenly conception of women
d earnest, delicate, and lovely--the
n idea one forms to himself, before inter
. course with the world gives him dis.
a taste for its purity. The moral lesson
: ortbe picture is more forcible than Ian
guage. The painter deserved to have
IS died, as he did, in the arms OF an En-
]. peror. o,.a ~,
% The other picture represents two