New-York daily tribune., 1844-07-01

recognize new ones. You are less often disap-
pointed in your expectations Of their appearance
tlsn IN the parallel case of the portraits Of authors
for here you find necessarily the style which you
already know; and even if painters character
be not better shown in his works than an authors
the artist, in representing his own countenance
will al least assimiiate its expression 10 the feel
ing which he wishes TO convey in his great pic
lures. Raphael's portrait harmnnses perfectly
with our preconceved opinion of him, and pos
sesses spiritual beauty pervaded by ,ouchng
melancholy. which seems to foreshadow his un-
timely death in the meridian Of life. Titan
looks venerably noble, and you are surprised by
gray hairs on one who so reveled in gay and
luxurious subjects. Saluator Rosa with fierce
black mousrache and dlsorcercd hair, is as wild
and bandlt-lke as his savage landscapes. The
poetic Guido appears, however, like Flemish
Burgomaster. Velasques might well pass for
Spanish Grandec. Rembrandt, true TO his GUS
tom has made his face a spot of light in the dark
canvass. The pious Pcrugino bears key with
the motto, so appropriate to him, of Fear Cod
Carlo Dolce looks sad and depressed, in spite Of
his family, beautiful and COED He holds his
painted profile in his hand, but another artist,
Caralleri, gives no less than three views of him.
SELF you see the back of his head as he sits paint
ing his front face on the easel, while side view
is reflected from glass. Madame lie Brun is
of course pretty, as lady's portrait cannot fail
to be when she paints it herself.
A spacious hall contains the deeply tragic
statues of Niobe and her children. All are fall
ing in death beneath the darts of the offended
gods. Some are already struck to the earth ;
one is stretched out in painfully real semblance
of death; others seem vainly struggling against
their irresistible slayers, and Nobe herself is draw
ing to her the youngest Of her fourteen children
and looking up in her maternal agony in the very
attitude which Ovid must have had in his mind
when he wrote
The last remained. whom then the Mother stEove
With all her body. all her robes. 10 hide:
Oh all ask the leust, and only one. "
More than two thousand pictures are contained
in this Gallery, beside statues antique vases,
bronzes, inscriptions, medals, gems, drawings
and engravings almost without number and all
this magnificent Collection was offered to Great
Britain for 100000 at the time that the French
invasion was fearcd-with too much reason, as
it al,crward proved. The Prime Minister, Pitt,
let slip the golden opportunity for England, and
the Gallery remains in this more genial atmos,
phere, though England has since paid yet
larger sum (fl03,5OO) for only fifty.one paint
ings which are now deposited in her very in
complete National Gallery. In these peaceful
times no conceivable amount of money could
purchase the Florentine Gallery but lis treasures
are most generously opened by the Grand Duke
for the enjoyment of all strangers without
money and without price" You walk into the
noble halls and study by the hour the glories Of
art as if they were your own-and so they are in
reality, for you have all the pleasure and the
Grand Duke has the trouble Of taking care OF
hem.
When shall our own city posscss-not such a
gallerv-that is impossbe-but any at all 1t
is needless, at this late day, and after the argu-
ments so ably urged by your persevering cores
pondent in the "New- Yorker" to dwell upon
the tendency of the Fine Arts to elevate the
thoughts, improve the taste and therefore human
izc the mind. No one disputes these advanta-
pes. but all neglect to secure them. The Tories
Of Great Britain have gone far beyond us Re-
pubcans, for their National Gallery free to all,
and more than five hundred thousand visitors are
annually admitted at total cost Of fl,OOO or a
nalrpcnny each-one cent each for all the pleasure
and instruction of half million Of the people !
It is time for US to wake up from our lethargy
and from some illusions in the American papers,
infer that some steps in the matter have at last
been taken, to which every good citizen will
give all the aid in his power. Let the Corpora
ton, in behalf of the people generally, provide a
permanent building, well secured from fire (and
that is now possible even in New-YoIk with the
aid of the Croton;) let those individuals who
have the taste and the means procure nucleus
by subscription instead of doubtful, inferior
and costly originals, let good American Artists
be employed to make copies of the masterpieces
abroad with which every one is familiar BY name
| as the funds increase add the works Of our Anne
rican sculptors, Crawford, Powers, Greenough
| and the rest, whom we are proud to claim as our
countrymen; gifts and legacies will soon swell
the collection, and New-York would then have
the honor and the benefits of great Public Gal
| cry of the Fine Arts. w. NJ. u.
TRIBUNE JOB PRINTING OFFICE,
No $50 NASSAU-STREET.