New-York daily tribune., 1844-07-01
THE IMPERIAL GALLERY OF FLORENCE.

THE IMPERIAL GALLERY OF FLORENCE.
THE FIorentincs are justly proud of their great
Galleries devoted to the Fine Arts, and opened
to all strangers with the most unreserved oe-
rafty. Their collections of paintings surpass
even those of Rome, and every nobleman's pal
ace Qhe Pitti, in which the Grand Duke resides
being very properly at their head,) contains a
suite of rooms filed with the genuine pictures OF
the best old masters The most extensive Gal
lery is however that contained in the Ubzt',"
and dignifed with the title of Imperial and
Royal." Turning out of the Piazza del Gran
Duca, and ascending broad and lofty staircase,
YOU pass through TWO vestibues into noble
Gallery lined with paintings and sculpture; but
at your first visit you will hastily pass by every
thing else to reach the " IiribunG," the shrine Of
the Masterpieces of art. Half way down the
gallery. door on the left is inscribed with this
title. You enter it with beating heart and thrsb-
bing pulse as you would the presence chamber
or a Oueen-and it is indeed even morc-for
here "the Goddess loves in stone and fills the
air around with beauty" You stand before the
Venus de- Medici, who seems bending forward
to greet YOU with a smile, and whom you are
bound to fall down before and worship, unless
YOU have the independence not t. admire by
prescription or because so many poets and sages
have set you the example, and have still farther
the misfortune like myself to be sadly dlsap
pointed in the charms of the divinity. Beautiful
she certainly is so far as graceful Curves rounded
swells, and harmonious outlines can make her so
but every token of soul is wanting. Were I'yg-
malion's miracle repeated, and life given to her,
she must needs be an idiot with her little head,
far too small for her body. Some artists too,
moro unpreiudced than their fellows dare to
insnutate that even her mere bodily perfection is
greatly exaggerated, since she is now in thirteen
separate pieces, put together by some sklllul
resterer las Ladies are made up" by dress.
nakers,) and they hint that in the process she
has acquired some parts which belong to other
statues. A distinguished sculptor from our own
country thinks her far inferior to the Venus
Gtnitrice in another hall of the same Gallery.
This is all rank heresy, it is true, but II man
does not dare to think for himself and to avow
his opinions however anti-orthodox they may be.
he might much better travel by his own freside
with the eyes and mind of such trustworthy
voyagers as Madame Starke.
The "Tribuna is a sumptuous octagonal
cabinet, with floor of rich marble panneled walls
carved and gilt, and upolaincrusted with mother
oi.pear, with splendor worthy Of the master
pieces of statuary and painting which it en-
a. 40 &c tbaN n
of the "Wresters," with every muscle strained
In its utmost and with limbs entwined IN won
drous complication. For spirited reality ana
success over mechanical difficulties it Is unsur-
passed by even the LAGOON. On the other side
is tho puzzlng " Arrotino," man STOPPING on
one knee to sharpen knife, and at the same
time looking eagerly upwards. dozen theories
ave been started to explain the meaning of this
statue, but all are merely conjectural, and there
fore to be believed only in proportion to their
pausbiity. The one at present most In vogue
calls it the slave who is recorded as having dis
covered in such position the conspiracy of the
sons Of Brutus. Others would raise it TO the
dignity of representing Cincinnalus; and others
again would degrade it to the Scythian slave
employed to fay Marsyas, as he is scu'ptured in
precisely such an attitude on sarcophagus in
the Roman church of St. Paul without the walls.
Lord Byron is among these latter critics, but
who shall decide where so many doctors disa-
cree Two other statues-Apollo and a dancing
Fsun-complete the Quintetie, and some two
dozen choice pictures cover the walls one-iouT'h
of their number by the " divine Raphael" Most
of them will disappoint the visitor, who expects
that the beauties of great painting will strike
him vividly and suddenly, like fash OF light
ming. The only pictures which at all approach
to this effect are Rubcns' Crucif1lon at Antwerp,
Correggio's Saint Jerome at Parma, and Iilan's
Magdalcn at Venice. All the rest require fre-
ouent and deep study before tithe of their ex-
cellencies appear. We need special education
to be enabled to appreciate, or even to understand
their merits. This becomes selEevident when
we call to mind that Painting is only peculiar
mode of expressing certain ideas, and is therefore
yeritable language, which We must learn letter
BY letter before We can attain comprehension OF
its whole import. AS well might we expect
that foreigner, who had learnt just enough
English to order his dinner, should be able 10
comprehend tho delicate shades of beauty in
Paradise Lost, as hope, that when we have made
some such progress in the alphabet OF the Fine
Arts, we shall find ourselves capable Of appreca.
ting their masterpieces.
Quitting the TnJuna for the present, let ut
reente- the grand gallery. 1t occupies the upper
floor of the Palace of the USisii, and runs dowr
one side Of the street, crosses it by covered
s gallery (ike the Venetian Bridge of Sighs which
is here, in harmony with the difference In tho
Governments, changed into Bridge of Pleasure,
and runs up the other side, like the letter FL with
its cross.line transferred to its top. All this is
merely the grand corridor, (from which branch
off various other saloons like the 1'ribuna,) but
in t,elf it is great gallery. Its floor is of mar