The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-26
NO. 295.
lcoPYRIGHT SECURED.
GREENWOOD LEAVES FROM OVER THE SEA.
No. TO-
LONDON, July 80, 1852.

MY DLAh ~
The afternoon following my last writing |
TOD Stafford House and the Bridgewater
Gallery. with Lord Carlisle, who kindly prof
C,red his pleasant guidance--an illustrious
l,cerous Stafford House, the town residence
of the Duke of Sutherland, is, externally, a
landing of no remarkable aspect, though OF
lille dimensions but internally it is beautiful
and gorgeous in the extreme-decorated and
C,rnisbed with n perfection of art and refine
ment of taste which soften the glare OF splen-
dor. and eive it poetic grandeur, an ideal
Grace to the layishment of untold riches.
There is everywhere meaning IN the magn'h-
cence. purpose in the princely display, which
iustfy them. at least TO the artistic sense, and
70 the love of luxury inherent in human ma
tnro-evervwhere YOU recognise the beautiful
iuspirations of feminine genius for order, adapt
at;on and arrangement Were | du fat in
matters of architecture and upholstery, which
! surely am not, / might give you some idea
or the exquisite finishing and Punishment of
some of the rooms saw One | shall never
forget il is small. and simply beautiful pecu-
Isrlv fresh and summer-hke, from its decOra-
tons of water-liles The carpet under your
feet is lowered with this sweet wonder of aquat-
l. loneliness, this floral Venus Aphrodite this
water.nvmphs under the wayes-it hangs above
us in lamps, and through the large window
we see it shining near, in the form OF toun-
tain.
Stafford House is not so rich in painting and
statuary AS some London mansions; vet it has
many charming pictures and the walls of one
noble apartment are enriched by several glo-
rious Murillos. must confess to an absorb
ing admiration of MurillO's Virgins. They
have not the meek eyed fairness, the innocent,
IGNORANT. lamb-like saintliness of the Madonnas
Of the Italian masters; but they have rich,
dark blooded life. luscious ripeness Of beauty,
Joined to the deep fervor and high rapture of
devotion. infinitely more impressive to me.
With beings whose pulses throb with the spring
fitness of healthful and beautiful life-whose
senses are all open to the flood tide of human
nassions-wth natures formed for love and lux
nrv pleasure and power, holiness is Of some
worth. because bought with price, and the
sanity glory ten-fod more glorious for the
heroic remuneration which went before There
fore do | love the Madonnas of Murillo, for
their glowing and gorgeous womanhood-
siness born not sanity because of passion
less organization, but sanctifed by election to
the divine maternity with all the languid
fires of loving eyes turned heavenward, kndled
in holy aspirations and the signs of passion
changed to prayers. So rich and splendid is
the character Of their beauty that sometimes,
on looking at one, you might fancy her heather
Cytherea turned Christian, with all her roguish
Loves changed into smiling Cherubs-except
that they have all prOfounder depth and nobler
breadth of life than any Venus Other pic
lures may touch my heart or exalt my spirit
more but MurillO's throng my pulses with
passionate emotion-seem to draw my very
soul out of me, and set it lowering over the
mellow glow and immortal sweetness of their
beauty. now fluttering with fine delight, now
half swooning with the excess of new and
ineffable Joy But you will say rave.
There are many admirable modern paintings
at Stafford House chiefly portraits; among
which are the most celebrated pictures of the
magnificent Duchess of Sutherland, who by the
way is sister to the Earl of Carlisle. Hers is a
beauty so peerless and perfect, that Time HIM
self has reverenced it, and ever left some new
majestic grace where he stole away youthful
bloom. She IL a woman worthy to have sat
to the Spanish prince of painters, to have had
her lovelness welded IN immortality with
Murillos art. The youngest daughter of the
house, the Lady Constance is exceedingly love-
ly; but her beauty is delicate and tender-not
of the rich and regal type of her noble mother
From Stafford House we went to Bridgewater
House, which is near by, to see the splendid
collection OF pictures belonging to the Earl of
Ellesmere and known as the Bridgewater
Gallery. The first thing which met the eve
on entering the grand hall, was Foley's beau
tful marble group of lno and the infant Bac-
chus How sadly | missed you as | stood be-
fore IT. remembering how among your choicest
treasures was the fine engraving of this work.
which appeared in the London Art Journal |
could fancy how the sense of its wondrous
beauty would have struck on every nerve
would have deepened the soul i'm your ewes.
ana paled and flushed your cheek as a revea
uon OF the divine in poetry and art The glass
roof above the great hall is set with prsms so
that as the eifulgent sunlight bathed the fair
lao IN all the gorgeous primal colors, she seem.
ed like descended Iris cOuchante upon the
howery earth. | know not what is before me-
but do not believe shall see anything in an
cent sculpture more graceful than the uplifted
nght arm OF lno holding the grapes above the
eager-mouthed Bacchus
Lord Carlisle, perhaps little unwisely, led
me hrSt to the Ratfaeles. of which there are
iour-three Holy Families and one Virgin
with the infant Saviour in her arms That
moment swung wide before me the gates of
new higher world of art-but stand on the
threshold, half dazzled by the interior bright
ne's and you will not ask of me clear reveal
ing OF that which | see but dimly To Raffaele,
It seems no poetic extravaganza, no sacrilc-
Sous enthusiasm, to apply the term d,vi re
cannot conceive how one can look on his pic
,ureS long enough to get at their soul without
oeiieNlng HIM to have been often visited with
Ve'eStial inspirations; that. by close and holy
communion with Heaven, he obtained the Sc
oteIs oil creative power-and that thus visions
VI uahscendent purity, of seraphic loneliness
S"u uiVine beatltude were vouchsafed to him
peculiarly pure and peaceful is the atmo-
pne'e o' ms works, that one half believes
Of III op'ed 10y angel wings The holiness
moro p".'ures OF which ! have spoken is the
s,,Ia.l;I p''S''Ve from its contrast with the
IT, niauousness and sumptuousness of
a, %n ' I,h ana her Nymphs interrupted
~ "e odH by fctG0n Diam and CoGs,o.
- ""' IlS'"g from The Sea Titan it seems
IL "an essentially heather PAINTER. reyel-
III an tne rehnements of natural and
ry'ai oeauty ms highest raptures seldom
Sc ~ '"o'e 'he hali sensual. half poetic lows
I,.y"PuS, ana ms noblest visions taking in
~ "' nuue graces and enhancing beauties of
solleSses and nymphs His coloring is 80
"O'luro"Sly soft yet rich and radiant his fig.
"" are Of such surprising grace and yolap-
"Ol' loyellness, that should suppose the
aoung' passionate, and impossible, must, in
sa4ng on them long, feel the moral sense grow
y, geNIidered, and reel with the intoxcation Of
, ,'eI subtle sensuality. How different is it with
Wv works of Raffaele, over which the religious
I'a'er reyerent genius threw a calm and
Evenly purity. OF the Holy Families Of Raj
,b be''' IN the Elesmere collection, I ike best
t So one Known rs " La Belle Tierge,D in which
Sa; youhg st. John is paying homage to the
h SI' W The Virgin here is worthy Of the
r n,su Once to which she was called-a tenderly