Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-01-22
DISCOVERY OF MARBLE STATUES IN WINDSOR
FOREST.
FROM THE LONDON ART Journal,

1t is often the province of journalist to relate the
discovery Of statues and other valuable works that have
incident they would in all probability have been
preserved descended to But whenever such trea
exhumed, the mind naturally wanders away to
the oncefayored cities of Greece and Italy, and
to that period when they fell before barbarism. Yet,
strange it may appear and il is almost beyond belief
in Windsor Forest miles away from any habitaton for
many and many long years. have slept statues in marble
of the rarest excelence Why at what period such
works were could be cast aside, nothing is known
and how they there is question equally without
solution: yet it is The first knowledge that there
such treasures arose from Of the woodmen
ployed about the park stating his desire to have figure
that lying partly buried in the earth in Of the
covers at the time asking permission to place it
his garden walk The request granted horses and
chains went to work; it dragged forth, and in
short space of time found pedestal and coat of white
wash at the woodlands home. As rs it placed
his Royal Hghness Prince Albert, wakefu to the
interests Of art yet under the circumstances deem
ing ii could be Of any WORTH proceeded TO its loca
ty, when to his surprise he saw as he pronounced it.
work Of great beauty and value With the taste and
judgment of his royal hghness matters not permit
ted to remain here but going to the spot from whence the
statue came he sufficient TO direct that further search
be made And fewer than four other statues colos
sal group of three figures and fragments
revealed Ii may be here stated that without guide it
is almost impossible to reach the parts Of the forest where
they have been long But readers viii remember
the statue of his Majesty George ILL., at the end Of the
Long Walk On arriving there the thick wooded part
has to be penetrated, bearing slightly to the left hand
and to the distance of about mile but there is kind
Of path track in any direction miles beyond this
is the nearest house. To them in such place, and
at such tme trees growing and around them, with
hazel wood sprngng up between brought forciby to the
mind Steyenss Discovery in Central America it was the
picture in little" At this time Mr.. Thornycroft
communicated with to report upon their restoration
that DONE thought desirable have them brought
London and three Of the statues and the largest group
now in his studio With the exception Of one, which
is Greek in Parian marble, they all by the
artist Pietro Francavela or, latnised, Petrus
Francayelius. Each work is inscribed with his name
and dated.
The subject Of the great group, Venus defending
Nymph from Faun," is treated most mastery IL is
the last dated Of his works. and notwithstanding the con-
summate knowledge il displays in composition drawing,
and anatomy, yet there may be traced in IT slight lean
ing towards that aecaton of grace which so dshgures
and distinguishes the works Of his immediate followers,
by whom the study of abandoned Her simple
beauty was indeed too homely for men to contemplate
who gave themselves up to what they msnamed dealsm
but the realms Of fancy have narrower limits than they in
their ignorance supposed; and consequence, their
conceptions were of beauty which nature in her truth
dsowned, and in dreams, forgetting her pure
laws, they produced, too often see the fantastic
and artificial graces of the drawing which 50 de-
graded art Francavea superior to all this he
worthy of his great master John de Bologna and as his
of Moses and Aaron at Florence show he feared
to attempt the solemn grandeur or the dignity OF
Michael Angeles and IN one Of the ngures az mr. morn
nyorofts the most mutated probably, that of Samson
forcing the hands bound behind with cords the violent
effort to free himself gives great scope for muscular
ton and anatomical display Of which have in this
work an exceedingly fine example One Of the statues,
judging from quaint but not unusual device Of child
blowing with flowers indicated as mixing with the breath
the figure young in FORM and partly in repose it may
be presumed intended to represent tn. lEolus. The
most perfect the Apollo statute full Of youthful beau
ty he is represented kneclng with knee upon rock
the right resting upon the lyre the body leaning
slightly forward the head surmounted by wreath Of
bays is turned towards the right shoulder, in the
act Of listening the whole action Of the figure is that Of
great ease and elegance The sculptors name seems
Franchevis and Fransa Villa; he was born at Csmbray
about 1884, vhicApacs he left early in life 10 study in
Italy as already stated and became e pupil Of the sele
brste John de Bologna productions are known and
prised both in France and Italy.