The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-19

than that at&aiDe1 from the we'll Esown tsrtaoe &
g. Coud. ASthis westerly entrance Win - placed
The monumenta Of Lydcrates. and copies Of the two
refining IN horses. Entering By this. 90 the irme
date eft h largo portion Of The building sppro
printed to tho gigantic remains Of Egyptian art, no
stored to their freshest presence after lapse Of
Egyptian Venus rises from hsr capital Of lotus
Itsves further to the left the Greek court Of the
time Of Percles with capitals and walls elaborated
With color. On The entablsture. directly over the
embiens thas are MOI easily oompre-
hended, and the Greek names within are spelt 10
there Is authority, but With . mutual trans
and sesOss 70 which 1e are not
accustomed. This court will contain the
choicest specimens Of Greek sculpture. Passiag
90 still to the left, and keeping on the west side Of
Court Of the AIhsmbra, the exquisite decoration Of
which is now beginning TO show In c0lors. This
brings rs TO the north traneept, which the
building, end affords on the east end an entrance
from the gardens. impressvely lined on either side
with colossal sphinxes, leading thence up to two
Egg ptiaD seated c0loesi Of enormous dimensions. 4
Bey ord this Is the Assyran Court with its gigantic
ivefo footed MONSTERS and It's gorgeous and fantastic,
the aDcients Alright, such anomalies ~ blue boam
and white lions are not confined to the present de-
generate days; for even tho Assyrian rejoloed In
bis blue ball he e. however; We understand.
pslaiial superstructure Of the time, By SONS
recent discoveries. Crossing the nave to the
east side, apd returning towards the centre
trsDsept, We arrive at tho Bysantsns. Eli
The casts for The details Of these were obtained
ct lefty at an eayy period OF tho undertaking. and
were TO be seen for months lying about Ia apparent
disorder. Now that they arc duly placed. and In
merely amaze, but instruct and delight the eye
with the charm Of order a. well - with their ex.
treme variety. These courts, beautiful q they are,
have been got up with unexsmpled rapidity:
Nothing can be moro instructive to the student Of
art than the beautiful examples Of the various
grades Of decoration here assembled and con-
tIasted. 1t Is impossible even to allude to tiths
OF tAc worthy examples here displayed; bat We
cbael Angeles tombs Of the Medici, a. placed in
the Italian Court: although the seated figures Of
Lorenzo and Guilio, which complete the compo-
sitions, have not yet been placed in their due
sculpture was the grandest embodiment yet seen
Of the picturesque element in that art, and far
tianscends anything Of the same kind produced
by the French, or in his own country, since his
time. We see Bernini standing on tiptoe to reach
him, but his efforts ended but in futter and bonn
bast. What would be extravaganza in any other,
in Michae Angelo-such are the eloquence and power
Of speech Of his art-become true grandeur. The
Kipeck doorway in the Byzantine court Is illu-
minated, and the Rochester doorway, in the Gothic
court is nearly completed. The figures introduced
are proper or colored according to life It is de.
corated In trne ecclesiastic pomp, with blue, red,
pure and powerful and on the high key 90 generally
adopted in the medieval styles. II is quite neces
sary to render these conscientiously, and In their
npower, but to be truly appreciated they require
Inc toned a ana modified rays q painted gns 70 nar
of this doorway, and the Elizabethan court are
entrusted to Mr.. C0ulton.
Copies Of the Ghiberti gates, from the Baptistry
at Florence have been bronzed In imitation Of the
original. The decorative paintings after those in
the Vatican are beng well rendered. Having set
out from the westerly entrance on that side Of the
nave through the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Alham.
h sse
again at the centre transept. Crossing over this,
we come to the court which will contain the Italian
and French sculpture grouped together: beyond
turing courts, Inc shefield, the Birmingham courts,
&c. &C., under the direction Of various architects
and decorators-Pr0fess0r Scmper, the junior Barry,
John Thomas, lite, Grace, &c. These courts, how
but win also occupy portion Of that towards the
west. These courts, though by no means confined
10 their dimensions, hear proportion to the vast
and airy structure in which they are all situated.
Indeed, the extreme lghtncss and vast scale Of the
great edifce containing them, prevent any COM
palison being formed by the eye between the con-
tanning and contained, which Is Of great practical
advantage in avoiding any appearance Of want of
harmony.
besides other attractions, the court Of mu ical in
strumenta; also the chronological and natural history
department., in which will be represented the inhabi
tats, CUSTOMS and scenes Of other chimes and modes
ton of preserved birds and quadrupeds; an elephant
some tigers, leopards, and other wild quadrupeds
are being grouped In various appropriate attitudes,
amid as much as possible the associations Of their
ethnology and natural history afford great scope
for amplication and amusement, and yet are full Of
difficulty. The interest attached % various modes
Of wild life Is undying In US, and only increases In
proportion t. t5s Sonsrss: lat afforded ~ our own I'D
preservation Of the stuffed animals and Of the dress
of the human race without consideration Of the
other points, presents question not easy to be met
The subject will probably meet with its most ade-
quate resolution In the hands of the efficient direc-
tors Of this most interesting department.
Crossing over the nave towards the west, we ar
rive ct the large unoccupied space-indeed, BY far
the major portion Of the space TO the south OF the
the exquisite Pompeisn house, also some manufac-
turing courts in progress of erection and the Ger
man and English courts Of sculpture. These last
are grouped together with some propriety, II such
unions desirable, as the characters Of the two
nations in this art in other matters in some points
assimilate. Thus the Italian and French sculpture
is grouped together the south east corner Of the
main transert, and the English and German on
in both these collections but we are sorry to see
nevertheless, that English art Is inadenuately
represented. The opinions Of our own sculptors
as to the contribution of their works, seem to be
very various In some cases we see several statues
all from one studio and other names wholly want
ing without whose contributions no collection OF
British sculpture can be at all complete. We re-
gres this much, as not only the object bu. the re-
salt Of this unparalleled gathering Of the sculpture
Of al time and cimes together will be- sincerely
believe, to foster the interests and appreciation offs
department Of art which has hitherto been much
offered to British sculptors were identical with those
under which the works Of the living artists OF other
countries have been obtained, and although some
c. ministers may 60 abroad from this country In
cor sequence of the universal character Of the coec
tion VIC believe II will have the effect Of producing
still greater encouragement for our native artists.
Sculpture requires in some degree popularising.
Thus although there special courts set apart 10
the various countries and times, In which the choc