Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-03-12

'HSc upon your wondering slgnC:
Ages Of glory pour their gathered light,
The life-like statute, and the breathing bust.
Theeolumn rescued from def}ling dust,
And marble forms Of heavenly mold
That flashed ON Genius glowing thoughts
..... of old,
Immortal spirits, in whose deathless song
Florence aud Athens yet their re;ghn pro.
While in their tongueless eloquence they
Relics Of Rome how hapless Athens fell.
Canova's hand here mimic life imparts
To the ride breathless stone while Gui-
dos art
Bids the rough canvas. meeting into light,
Beam in its blended coloring on our sight.
From those sweet isles that gem the
35 Egean waves, a5s9 ste
Too bright and lovely for the homes OF
slaves,
To our blest country borne-a spoil divine
Adorn our hearts, and thus enrich the
49 shrine. .,5s.a lls:.g "a,
In the "s0ct,s,,s sa,act0ruxe' Of this
temple of taste--thc front dlawing-
room on the left---the walls are decora-
ted with select few of the best paint
|ings of the best masters; and in the
four corners Of the apartment, and on
the walls, are marble busts and medall-
ions of the rarest ancient sculpture
Above the door,sin a gorgeous frame,
hangs the divinity of the place, 9 "A
Christ crowned with thorns.' We
turned from all around to devote an
exclusive attention to the celestial ex-
preston Of this face. 1t is an original
by Z" Guido" which belonged to Car.
dinal Fesch, Napoleon's uncle, and
was purchased by Mr.. Cass from
Charles Bonaparte, Prince Of Canine.
Mr.. G. has been offered $4,000 for it.
We gradually lost the sense Of time
and place in the interest which we first
contemplated this painting. We will
not stop to analize onr feelings---per.
haps we could not do so. We cannot
stand even before picture Of still life
without sensation of pleasure /; but
oh to stand witness to the glory OF
the human soul in such q conception
as this! 5a.a ~
Guido---who of all men know best
the art of lifting men quite out of earth,
and of showering on their face and
from expression which is not Of this
|world---seems to have painted this to
supply the Christians most crowning
desire after pictured image Of that
face which was more marred than that
of man-.-that form bent under the bur.
den of a worlds attonement in q bend
more glorious than the bend of the
rainbow---those arms which were in
stinct and vibrating with everlasting
love---those long curling locks which
seem to twine lovingly around the
thorns which pierced his pale majestic
brow. As we contemplated thi.
achievement Of genius, which define
ates agony unutterable, without dis6g
uring it by line of unbecoming harsh,
ness, and felt that unicn of sublimity
Tenderness, and affliction in the counte
nance, marred with suffering, we could
not but recall that memorable passage
"1 have trodden the wine press alone
if l be lifted up, will draw all mez
latter mes 1r1 ft yen All
A turn around the room, and W.
may contemplate one of the most ex
quisite pieces Of sculpture, a recum
bent figure in marble Of st. Cecilia
copied from the original, which repre-
sents her in her grave-clothes, in the
attitude in which she was found, AID
I220. MF .. d
Nothing can be more beautiful thar
the perfect abandon of this figure
the dying languor, the desolate help
lessness, the feminine grace of tn,
Igrave7olad limbs. The mysteriou,
(swcetness Of happy death is evident ii
their composure g for eternity" Sh,
looks as if but just dead, and bcfor,
the muscles became rigid, with hel
face turned down, she lies in death a
natural rs the human BODY itself woul(