Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-12-20
Venice Through an Artistic Eye-The City
IL. L. .n..-..--.I.aL

of the Sea Graphically Described.
G. p. Cranch, both painter and writer, in
pleasant letter to the New York Crdyon,
dated Venice, says;
1t is needless to say what a feast have
had on the great pictures of Titan, Tinto-
retto Paul VeTonese, and some of the other
great Venitian masters. In the Academia,
Titian's Assumption" and the presentation
in the Temple" more than equal ones an
ticipation. The same may be said of his
"Peter Martyr" in the sacristy of the Church
of the Frari. At the Dogefs Palace was
enchanted with the "Paul veronese." Such
voluptous grace, yet such refined elegance
in his female fgures such clear, open day
light color yet such grandeur and breadth.
Unfortunately, some Of the best of them are
painted on the ceilings, taxing severely ones
neck and spinal column. A great many of
the best pictures in Venice are in the
churches, where they are so badly lit that
one can scarcely see them. A church is no
place for fine picture, for not only can it
never be seen in good light but it must needs
suffer from dampness as we'll as from the
smoke of the candles and censers. Here the
interests of religion should yield to those of
art, and all the pictures of high merit should
be collected together in public gallery like
the Academia.
What strange old city this isl These
alleys, though some of them have handsome
shops, are generally the narrowest and
gloOmiest channels conceivable, and suggest
the obscure, blind labyrinths which insects
bore in some old wormy log rottng by the
water Happy he who can find his way
through them and come out right-just
where he intended. Steer your course as
you will-take the chart of the city in your
hand, you will some time or other come
plump upon canal where there is no bridge.
Not that there are not plenty of bridges,
but it needs an old inhabitant to detect them.
You never feel sure but in gondola. Here
is safety, comfort, luxury, and Oftentimes
poetry, all combined. Your gondolier Is the
triendliest of creatures-guidesy you through
such mysterious places, round the strangest
corners, past such wonderful old decaying
palaces-telling you the namesof every sight
worth seeing-and lands you so gently,
never charging you more than o shilling
over his tariff. One would like to float for
ever about the city on these canals. And
there is a romance about the gondola, which
you can seldom separate from it. You can
never think of it as it really is-the hackney
coach OF Venice. tbs moonlight and Jes-
sica-Byron and the Doges.
And, Gpropos to "Jessica" and her father
crossing the bridge of the Rialto the other
day, my eye was attracted by basket of
pomegranates (though almost uneatable,
being composed of acid seeds and little
juice) have very strange Oriental sound and
look, but are SO rare capsule in our north,
that we very seldom think of throwing
money away in purchasing one. But here,
in Venice-next door to the Orient-it ought
what thay may. "How much2' "About
four cents apiece" "Tis not possible
[aside]; "where do they come from 2''
"Mazorbo." ] don't know where Mazorbo
is, but conclude it is somewhere toward
Bagdad and Schiraz. With a trembling
hand give the money and pocket the beau
tiful fruit. Il afterward found them for
about two cents apiece.) Such color
| Surely Titan and Veronese had pomegran-
ates growing in their gardens, and lying on
their studio tables. | bought two. One OF
| them had a branch of the tree attached, with
the leaves fresh and green. l brought them
home and painted them. So much for Jes-
sica, now for her father. 1t was on the
Rialto-not the bridge, but the neighboring
! arcade-that old "Shylock used to drive his
bargains. There was no "Antonio" there
now. The merchant priRces have long died
out of their magnificent palaces on the
canal-like some beautiful aquatic animals
out of their richly-colored shells. And the
shell-the palace-somewhat worn by tide
and weather, is all that remains to tell o
past splendor and luxury. But had no
far to look, before discovered trace Of thu
old Jew 1t was at a Monte de Pieta, wher'
they were apparently selling unredeemeC
articles. The official who acted as auctioneeI
rolled up his eyes and chanted off the bid
through his nose, in the tone of a Jew pray
ing in a synagogue. This will do, l thought
as I threaded my labyrinthian way thome
ward. "Shylock' and "Jessica"-the pros
and the poetry of the Rialto. | have seer
both, side by side.