Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-03-17
RAPHAEES CARTOONS.

The true way to preserve art is TO popularize
it, the way to make true art popular, is to
spread before the public the only examples of
the best masters IN art among whom Raphael
is acknowledged as the foremost. Everybody
has heard of his famous cartoons. To those
who have not seen these celebrated works of
art, brief description will be interesting.
Raphael Sanzio vas born at Urbino. in 1888,
and died in 1920 Much has been told of his
marvellous genius, and his yet greater fertility
in twenty years he painted one hundred and
twenty-eight oil paintings and frescoes, and
made many hundred drawings When at the
pinnacle Of his grandeur and fame, with his
deXterity and power of composition at the rip
est, he painted the cartoons And here we will
mention, for the benefit of the unnitiated, that
Cartoon is from the italian word Cartone, mean
ing pasteboard, as they were usually drawn up
on that substance, preparatory to painting in
iresco or otherwise.
At this period the Flemish were noted for
their manufacture of tapestry, and Leo H. de-
lighted with its beauty of execution, commits
stoned Raphael to make designs 10 be wrought
in tapestry for the Vatican. These designs
originally numbered sixteen, but in the years
and changes that followed their production,
were lost.
Of the remaining Cartoons, seven were pur-
chased by Charles l., by the advice of Rubens,
and thus unique and valuable art collection,
secured to the British Empire. They were
placed in the Palace of Hampton Court, where
they now remain. The following are the sub
jects of these compositions, all of which are
from the New Testament:
/. st. Paul Preaching at Athens.
.. The Charge to Peter; "Feed My Sheep
3. The Death Of Ananias.
4. Elymas, the Sorcerer, struck with Blind
ness.
5. The Miraculous Draught of Fishes.
6. Paul and Barnabas at Lystra.
I. The Beautiful Gate of the Temple Heal.
ing the Lame Man.
1t is, perhaps, peculiar to these pictures tina,
they are less than any others of Raphael's exc
cution, dependent for interest upon color
Although this great adjunct of painting is in
no series more pure, more refined, yet their cor
rectness of drawing, their grandeur of express
sion, and feeling in conception, are such as tc
render them great without color.
But in spite of these favoring circumstances
the undertaking was one of such magnitude
that it was not until the reign of George Ill
that an attempt worthy of the subject had evel
been made to engrave the series as a whole
For forty years the best artists of the realm
were engaged upon the task, and one by one
the magnificent and costly series of plates were
completed. The set was then published at I
price amounting to three hundred and fifty dol
lars.
One step toward the right end had been ac
complished; but the poor lover of art was al
far from his desired goal as ever Thus thu
matter remained for many years but few i'm
pressions were struck off, and the plates wer'
slowed away, waiting for some one of sufficien
liberality and means to open them again to the
world. This has at Length, been donej Messr'
Day & Co., engravers to the Queen, have OBJ
tanned the plates (as is supposed by aid of th'
British Government.) and have begun to issu,
from them prints, the number to be confined t.
five thousand, when the plates are to be de
stroyed. During late visit in Europe, Nj