Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-03-25
LRTTKR FROtf ROMF.
Visit to the Art Treasures of the Vatican
and Capitol
Correspondence Advertiser and Tribune:
RoNE, ITALY, Janusry 30, 1854.

Correspondence Advertiser and Tribune:
RoNE, ITALY, January 30, 1854.
This is eminently a city Of fine art
The public galleries, the private palaces,
and theIvillas are fall Of it. And no pri-
yste house is considered furnished without
an abundant supply Of pictures and statu-
ary. They are everywhere. For exam
ple: You ascend two or three flights Of
stsirs 10 fad your banking Office; and at
every lsnding pl ce is some marble statue
that has come down from the times Of the
Cesars, having evidently seen some hard
experience on its long journey, for its
nose has been broken and possibly not
mendsd, or an arm hos been rudely ampu-
tsted and rather unskillfully restored
The Northern barbarians were guilty Of
upsrdousble Vandalism in the rough way
in which they greeted the marbles, the
beauty Of which they could not appreciate
and the existence Of which they deemed
evidence only Of enerTsting luxury and
decsying manhood.
There are three great museums-thst Of
the Vatican, that Of the Latersu, and that
of the Capitol. The first is the present
pspsl residence, the second was for many
generations the same, and the last is the
site of the old Capitol Of sncient Rome
and stands near the spot occupied by the
temple Of Jupiter Capitolius.
The sculpture in the museum Of the Cap
itol is scarcely less interesting than that
Of the Vatican itself, and very superior
TO thst at the Lsteran. It is both ancient
snd modern. The most celebrated pieces
Of the ancient are the Dying Gladiator,
the Antinous, the Amazon, and the Venus
called by way Of distinction { the Venus
Of the Capitol" Not being conuOisseur
worth little; this Venus, however, struck
me IS having less perfection in parts OF
il, but more harmony aud dignity as q
whole, than the Venus de Medici ct Flor
ence. It is so highly esteemed as work
Of art, that learned professors lecture up
on II from time to time as illustrating the
accurate skill Of the ancient sculptors.-
Such 3 lecture was in progress the day I
visited it; but being in an unknown
toogue was but little profted and very
likely had it been in the English instead
Of the Italian, should still have been un-
able to respond to it. 1 speak Of visiting
it; for it is in room not accessible on
the days upon which the rest Of the apart
ments are open, and must therefore receive
q special visit.
THE Dying Gladiator" Is very stri-
king and effective representation-"m most
tragicsl ami touching" says John Bell,
" and no one csu Mediate dpon it without
the most melancholy feelings. OF sll
proofs, this is the surest Of the effect pro-
duced by art. The forms are full, round
and manly; the vissge mournful; the lip
yielding tn the effect Of pain; the eye
deepened by despair the skin Of the fore
head lite Wrinkled the hair clotted in
sharp, thick-pointed locks, as if from the
sweat Of fight and exhausted strength-it
is sll nature, all feeling" The dying man
has raised himself on his right arm, as if
struggling against death; and yet his
dropping head shows that the struggle is
q vain one.
In this museum are two interesting
rooms-ihe one containing q large colleo-
ton Of busts Of tho Roman Emperors-
the other Of illustrious men. It is easy to
be seen that the comparison is in favor Of
the latter, An ani-phrenologist with
whom I had discussed that subject, re-
marked as NO passed through these rooms
Well, there Is some trurh in phrenology
after all"