Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-03-30
LETTERS FROM ABROAD.
FLORENCE, ITALY, Feb,

lIAL1 TcuI, 1919
We paid, recently, visit to the house OF
Michel Angelo, which is beautifully fitted up
by his great nephew - Buonarrotti, and
furnished with paintings and "reminiscences OF
the great artist My companion was highly
delighted to get into his miniature writing
room, which can just hold one person, and sit
down in his chair, and if she dared, would
ed with paintings of scenes in his life, exccut-
ed by his scholars, and also in this room, is a
sitting statue CT himself The adjoining
apartment has large frescocs, bringing in the
eminent men of Florencc-Galileo, Dante,
Tasso from Ravenna;) and in the small room
next to this, are manuscripts signed "Miche1
Angelo Buonarrott" The room containing
his sketches, seems 10 bring one very near to
him, for you cannot hut see the wonderful gc-
MUS displayed in the few rough lines OF those
unfinished 7orsos, or wrestling figures that
look as If scratched off in five minutes.
I have been improving some of these splcn-
did Italian days in visiting the studios of some
of the artists; among them, those of Pazzi
and Duprcz. The latter received the medal
at Paris in 'G7. His stupendous work of Ca
YOURS monument is in progress; the central
figure is of "Italy" knccling and presenting
the crown to Cavour. The corner groups are
"Indcpendencc," Justice" Duty" and "Rev-
oluion and Emancipation" as near as the
marble cutter could make me understand
Pazzi is also very good artist. He has an
over life-size statue of Savonarolo which is for
the cloister of San Marco, where he lived
He has a noble, superior face, one that one
must admire. If these Italians all had the
true religion of Christ in their hearts, and
could lead earnest, active lives, what fine,
noble looking people they would make. The
studios of Gould, Ball, Powers and Fuller all
have their objects of interest. Gould still has
on exhibition his "West Wind" which is very
pretty. 1t is a pity he advertises so much-it
is SO un-artistic that il displeases the tastes of
the people. / was much pleased with Balls
Eve and "Christmas Morning" Mr.. Fuller
is an English artist, and has many beautiful
and original groups Powers forte just now
is for busts-and he makes them "by the doz-
en-" as somebody says; his works are said to
have great similarity. Yet he has great skill
in producing life-like flesh in his statues. and
1t is said it is owing to the beautiful specimens
of real flesh he has always about him. his
daughters are lovely and beautiful. Mr.. Pow
ers is now growing old and feeble and can
work but little. One of his daughters devotes
herself assiduously TO him, dcprivng herself
of society in order to keep with him. They
are, on the whole, a most kind-hearted and
true family, and very much esteemed here.
In one of our walks, we came upon the
Protestant Cemetery-a lovely spot! 1t is
near the suburbs of Florence, In full view of
the mountains-Fiesole among them-all of
which were so lovely in the light of the low
sun, the most Indifferent could not but exclaim
at them. The grounds are very small but sim
ply and prettily laid out, sloping up to the
center, where stands shan of marble. A
path leads up on each Of the four sides; from
the first one we stepped off TO pick few stray
leaves as mementoes, that grew close by the
tomb of Mrs. Browning. This is simple
sarcophagus of white marble raised on short
pillars, bearing the inscription "E B. b. OBJ
1861" A bas-relief of her profile, the head
adorned with o wreath of laurels, is on one
side; at each end, Tyre. came across. also,
the simple brown stone on the grave of Theo-
dore Parker. As we stood there, the cool even
ing wind was sadly signing among the cypress
es, whose graceful, slender tops bow to every
zephy; the mountains grew bluer and more
solemn, the Duomo was enveloped in golden
mist from the sun hidden from view by Its lofty
dome. shall not soon forget the sacred
spot ss.e d