New-York tribune., 1874-12-10
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

prcGlo-sTIyplFs FROM RAPHAEL~Di-
Illustrations or THE BOOK oF 'on- ,,.
"ov TIE IEy-LrENABDs DECORATIVE AM
-ur NINETEENTH CENTURY-SwIss ARCiu
TrCrURE.
IRON REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE i'i"''
RosroN. Dec. S.-Rarely have any American
nsbers made their holiday arrangements on so sran
scale 40 those OF ]. r. 0sRood Co. for the present
year or some Of their illustrated books nave aio'
.nokeu but they are all le. behind by the nanincenec
Of their heliotyPe pieture-books' Frs' "o
1oschi's engravincs from frescoes by Corregeo anu
egiano reproduced so perfectly by the henoypc pro-
cess that it would puzzle an expert 10 disoriinin "
sween these prints and the finest engraVh@' ino' -"
.on,ed from the admirable Gray Colechon Oh Enei"'
,ngs heloneing 10 Harvard University hl'ner'o 'n'
She conposseur whose means Kept P'oo VIA 80
haste could own these pictures; now Tue p'' 0o''"
ING tbem-a large square volume elegantly o'auu-i
se sold for So and thus brought Ntnn 'ne rea0"
.,tovers of moderate means. Apart from the beauty
and grandeur the original designs Toschis copies Oh
,etures have always from thei faithfulness and DEL
eacy been ranked the gr9ndest gems 81 the en-
srayers art This reproduction gives them n all tnef
perfeetion "hxes beauty Dsvcr 10 fade" and pre-
serves every lne Of the orgiml work. The nrst ioor
pictures are copies from Parueganos frescoes III INC
Church San Giovauni-his saint Agatha" "saint Lu-
eia and Saint Apollonis," 1.-TWO Deaoons'" ana oan.
George" These are followed by Correggo's oeantrui
Madonna della Scala" o,eer, think, than even any
of RaphaePs Madonnas, II we except the Sistine. D
ana Returning from the Chase comes next and then
we have the Lunettes o. the Arbor and the Groups OF
cherubs--those lovely PICTURES OF children whlch no
sainter In all the world has ever equaled-and nnaly
the grand pictures OF ants and apostles. For tnese
plates one eau onT praise since they are perfect
"a Corrcgio perfect with hs brush. as roschi was
perfect with his burin Over paper pant1g aad bind
ipg faultess taste presided, and know not where
else 40 much beauty san procured ut so small cost
Another book Of tie sizs the same elegance In
every ,eaiure sud sid for the same price, Is series
81 Studies desiguedand engraved after hVe paintings
by Raphaen The pictures are "a II Number three OF
which belong to The Visitation !; three to the hoy
Family finished iy Giulio ROmano;" fonr TO tho " hoy
Family called TIE Pearl !" six to the Madonna OF the
Fish" and eight the bearing Of the Cross or Lo
spssmo" The Eve weLknown paintings by Raphael
which were the subjects of these studies formed part
OF the roys collection Of Madrid, which was Transferred
by the Freucharmy to Paris during the war that ended
IN 1873 At the close OF the war they were reclaimed
and Bonuemfison a French artist OF emnence, was
charged with their restoration and return Tho paint
Tugs being o. wood necessary 10 transfer some OF
them TO caras. At this time Bonnemaison was per-
itted by the King Spain to have these orayon studies
made and engraved, employing the best artists and en-
wravers Paris for that purpose The plates nave un
doubtedy been broken up. as 10 has been dmcut lor
years. TO obtain copy Of the collection 10 Europe Inere
N one COW the British Museum, and another In the IL
brary OF e Mr. George Tcknor OF Boston There
also copy in the Toti oolectonplaced in the Boston
Pubic Library through tie lberallty OF Mr. T. G. Apple
,onand from copy the present heliotype repro
auction has been made with Mr. Appleton's consent
the prints arc about onethrd the size OF the original
engravngs The Introduction and the critical notices
OF the paintings by NJ Emeric David and are faith
Juy translated from his original text AS for the pic
lures praise phael Idle as to say OF the sun
that shines To choose between this book and the
Correggio woud difficult thaf@it is better to have
them both. The Raphaels perhaps stronger and
grander and yet turn back from them to the blessed
children OF Coueggio, and become convinced over
agau that nothing surpass tho graceful charm OF
these Infants OF Heaven think the two books must
be equally popular since both are perfect In their way
and both put within the reach Of the many what hitherto
snly the very few could possess.
A third picture book, grand scale, Is helotype
reproduction of wm. Bake's Illustrations OF the Book
Of job" with descriptive letterprcs aud sketch OF
the artists Life and Works. by Prof. Charles Eliot Nor
ton Tls book ia interesting, even than either OF
the others, because much less familiar with
the works Of wm Blake than we are with the pictures
Of Correggio and Raphael As far as beauty goes ono
makes no comparlson-the Raphael and the Correggio
arc the perfection Of beauty while Bakes Illustrations
are hardly what one characterzes beautiful They
Wild autastc eere powerful, strange aud2cious. puz
Hng and fifty other things though In spite OF the won
grace OF his female figures there is hardly single
picture OF them all at which would ook and exclam
How beautiful 1t /" Yet among oil lovers OF art and
literature there will be intense curiosity to see these
wonderful Illustrations; that fancy this volume
will be more sought for than either OF the Others. We
americans know little about Blake, beyond few OF his
verses and the quaint and touching story of his life.
This story. by tho way, is very happily told here by
Prof Norton but upon that will not enlarge as gave
the interesting details last week. In writing about
Roberts Brothers new edition Of Bakes poems. rhe
two series OF designs by which Blake Is most widely
known are the Illustrations Blairs Grave and to
the Book OF Job Prof Norton tells us that there is
nothing in modern be compared to these produc-
tions To find anything similar In spirit we must go
back the early Italian masters-to Gotto to Orcagna
and even in their works we shall find no greater
are and drectness Of expression and no evidence of
simpler and more profound faith in spiritual realities
than that with which the soul OF Blake possessed
And the range Of his genius is wider than thers there
are figures of his design that are incompatible ten
derness there are others almost unmatched In sub
limiy. But in my opinion that figure is least sublime
which should have been clothed with the most awful
majesty. refer TO the frequent introduction into
Bakes designs of his conception OF God the Father
The First Person OF the Trinity frequently intro
dnced by the old masters into their pictures; and
Blake In his familiar dealing with this Infinite concep
sion only follows their examples but to me all such
attempts to portray Him who must forever remain uu
known and uncomprehended by our flute Intelligence,
seem not only daring almost to blasphemy, but
satisfactory the work OF the idolmakers among the
heather. In Plate ", for nstauce-where Satan went
forth from the presence of the Lordn the upper part
of the picture sits throned the Almighty. But TO my
shinkng there little OF the majesty Of the Godhead
about him. He looks like tired old man. oppressed by
nournful memories aud full Of compunction. But this
same Plate is a wonderful piece OF engraving
One Of remarkable OF the series OF twentyone
plates is Plate IX illustrating Then O spirit passed
before my face lair OF my flesh stood up" 1t is
utterly indescribabe picture but is marvellous Even
pores illustrations Of the Inferno" do not compare
nth the Rlaka ther nnHcr To excifa