Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-10-28
he Albert Mem ,rialChlpel at Wind
sOr Castle.
From the London Court Circulaor

Ih1s magnificent work, which the
princes and princesses Of the ROYAL
family intend as a memorial of the
Prince Consort, is now completed and
ready for the inspection of Her Majesty
on her return from the north. Although
an immense sum of money has been ex-
pended in the construction of the me-
mortal, 1t must not be supposed that it
is an entirely new erection. In this it
differs essentially from the royal mauso-
leum at F'rogmora, where the remains
Of Prince Albert are actually inferred.
The Albert memorial is formed within
the walls of Cardinal Wolsey's chapel, a
building once known as the Tomb
House, situated between the deanery
and st. Georges Chapel on the Castle
Hill. The exterior OF Cardinal
Wolsey's chapel is familiar to
most persons who have visited the
palace, but, save to a chosen few, the
rich and rare jems Of art, the costly
sculptures, the marbles and mosaics,
and the gorgeous coup d. cell produced
by their tasteful arrangement, are as a
sealed book at present 10 the public
Begun nearly ten years ago, while the
works at the Frogmore mausoleum were
in full progress, Signor Salviati, of
Venice, whose specialties in mosaics
and glass have become famous, and
Messrs. Clayton and Bell, were the
artists first selected to adorn the chapel
with their decorative manufactures, the
architect being Sir G.. G.. Scott. Venice
accordingly contributed number Of
mosaic portraits of the Kings and
Queens, and other historical personages
connected with the history of
the castle, which were placed in the
panels of the false windows at the
west end of the chapel. Signor Sal
Watt also filed in the panes of the
goldenribbed and beautifully designed
ceiling with mosaic work of rich color
and rare design. When this much had
been accomplished, there was a pause
in the work. To Baron Triqueti, whose
death has but too recently been record
ed, Her Majesty had intrusted grand
work, which Was destined to transform
the bare walls of the chapel beneath
the windows into a gallery Of marble
pictures, unrivaled for their novelty
and beauty. The marble inlay work of
the Baron, which as a moral decoration,
is SO much preferable from it's inper-
ishable nature to fresco-painting, had
attracted the attention of the Queen,
and Baron Triqueti received a commits
sion to cover the chapel walls with
Scripture subjects. ALI these were de-
signed and worked out in the Partisan
atelier Of the Baron, and as they we're
executed one by one, were conveyed to
Windsor and fixed in their appointed
,>1o Cnx-opo1 IS H.
safely transported to England when the
Franco-Prussian war interrupted the
work, and with it the continued decora-
ton of the memorial. Again there was
a pause; but whom peace was made the
Baron, in spite Of constitution weak
ened by illness, proceeded more actively
than ever with his commission. AS
time went by the whole of the blank
spaces upon the walls became covered,
and elegant marble seats were placed all
round beneath the inlaid pictures.
Then followed the sarcophagus of the
Prince, surmounted by marble effigy
of "Albert the Good" clad in medieval
armour, with the head reposing upon a
pillow, which is supported by two an
gelic figures. The sarcophagus stands
upon the polished marble floor at the
east end of the chapel, the face of the
efigy being toward the reredos. The
latter is beautiful conception in white
marble of "The Resurrection, with
gilded marble canopy, the whole being
inclosed in a chastely arranged frame
of mosaic and colored marbles.
Between the sills of the windows and
he marble inlaid work of Baron Tri-
| % III
bas-reliefs, sculptured by Miss Durant,
who, like the Baron, has not lived
to see the completion of the chapel,
though their work remains for the ad-
miration Of posterity. The completion
of the embellishments has devolved
upon Messrs. Field, Poole & Sons, the
cathedral masons of Westminster, who
indeed, have been employed upon the
memorial since it's commencement, more
or less. After placing beneath the
marble seats series Of bronze grills,
consisting Of monographs Of "V. A., %
devises Of the Royal arms, the falcon
and fetterlock, the rose and crown, lions
and .feur-de-las, they have laid hand
some colored marble pavement in opus
Atera1a07'a7aat'71. Numerous varieties of
marble have been used in the construc-
ton of the flooring, which is arranged
in diamonds and circles, one of the prin-
cipal materials being the Ipple-
pen-a Devon marble of red and
gray. The laying of the highly polish
ed pavement was delayed till the last,
and the operation completes the deco
rations. The Albert Memorial chapel
for the magnifcence of it's interior must
now be unequaled. Without seeing it
rs hard to realize the rich beauty of the
decorations which, overwhelm the visit
ors upon the opening of the cloister
door. Standing at the entrance, the
CLASSY, polished marble floor and ceno-
taph of the Prince first catch the eye; a
glance to the right OR left reveals those
unique mural pictures which cost the
decade of Baron Triqueti's lifetime,
while the softened, mellow light, as it
streams through the painted windows,
tints with many colored hues the sculp-
ture, and mosaics almost unrivaled.
Adorned with all the treasures that art
| can bestOW. no more fitting memorial