New-York tribune., 1876-08-05
ART AT THE EXHIBITION.
THE CAsTELLANI ANTIQUITIES.


PauApELPHIA, July 27.-0ne of the most M
teres,inc aad instructive exhibits Mt the Centennial Ex
bi,dop is the collection Of Greek and Roman antiquities
objects OF Ined.rva ant and Italian maloca, belonging
TO Alessandro CasicIkn Of Rome The collection lex
ceptiuC the majoC. shown the puDilc lof e nrst
tiruel comes TO America by way of London, where II
WAS exhibited for weeks, and attracted great deal
of attention The trustees of the British Museum wero
anxo, 10 have the Government buy IT, and tie matter
was brought before the Treasury, but Mr.. Disraeh
thought that condition OF the midget would not war
rant the expenditure OF the SUD
the project had 10 be abandoned IL should DC Su u't
chief reason for rhe anxiety to obtain possession oi
these antiquities the Museum Is that they supple
ment and certain respects complete the Famous COZ
lection bought Of SignOr Castein ie" years ago
Should they 90 back TO England, another e'oi'
will doubtess be made TO keep them there. bat hope
and have reason TO believe that they will remain in this
couutry Even if no one of the American Museums can
afford 10 buy the collection as whoe'tWo OF 'hree
together can and arrangement OF tis khd is prc
tae because the collection consists OF several distinct
classes OF objects some of themfor example. te dacty
iotheea-complete themselves which could he taken
permanenty or for given by the parties pur
chasing the price asked, large as IT undoubtedly
is is not exorbtant Americans must remember that
the competition for the possession OF authenc
works OF ancient art and the Jealous which taken
by the governments of those countries where cScaVa-
tons are making to secure to themselves whatever
Is valuable render the formation of private collections
extremely difficult; difficult, indeed that one may
reasonably doUbt whether in the future any one hdF
ydual will be able to get together such choice examples
or such full and complete illustrations OF the progress vi
ancient and medieval art in certain branches as are here
shown by Castelan. supposing this possible 1t
again is doubtful whether persons in this country "ouo
have an opportunity to buy them were they for sale
And Americans cannot expect TO enrich Their museums
except from private they should by n means
avail themselves if possible OF this rare chance to Sc
cure nj one purchase several collections, all of them
sufficiently full fer purposes OF Illustration ana study
ana some of them, have said, complete III them
selves - -
THE MARBLES AND BRONZES.
Tne collection is ARRANGED IN a suite of three rooms
opening from the east corridor of Memorial Hall The
first contains the marbles and bronzes the second
the maiolica and the third the gold ornaments the en-
grlved gems and other articles of personal adonment
will begin with the marbles. There are l6 marble
huss mostly portras of the imperial time of Rome;
two statues, Bacchic mask ard comic mask OF Her
cules The statues, which are the most important are
totally different II spirit and style OF execution Inc
frs, is intensely realistic Greek work 1t Is called the
"spnario" and has many points of resemblance to the
welknown statue OF that name II represents naked
lad seated upon busily engaged searching FOR
thorn in his The left drawn and crossed over
on to night knee and the body is bent nearly double
in the effort TO the wound The portion Of the right
leg tile knee downward is missing the left foot IL
broken and both hands somewhat injured: the rest
of the statue is in fine preservation The sculptor has
aimed 10 produce in the marble copy exact To the
nnutest details, Of the contours of figure placed IN
this awkward and constrained position No attempt Is
made to ideal!ze or single line The folds and
creases the skin the supple bend of the back the
tension OF the muscles, each and every detail Is
produced with scrupulous fidelity and consuninate
,kl II is a surprisingly beautiful example OF rare
school of art The second statue is D'nysus, or Indian
Bacchus OF the familiar type seen in the tso-c2iied
sardanapalus the Vatican, of ahch this IS q reca
and in the many engraved images ol te goi It t
former drawn around under t1S right arm, across ne
beneath the mantle to tue ground, covering te feet ard
eighty indicating the position of TIE iisht l,i, me
heavy mantle forming contrast 10 the straight lines
of the lighter ue, and adding greatly TO ne majesty oi
srchen Of a, the shoulder-otbcsc -he statue is in
wonderful state OF preservation I1e lace Glf' nnG
been chseed yesterday. ard the expression Of the
face is OF commanding dignity. , -
Among the marble busts aIe several unknown por,
traits head Of TIjan, ot Jula Paol1 ~ o,I,us, Of
iect EuTipides, and youthful Apollo AID B1echns
mouth. are exceednGiy bean,iia III, Apollo
the LOFTY noble look seen in the highest tyr % e god
bar is OF lower aud rather sensCO order The B'tcis
has a sweet cfyninatc lucc oi great beauty
In the room win the marbles are the Dronacs'
twelve OF those caSkets esT found IA PdlcS Fna
can ladies to hold The Implements tie bath How
rxunous these ladies were am how various Wcry lcf
oilet Appliances by giarcc INTO tic second case.
ShS M : SSn d iI hox t,s & IsTts me sir MS r scycs
ard Sther articles found l.. the They al OF
brolze and Ike the cisSJs, Ei2hiy orni@enicd inc
Baskets are round and oval buxrs wita covers about IL
inches high and somewhat less in Width Tacy are OF
yefy tin metal which would soon culTouc ava! on tA-
nos;rc whic1 accounts for their extreme raiy the
present day. There are not more thau hnHrr-I MI
mounted cHfiOusIs carved lu'i Oi the
sYuc manncr of workmanship as the handles 10 the
covers which formed Of one more human figures
in the round, usually IN cOutoTtcd attitudes Iic hus
and sides of tine cd covered with eugfvin-s some
rpnreseutinc from the fncid or FROM fr tradi
ton which furnished Nrs Ill Will his theme anu otbefs
nortions 0f the story Aalauta The engraving is by
no neops equal on these pieces, portions Of II being
very skilly an other parts showing only coarse
md slaVenly work. Whether TINS engraving Was d"he
v he Erscn metalurgists is doubtful hut the hgircs
certainly are tie production OF these famous AT Ss
Tic work on the small articles found IN The e'Sd, wlie
OF a like character with that the CasEcis. consists
mainly of oueue ornaments ana hgure s'Ojctts sur
rounded by borders and rezcs OF eohNeDiiOnd Hover
and leaf patterns on SIDE of this room are several
OF the tail bronze eandcstcss such hs are ID u'e III
smaller sizes IN many parts OF l'ay al INC present "ay'
TIE PERSONAL ORNAMENTS.
As the personal ornaments may be taken in sequence
to the bronzes described 80 next to the room where
they are arranged. Here from the metropolis OF
Praneste are ornaments belonging to the bronze period
rude hbule arnles and ornaments for the
hair Beside them is Of amber some of the pieces
being simply pierced by hole in order that they could
be Strung together the substance seemingly beng TOO
precious he and Others carved with quaint devices
adapted 10 shape OF the piece In the next case are
several Due OF the EtruscoPh9ncian period ioHhd ID
the cemeteries OF Etrria with scarab beads ana ngus
in glass aud silver plated Win GOA Neh come eoe S tn9
Clusiunl; specimens OF the earliest Etfuscah Work IN
that ancient Of granuiatng god-an art preserved
tradition for centuries ana bui fecehty tculs-
covered think. 10y SignOr Caseldnis brother III Rome
Among the specimens here exhibited are some OF tns
finest Kind. showing that the ART was al Us nest ana
Others again Of AN earlier ana c1arset qudnH, luS
articles in both cupulated and uncupnated sou.
There is small nisk siaped something ihe az dhphoa
In which the minute Obues OF metal are sodercd 10 tne
surface fine zIgzags, and other patterns OF graz de
cacy. Another tne specimen is strip oil Sou Win
grau.lAed neS between which Is "A row OF birds IN
relief Just above this is beautiful shaped 0rna-
menI with finely carved head IN the center ana beside
wheel of god, ending IN acorns oi exquisite