The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-05
IEuropeah Correspondence of the Bulletin.l

ROME, February, 1876.
Dear Bulletin-The art collections of the
VAtican are appropriately divided into two
general classiHcations, one being the galleries
ofpaintings, briefly referred to in my last, and
the other the museum Of antiquities contain
ing larger number of remarkable statues,
busts and sculptures of different kinds than
any other collection in the world. This latter
oeo1pied our attention on the first visit for
tho better part of one day, after which We
felt that We had only succeeded in getting
vague general impression of its countless
wonders. and began ct once to plan other
wits there In order to study more infinitely
special subjects, but as I can only give sort
e running sketch Of the museum. shall
ss6w IN this letter to the impressions Of that
1irst visit
To get ct the entrance of the museum We
had to 60 emit rely around st. Peters, and
thsn up long sort of alley at the back of it,
which brought Us ct once to the outer portal
with its ever attendant Swiss Guard in
Haunting uniform of red, yellow and black.
We then passed in by large courtyard Guilt
waited = . garden, and, after traversing an
other long passage, found ourselves at length
= the entrance Of the first gallery Of sculp-
tars& In al these visits to the Vatican We
remarked how tremendously complicated the
arrangement Of rooms in that vast palace
arA
After one has been there little while and
has gone through few series Of apartments,
one hnds himself without an idea q to how
the room in which he may chance to be is
situated with reference to the general land
marks Of the place, and ct the present mo-
ment would not venture to give positive
opinion - to the situation of any of the spe-
oial rooms with which am acquainted with
out first having made assurance sure" by
consulting plan Of the place. The visitor
goes mp stairs and down stairs, into all sorts
Of little octagonal rooms, vestibules, corri-
dors, unexpected little court-yards and 80 on,
sad every niche Of space (6gurstively) is oc-
oupisd BY sculp.ured wonders in marble.
Everybody knows about the story of Lao
coon. and nearly everybody has seen pictures
representing the celebrated group Of statuary
In the Vatican, in which the father and his |
Two sons are seen entwined in the folds of two |
great serpents. Well, one of our first cares
va 70 hunt this up, and when we found it we |
took places upon cushioned bench, placed |
considerately just opposite, and studied the |
thing intentiy for long time. 1t is truly
wonderful: one sees the snakes twining in and |
ont and the wretched victims writhing in |
helpless agony - they try to- free themselves
ifom that deadly embrace. and every attitude
or fraction Of IN attitude SO to speak, is per-
5ection.
Happily the immense work is in q very
good state of preservation, the only restora-
tons that have been necessary being their
arms, and, contrary to the opinion Of the
critics, think this has been pretty fairly
done. It is the fashion to speak Of all resto-
nations as sinjudicious," "tasteless," and so
On, and modern antiquarians hardly give
their predecessors the credit Of calling any
thing BY its right name. Thus they have it
that former Cersa y really Juno, and that
pertain venusss we're originally intended to
represent simply wood nymphs, etc. In
mother room we saw the world-renowned
Apollo Bslvidere, in another the exquisite
Perseus of Canova in another the gigantic
Hsrcules in bronze found near the theater of
Pompey. and near it the great bust Of Jupiter
rom O:ricoli, "the finest and most celebra-
ed extant"
As 10 entered the Sala Rotonda, where these
NO latter works are situated, there was
party Of Americans, perhaps a dozen, who
1ere listening with rapt attention to the dis
,ourse of their chaperone, who was not
yuide, but evidently soma well posted English
u American resident in Rome. He was really
'loquent, and had about him certain air Of
genuine learning and certain enthusiasm Of
manner that ct once marked him % true
Oyes Of a1s anil ON sdcca:ed gentleman. Ia: