The Portland daily press., 1877-01-27
Concerning Art.

Three unpublished architectural designs of
Raphael drawn in light Roman sepia with
pen, two of them being views of the Pantheon
and the third plan for chapel in the Church
of Santa Maria del Popolo have Just been dis
covered in the Ufizi Gallery IN Florence.
The municipality of Antwerp have decided
to abolish the fees heretofore charged for the
sight of Rubens' great paintings in the cathe-
dral of that city, and are contemplating the
removal of the descent from the Cross to
the city museum for better preservation.
Semieradzki's great painting, 'The burning
of Rome under Nero" which last winter
brought to the artist the golden laurel crown of
the Roman Academy, will be notable feature
in the French Salon next spring 1t is now on
exhibition in Vienna, where it produces a SEN
sation.
Another portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots,
has come to light, taken in the tenth year of
her captivity. The art critic of the Athenaum
sees in it "the remains of great beauty" and
also "most emphatcally and distinctly,
sharp and cunning look" The English can
not get over their distrust of Elizabeths pretty
cousin.
The latest discoveries. made by the excava-
tions now in progress at Pompeii are two large
mural paintings, representing respectively,
''Thesseus Abandoning Ariaane' and the
Judgment of Paris" In the house where
they are was also found the following inscrip-
tiOn:
Quis amat yaleat; pereat qui
Nescit amare; bis ianto pereat
Qus quis amare vetat
The discovery has been made in q painting
of the Madonna and child, ascribed to Michael
Angelo and hanging in the London National
Gallery, that the line of the nose of one of the
angels is slightly awry." AS Michael An
gelo's organ of smell is known to have been
somewhat disarranged by q blow from the fist
of Torregiano, newspaper correspondent
offers the explanation that Michael Angelo
was copying his own nose.
On a rock of Sodermanlanpe, in Sweden,
there is as rude piece of sculpture as may well
be. The folds of a huge human-headed ser
pent form circle, and within the circle is en-
graved tree 10 whose branches horse Is made
FAST eagles sit on the upper boughs, and beside
il is the figure of man holding a pair Of
pinchers and a smiths hammer. Clean
through the body of the serpent a short sword
is driven from beneath by man in kneeling
position. The persons and creatures thus
, scratched with the toughest art, are eminent
characters in Mr.. William Morriss new poem,
THE Story of Sigurd, the Volsung." The
serpent is Fafnir, the "wallower on the gold"
| the man with the hammer is the brother OF
| Fafnir, namely Regin, the last of the wise
| dwarf-kD who knew not the gods. The horse
| is Grayfell out of Sleipnir's breed; the eagles
are the birds of doom. The hero with the
short sword is Sigurd Fafnisbana, the most
| famous being of all the Northern cycle of my
| thology and romance.
The place of honor in the new Hall Of Anti
| quities in Rome has been awarded to the bust
| OF Mecsnas, the friend of Virgil. The recent
excavations on and near the Via Meralana are
believed to have brought to light the famous
Gardens of that patron of art, with
| their treasures of sculptured mar.
bles A Roman correspondent of the Ath-
eneum very justly observes in the current
number of that journal, that certainly if the
discovery had been made some ten years ago,
| hymns of triumph would have been raised all
| over the city," and thinks that the Romans
have become Spoiled by those happy times
when. the feverish activity In high quarters
| gave to each day its share of Archaeological ex-
citement; when both the municipality and the
government were engaged. in the exploration Of
| the second, fifth and sixth regions of Augustus,
| the Forum the Palace of the Casas, the Col
| osseum, the Baths of Caracalla, the Villa of
| Hadrian, and the Harbor of Ost!s.'
The paintings now shown at the Lennox
Library at New York, disappoint those who
had supposed Mr. Lennox's collection to be of
remarkable artistic value. 1t is not that,
though it contains some very good things, es-
pecially in the way of portraits which out
number the other constituents of the gallery.
There are several works Of Sir Joshua Rey-
nolds, one the noted "St. Cecilia" There are
two Copley's, one of Mrs. Hooper of Marble
| head, the other of Lady Frances Wentworth.
| The collection contains many portraits of
Washington several of them copied by Rem
brandt Peale or the general subjects there is
a veritabe Andrea del Sarto, something rare
| indeed on this side the Atlantic, the subject
being Tobit and the angel, whose history will
be found in the Apocrypha. The "Siege of
Saragossa" by Horace Vernet and a battle
scene by Delaroche, both celebrated battle
painters, are notable, and there are two Turn
ers and several LaDdseers. This gallery,
which is between Seventieth and Seventy first
streets, on Fifth avenue, will be- open to the
public on Mondays and Thursdays, from
eleven until p. NJ.
In recent issue the Springfield Republican
has the following to say OF marine by Harry
Brown. which has since been sold at q large
prices The new painting by Harry Brown at
Mr.. Gills art gallery is the finest work this