New-York tribune., 1879-12-10
FOREIGN ART NOTES.


ass painted welkuown portraits OF Victor HUGO ana
1hIcrs Is engaged on a likeness Of President Grevy
which u predicted will be the central attraction oil the
eomipg salon In the Isle OF Man. near Peel Castle
very interesting and picturesque spot the ruins Oh
St Germans Cathedral and art people In England are
uch shocked hear that ~ s proposed TO restore H.
They say with feeling, and apparently with good reason
that cathedral is really needed there one should be
iuit where 1: be of use. and not as this wond De-
out Of peoples reach The remains OF an an
cent with reefs have recently arrived at the Old
Museum, Berlin, from Asia Minor. via Trieste Ihey
weigh haf a ron and are looked upon very valuable
~ Mt Herkomer Is about to make portrait and Mf
Bochm bust OF Rusnn. The portrait Will also be
etched by Mr. HcrkOmer. Ruskin has given few sittngs
IN his lifetime Some twenty five and more years ago
he consented to sit to Mlais, then promising young
artist OF whom RuskIn predicted great While
an Arab quarryng stone near the ancient c'y OF
GAIA found marble statue OF man large enough 10
he Samson himself IL measured feet from the top OF
the head 20 the extremity of the beard. "a inches from
car ear 13 inches from the top of the oreheau 10
the month 81 inches from shoulder to the other 81
inches from the crown Of head TO the waist ana 81
inches around the neck the height OF the neure oehg 10
feet The hangs rnglets upon the shoulders ana
The beard is long The statue II is believed Is OF the
god Mnrnas wor-hIppcd at GAIA as late as the
fifth century A. D.. Mr. whistler mas oeen coinlnl
stoned by the Society or London 10 execute Twelve
eichings OF Venice for which the of 1000 guineas
IS TO b. paid him Alma Tadema has jIst completed
Is said TO be one of the kind that he has yet
painted Nrnberg in spite Of many protests sd mas wa az
with many towers must come down, to give the cltS
have been current for soms time ANA there
10 be no doubt OF their melancholy 'rutn
THE VIA SACRA.-Hardly any archaeological
snblect has aroused discussion excited more d.
verse opinions the buildings and streets in and near
the ancient Forum. Great as has been the inter-
est in Roman history has been reserved TO our times 10
trace out correctly ths lines OF the spot wach ior cen
tlo
"The field OF freedom. faction. fame and blood"
The Via saora especially has been source oi many e
rors and disputes. Very recent excavations however,
are getting pcar what Is probably the TRUTH corre-
spondcnt Times OF London, writes that the exea
vaons been extended along the whole of the area
from the Temple Anonnus and Faustina to the Areh
OF Titus and from the Church o: Saints COsma ana DI
mano TO edge of the roadway in front OF the Palace
Of the Casars and that with the exception OF where
narrow strip OF accumulation has been LETT. Ike
railway embankuent across valley as not 10 inter
rupt traffic. whoe line OF the ancient roadway from
near the Colosseum TO the Temple Of Antoninus ana
Fauna OF the roadways thence 10 the base OF the
Capitoine HILL can traverscd In their entire length
one can. therefore. walk along the whole ne OF tue
pavement OF what regards considerable portion
OF its extent the Via of the later Empire. but OF
that period only. The Via sacra along which Horace
and his walked earlier and very different
one and II Is possible bow students with the
classic authors, only their guido. have gone widely
IN their attempts 10 reconstruct the topography
Sumption o thai II followed one unvaryns lne
DAYS of Romulus till IT was covered with debris ana
10 consider vlcsstudes which the Via ssci had u
great alterations which were made from TO time.
not only 10 the aspect bnt even IN hr outline pt 'ne
giving place TO Others, in the progress OF 'ime.
ST. Marks, VENICE.-From the mass of
letters which the proposed restoration OF ST. Marks at
Venice brought light in the columns of English
Newspapers facts In the far can be ascer
tained appenr be follows Portions OF the build
ing have already been restored the north FACADE having
been taken hand by the Ausrans during their occu
pancy and the sOnth having been begun by them and
completed by the Italian Government under the direc-
ton architect Both Of these pieces of work
were badly fact OF which the present Govern
rent well aware and OF which II is mindful In the In
strucons has given to the Commission for the Preser
walton Of National Monuments They have been told
simply To study the question OF restoring the west front
the grand and famous front which faces St. Marks
Square studies II is affirmed have not vet been
completed when they the question whether the
work shall all viii then be submitted TO the
Superior Council Of Instruction. and finally decided by
The Ministers Here for the present the matter rests
When the TRADE about vandalism began IN Eng
land weeks ago. there were several warnings from
wiser heads people who live In glass houses should
not throw IL comes out now that Italians WHO
heard of these things were well Of the restoration
wcrk which bad done all parts OF England es
pecally oxford. and they have their laugh ac-
circle readers, that at PeriqucnI near Bordeaux IN
France, there l. majestic cathedral OF the eeventn
Marks. IL has just been restored N snch manner nat
!uglc carved stone remains OF the crossing u i-
seps choir OF the ancient saeiure. Even the nave
aud tower To undergo similar treatment. When
finished the architectural Interest oil Tie ouiuihg WILL
II 10 believed. pass away
THE DANGER TO DEL SABTO's MADONNA
More recent reports Florence TO show that the
injury which Andrea Del sarto's Madonna del sacco"
has received from defective water pipe ON the outer
wall OF the Annunzlata took place two years when
the fresco was in reality In condition than 1t Is
now and that then the pipe and the roof have
been thoroughly repaired The damage sustained by
the fresco up 10 present time to be this: the
mouth and part of tie cheek of Joseph have disap
pearcd and there slight defects IN the
lett eve and the cheek of the Madonna. While
This assurance Is very satisfying for the pres
ent, IL gives htle security for the future IL is well
known that many Of the frescoes in the closter
OF the Annunzata have suffered considerable damage
from the defects Of the Pantie roofs used
Italy churches, clOstes and arcades and are
said be treacherOus projections against peer
name of tls picture. Onc is that the artSt was paid
only a sack OF wheat for his work, which led the late
Cardinal Wisemau 10 say OF him:
:" Del sarto, wiser when he got the sack,
Put II IN color. not upon his back"
Another holds that took Its name from the represen
tation OF Joseph leaning upon sack IL was Of Del
sar.o that Michael Angelo Is recorded 10 have sald to
Tlorrnce, who, II he were employed on such great
works as you are, would bring the sweat 10 your
brow"
MoNr ST. MICuEL.-A railway on the Righi
system the summit OF the casted craG OF Drachenels
will not awaken more regret than a railway from the
mainland the rock Of Mont-st Michel. IN Normandy
called by old writer's the marvel OF the West, and
made familiar to many people by sannelds picture to
mahy Others by personal visits. company has already
ATTAINED perinission ID TO build a dyke and railway