The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-03-08

Inem Cney seem as II they had issued ike
flashes from soul torn by tempests oil
trouble. They struggle, turn, suffer, are
mounted on the blast of hurricane, have
for light conhagration-express all the
intensity Of sorrow-are in fine the giant
offspring of genius in extreme despair
of colossal genius in delirium, working
with the fury of giant, and determined,
if it be in mortal power, to mark reality
with the impress of infnity. Figures he
has sketched which breathe lament of
Jeremiah, stanza of Dante, maledic-
ton Of Prometheus. They carry in the
flesh the burning iron of the artists idea,
and cry hopelessly, like the shipwrecked
for the land, from the world that is tenn
poral to that which is eternal.
We had the good fortune to behold the
august picture of
The TRANSPORTATION,
by Raphael, in good light. 1t is un-
questionably one of the finest pictures in
Europe. All the copies are inferior;
those by Juleo Romano are the best; that
by Harlow is clever; but none, convey
an idea of the depth and finish of the
original. The demoniac beneath, and the
figures of the apostles, appealing from
their own consciousness Of weakness to
the manifest power of their transfgured
Lord on the mountain top above, has
never been exceeded in power The
whole composition is wonderful in de-
sign, magnificent in expression, admir-
able in costume, and powerful in color.
The Madonna de Foligno is sure to ar
rest attention. The child holding the
tablet is not to be surpassed-'tis of
heaven, not earth. The Madonr IS head
is exquisite-but the upper division of
the picture overbalances the lower The
blues appear too intense, and have been
tortured in the cleaning, if not repainted.
The bringing the light out of the fore
ground OF the picture has an admirable
effect. The landscape and lower division
of the saints with the rainbow or thunder
bolt, is so reflective and rich, as to equal
Titan. Indeed, we should think that
no landscape OF this master surpasses this
painting in force, relief, and color. 1t is
Venetian.
st. Jerome, by Domenichino, is a glori-
Gus performance. The right of this pic
ture, as you face it. is the best-indeed,
grand but Saint Jerome seems to kneel
on nothing. The Saint delivering the
sacrament is glorious, and the Deacon
and sub-deacon equally So We con-
ciuded our special examination of the
museum paintings proper with that of
the Incredulity of st. Thomas by Guer-
clno. The countenance of our Lord in
this picture comes more up to our idea of
the Christ than any we ever saw-unit-
ing virtue with intelligence, and awful
repose with utmost feeling. 1t is exquis-
lte In expression and grand in effect.
We were impatient to quit the mu-
scum, each of whose numerous paintings
would endow an ordinary gallery, and
we hastened to
The Sixtine Chapel,
the great work which Michael Angelo
was compelled to perform for Giulio II.
and the chief glory of the Renaissance.
Imagine vast plain ceiling, lighted by
twelve windows, and divided from the
side walls by cornice. Time, the smoke
of incense, the waxen tapers, and an ex-
plosion of gunpowder in the castle of St.
Angelo have done much to tone the work
to a duskiness and increase it's mystery.
Yet at this hour they do not appear pic
tures-they appear sculptures from the
powerful incarnation and the bold relief
of the pictures. This work has neither
precedence nor sequence. To people so
immense and lofty, vault were enough
to fill any but giant soul with despair
yet we behold the whole space filed
with creations so grand and unique that
they remain fixed on the mind like the
first verses of the Bible, or the isolated
peaks of Mt Sinai on the plains of his
tory. Sibyls and prophets are alter
mated. St. Augustine read the books of
the Sibyls. In his enthusiasm he acted
like Angelo-he placed them in the city
OF God. Pertinent ad civitatem de5,
he exclaimed. They predicted the com
ing of the Saviour. The prophets come
from the desert, the caves Of Jerusalem,
and groves Of Lebanon; the Sibyls from
Persia, Africa, Greece, and the Tyrrhene
sea; thus the aspirations Of unaided rea-
son and the consolatory hopes of the ac-
credited messengers Of truth are united
together and blend as two Titanic choirs.
whose combined strength support the
roof from whence issue these paintings
unique from their size and the scriptural .
ailegories and tragedies they depict
Chaos submerged i'm shadows-the first
light dawning over the waters, Adam
sleeping profoundly-Eve newly created
and awakening in the ecstasy Of enchant-
ment 10 the life which oreets her-tbe