The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-05-28
Qrtists
dn0
Qrt 1lotes.


to friend in this city by Miss Ellen
Glasgow, the weil-known young Rich
mond authoress. who Is now travelling
for health and leasure in the Old World:
FLORENCE. April 25. 1899.
AFTER terrible experience IN a Roman
pension I am now sitting in a lovely. large
room, bright with Florenune frames ana
mirrors and opening on a balcony which
ovelhangs the Arno. 10 is the best View
of Florence that ] have secn-the quaint
looking bridges gay with electric lights
and the dark mass Of buildings looming
on the opposite bank. Yesterday when
we arrived the city was flooded with SUM
light, and I thought tho atmosphere heav-
eniy-then / ind that ones views 81
place arc highly co.ored by one s personal
surroundings and after that auocous
pension. these spacious apartments, SHIN
ing with Silt and sunlight overlooking
the picturesque banks of the river. seom-
ed dOuOly reiighlful. We had tea az ons
OF our long windows from which We
could watch the carriages pass upon mo
drive below.
Tho Udizl gallery, which we only hat
saw land that half laid me up for ne
afternoon Is sufficient 10 make one wish
TO spend six months IN Florence. There
Is a room almost devoted 10 Bottce.i--
the least human and the most seraphc
OF painters. IL is IA Florence that ono
grows 20 love and understand him best.
He is so sincere IN his quaint cOnfen-
tionality. ETHEREAL flesh tones. and ardent
religious sentiments. There is a faultess
Madonna Of Andrea del Sartos-ln which
the Virgin and child each reach the per-
lection OF beauty-there IS d gem OF
Madonna by Correggio-and there ara
hundreds Of paintings before which ono
might sit for hours Most beautiful there
is Titian's Flora-a picture only less per-
feet than his sacred and Profane Love-
IN the Borghese gallery al Rome. In
both these paintings there rs a glow. a
light an undertOne OF warmth that seem
90 make sunshine In the snaiy place.
The longer you study them the richer do
the flesh tints appear. one might look at
them forever and yet find them always
glowing more deeply always emitting
that ardent warmth like a red sunset thar
has mellowed. IN Rome also there is
Madonna Of Van DycNs that As the MOST
keenly touching 1 have seen. and one n
Mureno's that IS one OF the most sat.s-
flying. In Van pycks the new born child
AN exquisite Crcation-lies on Mary
knees. who leans upon heap OF straw
while an old worn. patient horse looks
down upon them with n wisttui, wonder
Ing gaze The subiucd color scheme is
marvellous. Mureuo's is quite as bcau-
riful. But OF al the paintings in Rome
&c is Beatrice Conci that 1 saw FIRST and
last. and love best. no i5 impossible 20
describe II. IL must be seen 20 be- known,
ffrH bal nr ma
haunts one persIstenly. 10 Is perfectly
beautiful and perfectly tragic. The Vail
can sculptures IN Rome are tho greatest
treasures-the Apollo Bovidero is the
most rod-llke figure I have ever behold
and utterly unlike an reproductions. The
LaOco0n-the group strlngied by serpen-s
is superb. and there are statues ~ An
tlnous that are more beautiful than any
other existing things. Here there Is no
Venus de Medici which 7 dislike and
some marbles which like immensely.
"Wedncsday.-Thl afternoon we beto0k
| Us 90 the Pltu Palace, the most famous
gallery perhaps in existence. it was atro-
| cious weather. but the paintings are
| Joy forever. Raphaels Madonna Of tho
| Chair is. I believe. the most enchanting
| picture In Florence. or elsewhere. I wish
you could see these Old Masters. for there
, were giants IN those days. and there have
been none Ike them since.
AFTER leaving the gallery we started
! for drive about Florence. bur 10 rainod
! hard, so We came back ana hod tea in
/ our rooms Our time IN Italy h7f been
/ considerably spoiled by the frightm
/ weather and I am anxious Ovcr orr Nisit
| 10 Venice (whlther we depart saturday,.
/ Venice In O rainy season must h' s.nEu-
I larry depressing. a ray NJ sum. .f has
! Just come and gone hurred.y ouf 4t the
/ window. The Arn0 l'es s-.il and rar-
/ green just below my window. ana nasty
| wind IS blowing AT home We would call
/ this weather cold for The ia-t of AnrN.
I though over hero we have no hre-1nd
! miss them sadly. I have heard FLORENCE
. exfolled as the city Of delights. bur SUBJ
! tract the galleries and I think nlult
would be loft-at least such IS my view
4 pf e. End &C. neither picture gHe ror
! interesting so far. However I have boon
i here only a few days, and it has raiaed
| continuously. But the galleries are =
world In themselves. and one might spend
months in them-provided one bad a D.
and legs Of cast iron.
| Monastery. which, having been suppress
! Cd. Is now a museum, IS a most interesting
I place. and has lovely cl0is,crs surround
/ ing n courtyard filed with flowers. After
! leaving IL We went 10 the Academy %
/ see. among other things. the original u
! Michael Angeles Dayid-a hideous. dis-
| proportional statue. only better than his
! shocking Moses. who would be mistaken
! for an African chief IN anything but mar
, Bile. Some one remarked, that David was
evidently Just from the fight with Goliath.
| as ne has the sweiled head. and II ce-
scribes him very well. We saw there.
! however. some delightful paintings by me
( old c-Raphaelites-the most supernal
! and sincere OF all religious painters and
! Joyous cOIOrists Later In the afternoon
we drove out 20 the Tower OF Gallo. and
/ saw the small museum that has been Ut
! ted up there containing Gali'io's te.o-
| scope-a curious looking instrument
! though 70 accomplished more than tho
! most improved OF modern ones. There 3
q pathetic interest attached 90 o., too. mar
the modern ones DO not possess. ro-mor-
row we go 10 the galleries again. ana On
| Saturday We leave FOR Venice. waefe
| trust we shall have fair weather. No
| see nothing but pictures and one cannot
! make them sound intcrstins Oh paper.
"Thursday.-Th letter has had a Sec
ond interruption. After breakfast We went
again 70 the Uffizi and returned AFTER
| delightful morning 20 Tore In''nf'n.
| then TO the S. Marco Monastery where we
7, saw an exquisite series OF frcscoes by
| Fra Angelica. They were painted upon
| the walls OF the cells while ne was an ln-
/ an "a