The sun., 1907-08-11

ways spaced like massive music, narrow
footways across which race apeiike men,
half naked. eagerly preparing sorne terri
BILE ptrnishmcnts for criminals hnudcuned
and guarded. They are 10 walk "A sharp
spiked bridge. Gigantic chains swing across
stony precipioes, n lamp depends from
roof whose outlines are mcrge1 In the
gray dusk of dreams. There In cruelty,
horror and withal sense Of tho wickedly
magnificent in the ensenblc. What crimcs
we're committed TO merit such atrocious
punishment2 The boldncss and clcarness
OF II all! You recall what George Saints
bury wrste Of F1aubert's Temptation OF
Saint Antony. 1T is the best example OF
dream literature that know-most writer's
who have tried this style have erred, mas
much as they have endeavored to throw a
portion OF the mystery With which the
waking mind invests dreams over the dream
itself. Any ones experience is sufficient To
show that this is wrong. The events OF
dreams as they happen are quite plain and
matter OF fact. and IL is only In the inter
walls that any suspicion occurs to the
dreamer
Certainly Piranesi remsm5ored his
dreams. He In q realist tn his delineation
Of details, though the sweep and breadth OF
an Ideal design arc never absent. Hc pcr-
trays ladders that scale bulky joists. poles
Of incredible thickness. oyolopean block and
tackling. They sre OF wood. not metal nor
marble. for the art OF Piranesi s full OF dis
examinations. Finally. you weary. The
eye gorssd by all tho mystic engines. hisro-
giyphs OF pain from some impossible In
q,xisition-though not onos do We soe .
monlksh hgure-all thsss anonymous mon
ksy msn scr,rryinG On what errand Piranesi
alone hDows; thsse towering arches. their
foundations resting on tho crest OF holl;
lyou feel ths tremsndoA impact Of ths arohi-
teutural mass upon the earth-no mean feat
10 rsprpsont or rather to evoke tho sense OF
weight. Of pressure on . nat surface;l the
nufaed atmosphere In these prisons from
which no living prisoner emerges; OF them
all you weary, for the normal brain can only
stand q certain dose Of the delirious and
the melancholy. This aspeot then Of Pira-
nesi's art. black magic In all it's potency.
need no longer detain us. AZ Mr.. Keppel's
Gallery, East Thirty-ninth street. the
Temples Of Pestum.' with some more
familiar Roman ediices etched by Pfra-
nesi. are on exhibition this month. They
sound less morbid key than his ~Caroeri.'
and as etchings quite outrank them.
ii.
GLambattista Piranesi was born at Venice
in ITO. Bryan says that about i7ss bis
father sent him to Rome, where he studied
quired the style of Valeriani's master,
- n ,ntl;
engraver, he learned that art. Ricci and
Pannini were much in vogue, following
the example OF Claude In his employment
OF ruins as picturesque element in
composition. But Piranesi excelled both
Ricci and Pannini. He was an architect,
too, helping to restore churches, and this
accounts for the proud title, Architect OF
Venice, which may be seen on some Of his
plates. He lived for time in Venice. but
Rome drew him to her with an imperious
call. And. Notwithstanding the opposition
Of his father. to Rome he went. and for
forty years devoted himself TO his master
passion, the pictorial record OF the beloved
city, the ancient portions of which were
fast vanishing owing TO time and the greed
Of their owners. This was Piranesi's self
imposed mission. begun as an exalted
youth, finished as an irritable old man.
Among his architectural restorations, made
at the request of Clement XIII, we're the
two churches OF Santa Maria del Popolo
and II Priorato. Lancieni says that ii
Priorato In "a mass Of monstrosities inside
and out" II is his etching, not his labor
as an architect, that will make Piranesi
immortal He seems to have felt this, for
he wrote that he had executed a work
which will descend to posterity and will
last so long as there will he men desirous
Of knowing all that has survived the ruins
Of the most famous city OF the universe.
Both Stendhal and Monticello predicted
their ultimate acceptance by. the world,
and at their own valuation. And these
prophecies. like Piranesi's, have been amply
fulfilled.
etcher by F. Polonzani-in the present Kep-
pei exhibition--we see full checked man
with well developed forehead. the features
OF the classic Roman order the general ex-
precision not far removed from a sort Of sui
len self-satisfaction. But the eyes redeem.
They are full, lustrous, penetrating and in
Prospective. The portrait etched by the son
OF Piranesi. after d statue. discovers him
posed in toga. the general effect being clas-
sic and consular. His life, like that OF all
good workmen in art. was hardly an eventful
one. He married precipitately and his wife
bore him two sons francesca. the etcher
born at Rome. l74s-Bryan gives the date as
i75o-died at Paris. 1si0) and a daughter
Qaura. born at Rome. I75O-date OF death
unknown). Theee children were con-
ISOLATION to him. Both were engravers
Francesca frequently assisted his father
in his work. and Bryan says that Laura's
work resembled her fathers. She went
70 Paris with her brother and probably died
there. She left some views o. Rome. Fran
oesco. with his brother, Pietro, attempted to
found an academy in Paris and later a
terra Gotta manufaotory.
The elder Pirsnesi was Of quarrelsome
disposition. He wrangled with an English
patron, viscount Charlemont, and like
Beethoven destroyed title pages when he
became displcased with the subject OF his
dedications. He was decorated with the