Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-16
THE KING AND QUEEN OF ITALY
collection

Milan, the first of whom was Dominique.
father of Jean Baptiste. continued for
more than century in the sale OF prints,
Jean jacques. WHO edited series of
views of Rome. engraved by J. Il, Faidi.
being, perhaps, Of all the best known.
In 1T4O Clement MI purchased from
these dealers the then large collection of
copper plates, paying for 1t an enormous
sum, equivalent to about $4,000 This
served as the foundation of the Cal
cosr;l!ia Cameras, which, after 1850, be-
came the Calcogra!ia Reale.
Collection Was Damaged.
Under the government OF the republic.
ii is said, the collection suffered great
damage, large number OF inferior plates
being made for commercial purposes. Ana
again under the pontificate of Leo XII
losses accrued by the. destruction Of GER
tain plates adjudged improper. During
the last century the CalcOgiand had as
directors successfully the celebrated Pau.
Merouri and Thomas AleysIus Juvara At
present it's director Of 1ommasO al LO-
.enzo, an officer Of the French Academy
and all engraver of distinction.
Engraving is essentially a reproductive
art, and the majority of the prints in this
collection, it will be seen, are transcript
lions of famous paintings? One of the few
exceptions is the beautiful portrait of the
by Signor Tommaso di Lorenzo, the di-
rector of the Calcograiia. THIS is dis
played in the first upright case in the
gallery to the right as one enters. beside
a portrait of King Vittorio E,nanuele III.
which has been engraved by Seraiino Spe-
rama. In the opposite case to the left
are portraits OF Nittorio Emanuele II, of
Umberto I and of Queen Margherita, who
holds still the devoted affection of the
Italian people. AL are notably fine por-
traits, regal and at the same time indi-
Vidual. well presented and handsomely
engraved.
By Minor Engravers.
The majority Of the works included in
this exhibition are by nineteenth century
Italian engravers, men whose names are
comparatively little known In this land
and whose purpose was to serve merely
as interpreters OF the paintings of the
great masters For this reason the ex-
hibits have been arranged chronologically
according to the artists rather than the
engravers.
Upon entering the gallery ones atten-
ton Is first called to series Of repro
auctions of paintings by Fra Angelica in
the Chapel of Niccolo v in the Vatican
at Rome. These illustrate principally
events in the life Of st. Stephen and are
all in outline, very clear cut. simple and
impressive. Fra Angelica lived between
the years 1887 and 1855 and Is put down
In art history as the last inheritor of the
Giottoesque traditions. The Gothic influ-
ence is strongly felt in his work, which
combines with certain weakness exceed
ing purity Of sentiment He was pre-
eminently devout painter, using his art
chiefly as an instrument for religious
teaching. In its naive simplicity and
singieness of purpose there is much
charm.
And Now Comes Raphael.
And from Fra Angelica one passes d.
rectly to Raphael that artist who of all
others was lover of beauty. To him. it
may be asserted. art was the first con-
sideration-the picture of greater import
than the subject it represented. For this