In The
Palazzo Borghese, I Chiefly Admired The Following Pieces:
A Venus
with two nymphs; and another with Cupid, both by Titian:
An
excellent Roman Piety, by Leonardo da Vinci; and the celebrated
Muse, by Dominechino, which is a fine, jolly, buxom figure. At
the palace of Colorina Connestabile, I was charmed with the
Herodias, by Guido Rheni; a young Christ; and a Madonna, by
Raphael; and four landscapes, two by Claude Lorraine, and the
other two, by Salvator Rosa. In the palazetto, or summerhouse
belonging to the Palazzo Rospigliosi, I had the satisfaction of
contemplating the Aurora of Guido, the colours of which still
remain in high perfection, notwithstanding the common report that
the piece is spoiled by the dampness of the apartment. The print
of this picture, by Freij, with all its merit, conveys but an
imperfect idea of the beauty of the original. In the Palazzo
Barberini, there is a great collection of marbles and pictures:
among the first, I was attracted by a beautiful statue of Venus;
a sleeping faun, of curious workmanship; a charming Bacchus,
lying on an antient sculpture, and the famous Narcissus. Of the
pictures, what gave me most pleasure was the Magdalen of Guido,
infinitely superior to that by Le Brun in the church of the
Carmelites at Paris; the Virgin, by Titian; a Madonna, by
Raphael, but not comparable to that which is in the Palazzo de
Pitti, at Florence; and the death of Germanicus, by Poussin,
which I take to be one of the best pieces in this great
collection. In the Palazzo Falconeri there is a beautiful St.
Cecilia, by Guercino; a holy family, by Raphael; and a fine
expressive figure of St. Peter weeping, by Dominechino. In the
Palazzo Altieri, I admired a picture, by Carlo Maratti,
representing a saint calling down lightning from heaven to
destroy blasphemers. It was the figure of the saint I admired,
merely as a portrait. The execution of the other parts was tame
enough: perhaps they were purposely kept down, in order to
preserve the importance of the principal figure. I imagine
Salvator Rosa would have made a different disposition on the same
subject: that amidst the darkness of a tempest, he would have
illuminated the blasphemer with the flash of lightning by which
he was destroyed: this would have thrown a dismal gleam upon his
countenance, distorted by the horror of his situation as well as
by the effects of the fire; and rendered the whole scene
dreadfully picturesque. In the same palace, I saw the famous holy
family, by Corregio, which he left unfinished, and no other
artist would undertake to supply; for what reason I know not.
Here too is a judgment of Paris, by Titian, which is reckoned a
very valuable piece. In the Palazzo Odescalchi, there is a holy
family, by Buonaroti, and another by Raphael, both counted
excellent, though in very different stiles, extremely
characteristic of those two great rival artists.
If I was silly enough to make a parade, I might mention some
hundreds more of marbles and pictures, which I really saw at
Rome; and even eke out that number with a huge list of those I
did not see: but whatever vanity I may have, it has not taken
this turn; and I assure you, upon my word and honour, I have
described nothing but what actually fell under my own
observation. As for my critical remarks, I am afraid you will
think them too superficial and capricious to belong to any other
person but - Your humble servant.
LETTER XXXIV
NICE, April 2, 1765.
DEAR SIR, - I have nothing to communicate touching the library of
the Vatican, which, with respect to the apartments and their
ornaments, is undoubtedly magnificent. The number of books it
contains does not exceed forty thousand volumes, which are all
concealed from the view, and locked up in presses: as for the
manuscripts, I saw none but such as are commonly presented to
strangers of our nation; some very old copies of Virgil and
Terence; two or three Missals, curiously illuminated; the book De
Septem Sacramentis, written in Latin by Henry VIII. against
Luther; and some of that prince's love letters to Anne Boleyn. I
likewise visited the Libreria Casanatense, belonging to the
convent of the church called S. Maria Sopra Minerva. I had a
recommendation to the principal librarian, a Dominican friar, who
received me very politely, and regaled me with a sight of several
curious MSS. of the classics.
Having satisfied my curiosity at Rome, I prepared for my
departure, and as the road between Radicofani and Montefiascone
is very stony and disagreeable, I asked the banker Barazzi, if
there was not a better way of returning to Florence, expressing a
desire at the same time to see the cascade of Terni. He assured
me that the road by Terni was forty miles shorter than the other,
much more safe and easy, and accommodated with exceeding good
auberges. Had I taken the trouble to cast my eyes upon the map, I
must have seen, that the road by Terni, instead of being forty
miles shorter, was much longer than the other: but this was not
the only mistake of Signiore Barazzi. Great part of this way lies
over steep mountains, or along the side of precipices, which
render travelling in a carriage exceeding tedious, dreadful, and
dangerous; and as for the public houses, they are in all respects
the most execrable that ever I entered. I will venture to say
that a common prisoner in the Marshalsea or King's-Bench is more
cleanly and commodiously lodged than we were in many places on
this road. The houses are abominably nasty, and generally
destitute of provision: when eatables were found, we were almost
poisoned by their cookery: their beds were without curtains or
bedstead, and their windows without glass; and for this sort of
entertainment we payed as much as if we had been genteelly
lodged, and sumptuously treated.
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