Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

Allegorical Subjects.

work, prove that the mind of the painter was strongly imbued with enlarged feelings of moral philosophy. In the subject now under consideration, he evidently intends to infer, that whatever may be the condition of man, pleasure is his object; and in the attainment of this, every class of persons must in some measure contribute. This lesson of instruction is strikingly illustrated by four females, personifying Riches, Pleasure, Labour, and Poverty, with their hands entwined, dancing in a ring to the sound of a lyre, played by Time, who is represented under the figure of an old man with wings, seated on the left, with the instrument on his knees, and his attention directed to the dancers, whose movements.

"Lead in swift round the months and years."

By the side of Time is seated an infant holding up an hourglass, and, as an object of amusement, watching the moving sand; a second infant sits on the opposite side blowing bubbles, and close to him stands a Terminus with a double face, in allusion to the Past and the Future. The period indicated is the morning of life; and in accordance with this, Phoebus is seen in the heavens, mounted in his golden car, drawn by his fiery coursers, attended by the Hours, and preceded by Aurora. This admirable picture has been engraved by Volpato, Raphael Morghen, B. Picart, and Dughet.

280. Time bearing Truth above the reach of Envy and Slander. Time under the similitude. of an aged man, bearing a beautiful female in his arms to heaven; already has she approached the Divine Presence, and, with a smiling countenance and out-stretched arms, appears to be adoring the source of her being. Her enemies, Envy and Slander, are

Allegorical Subjects.

seated below, on either side of the picture, writhing with inward tortures at being deprived of their prey. Above is seen an infant angel, bearing in his hands the emblems of Time and Eternity. This picture was painted in 1641, for the Cardinal Richelieu, and was for many years the ornament of a ceiling of one of the saloons in the Louvre. Engraved by Picart, jun., Audran, and Devilliers.

8 ft. 9 in. (of a broken round form.)

Now in the Louvre.

281 Time removing Truth from the malevolence of Envy and Discord. The scene in which the subject is introduced is a rocky country, of an arid aspect, and Truth, personified by a beautiful young woman, partly naked, is seated on a bank in the centre of the foreground, recoiling with horror from the attacks of Envy and Discord: these vices are represented under the similitude of haggard old women: the former with her snaky locks, stands in an animated position behind Truth; and the latter is crouching at her side, with a blazing torch in either hand. Time, under the usual figure of an old man, has descended to her aid, and is taking her by the arm with one hand, and with the other wards off the attack of Envy. Engraved by Dughet, and G. Folo.

282. Frontispiece to the Works of Horace. The muse, Thalia, is here represented clad in ample robes, holding with one hand a harp resting on her knee, and with the other a mask, which conceals from her the face of the poet, who stands before her with a roll of papers in his hand. The myrtle and the laurel are introduced on either side of the figures, and above, is seen a genius bearing in his hands a wreath, to adorn the brows of the poet. Engraved from a drawing, by Colonel Milan.

Allegorical Subjects.

283. Frontispiece to the Works of Virgil. The poet is represented sitting by the side of a laurel tree, holding with one hand a book on his knee, the other hand is extended in a manner expressive of the gratification he feels in receiving a wreath from Apollo. The deity stands before the poet, holding a harp on his arm, and extending the other hand to place the wreath on his head. A genius floats over them, bearing in his hands a mirror, and the Pan pipes. Engraved by Melan.

This elegant

284. Apollo inspiring a Youthful Poet. allegory is composed of five figures, and represents the God of Poetry and Music, seated in the centre at the foot of two laurel trees; his brows are adorned with a chaplet, and a scarlet mantle covers his loins; one hand holds a harp poised on his thigh, and the other is extended, pointing to a book held by the youthful aspirant: the latter stands with a pen in his hand, but has ceased writing, and is looking upwards with a smile; a genius is buoyant over his head, with a wreath in each hand. Behind the deity stands a muse, clad in a yellow vest and a white mantle; she has a pipe in her hand, and is looking complacently at the youth. A genius, with a book in one hand and a wreath in the other, stands at her feet, and two books lie on the ground near him. The figures in this excellent picture are of the size of life, and are distinguished for the correctness of the drawing and the sweetness of the expression. Like many of Poussin's fine works, it has suffered a little from the red ground on which it was painted.

6 ft. by 7 ft. 6 in.-C. Now in the collection of Thomas Hope, Esq.

CLASSICAL ROMANCE.

235. PERSEUS overcoming Phineus and his coadjutors. The scene of conflict is a spacious hall, where the hero and his friends, while celebrating his nuptials with Andromeda, are suddenly interrupted by the entrance of Phineus and his armed followers, and a desperate encounter has ensued between the parties; during which the table is thrown down, and all the splendid gold seats, tripods, vases, and other vessels of the feast, are strewed promiscuously on the floor. Long and sanguinary was the conflict, before the hero resorted to the direful head, but

"The crowds increasing, and his friends distressed,
Himself by warring multitudes oppressed;

Since thus unequally you fight, 'tis time,

He cried, to punish your presumptuous crime;

Beware my friends; his friends were soon prepared.
Their sight averting, high the head he reared,
And Gorgon on his foes severely stared."

Perseus, clad in a dark-blue vesture and a scarlet mantle, and having on a richly-embossed gold helmet, stands near a pillar on the right, holding forward the petrific head to the eyes of his enenies, many of whom have felt its direful power. Among the slain are seen conspicuously the youthful Athis and his friend Lycabas, lying together near the front. Amphitus, the priest of Ceres, distinguished by his white robes, is prostrate on the body of the minstrel Japetides; beyond whom is extended Amphimedon and Eurythus, killed by a golden goblet;

Classical Romance.

and to the left of these, in front, lie the twin brothers, Broteas and Ammon; close to these stands the proud and boasting Nileus, bearing his golden shield, on which is emblazoned the allegory of his high descent; his eye, while eagerly advancing to the combat, has encountered the baneful glance, and

"Tho' changed to stone, his lips he seemed to stretch,

And through the insensate rock would force his speech."

Eryx, his friend, follows close at his side, exclaiming,

"Tis your cold courage turns your hearts to stone:
Then rushing on, his arms to strike he rear'd,
And marbled o'er, his varied frame appeared."

Others beyond them are pressing forward to the encounter, or cautiously aiming their spears at a distance; among these may be noticed Thessalus, who, while in the act of casting his javelin, is changed to marble. On the left of the hero stands his friend, the brave Aconteus, who

"By chance,

Looked back and met the Gorgon's baneful glance."

Pallas, the protector of Perseus, appears above, armed with a lance and her Gorgon shield. The affrighted Andromeda, with her father Cepheus, and friends, are seen through a lofty doorway at the end of the hall. The artist, in the composition of this excellent picture, has adhered with scrupulous fidelity to the poet's description of the battle (See Ovid's Metamorphosis, book v.), and has given to the several combatants that heroic dignity of character so beautifully detailed in the poem.

Sir Joshua Reynolds, in his seventh Discourse on Art, makes the following observation on this picture:-"In consequence of the forbidding appearance (alluding to the

« ElőzőTovább »