Chapter XXII: Letter XX

The antichamber of the _Musée Central_, now filled with
an additional collection of fine pictures.—Account of the
wonderful recovery of some chefs-d’œuvre.—List of pictures in
this room.

Paris, march the 20th, 1802 (29 ventose.)

MY DEAR SIR,

I went this morning to the picture gallery, (or _Musée Central des Arts_), and was very agreeably surprised at finding that the antichamber, which, on my first, arrival at Paris, was filled with a miserable modern exhibition, now contains some of the _chefs-d’œuvre_ of the first masters.

These pictures, taken from Venice, Florence, Turin, and Foligno, have lately been arranged and deposited in this room. The advertisement to the additional catalogue, published on the occasion, acquaints us, that the persons entrusted with the management of the _Musée_, anxious to increase the pleasure of the public, and the improvement of the arts, had regularly exhibited, as they received them, the pictures collected at Bologna, Cento, Modena, Parma, Placenza, Rome, Venice, Florence, and Turin. But among the number, there were some in such a state of decay, that it was impossible to place them in the _Louvre_, without incurring the almost certain danger of their destruction. The administrators, therefore, very wisely determined to take every possible means of rescuing these sublime efforts of the art of painting from that entire ruin, into which they were rapidly falling. Their zeal and their perseverance have been crowned with success, infinitely greater than they could possibly have expected.

By a report made to the _national institute_ by _Morveau_, _Vincent_, and _Taunay_, it appears, that the celebrated picture of Raphael, called “la Vierge au Donataire,” or the Virgin with the Donor, found at Foligno, was in such a state of decay from the dampness of the place, where it had long been deposited, that the persons employed by the french government, much doubted the possibility of conveying it to Paris. After having taken every precaution, which their experience could suggest, to prevent the danger which they apprehended, they ordered the removal; but they felt, at the same time, that they could not exhibit this masterpiece in France, till they had shifted the ground from the wood on which it was originally painted, and which had become entirely rotten.

“Le Martyre de St. Pierre le Dominican,” or the Martyrdom of St. Peter the Dominican, esteemed one of the _chefs-d’œuvre_ of the art of painting, and the finest work which ever came from the pencil of Titian, was also, when found in the church of St. John and St. Paul, at Venice, painted on wood, and the pannel uncommonly thick. Its great dimensions obliged the commissioners to order it to be transported by sea to Marseilles. As the frigate, “la Favourite,” on board of which it was embarked, met with a storm during the passage, the case which contained it was exposed to the wet, and the humidity found its way to the picture. It was no longer possible to discover its beauties; and the only means left of saving the picture, was, by removing it from the wood, and placing it on cloth. This operation, as well as the former one, rendered, in the latter case, still more difficult, by the extraordinary size of the picture, was performed by C. Hacquin, with wonderful skill, great talent, and singular success. The process, which was superintended by a committee of the _national institute_, is given in the catalogue.

Both these superior specimens of painting are now restored to all their brilliancy, and to all their original perfection; and the principles on which this transposition has been effected, are so simple, that there is no longer any thing to dread from similar accidents.

The preface continues to state, that this new exhibition unites the most esteemed productions of the florentine, venetian, and roman schools. Some from the palace of Pitti, at Florence, and some from Turin. Specimens are presented of the works of artists unknown in Paris, and perhaps in many parts or Europe. Such are the Hunters, by St. Jean de St. Jean; the Virgin, the infant Jesus, and the infant St. John, by _Lorenzo Sabbatini_; and the _Ecce Homo_, of _Cigoli_; to which is added, a valuable picture of various animals, by J. Weeninix, lately bought by the minister of the interior, at the sale of _Paillet_ and _Coclers_, and united to the collection of the _Musée Central_, which, as the catalogue well observes, will become the most magnificent of Europe, if acquisitions are thus made of those productions, which are still wanting to complete it. I shall conclude this account, by mentioning the pictures of the celebrated masters.

PAUL VERONESE.

No. 44. “Les Nôces de Canna,” or the Marriage in Cana, by Paul
Veronese, is a large picture, in which he has introduced
all the dresses and extraordinary characters of the age in
which he lived. It is one of the four _cenes_, or feasts,
and was exhibited in the refectory of the monks of _St.
George the great_, at Venice. The artist received for
this interesting picture only 90 ducats, or 675 _livres
tournois_.—The second _cene_ is called “le Repas,” or the
Repast at Simon’s, and was in the refectory of the friars
of St. Sebastian, at Venice. It is now in the _Musée_.—The
third is the Repast at _Levi’s_, which forms the number 45
in this collection; and the fourth, in which Paul Veronese
paints our Saviour at the Pharisee’s, has long been at
Versailles, in the _Salon d’Hercule_, having been given
to Lewis XIV by the republic of Venice. “Ainsi,” says
the catalogue, in the style of french gasconade, “graces
au génie de la Victoire, la publique aura bientôt la
jouissance de voir ces quatre magnifique compositions
réunis dans le Musée Central[53].”

No. 45. Is the Repast at Levi’s, mentioned above.

46. Is the Virgin, St. Jerom, and other saints.—One of his best
pictures, taken from the convent of St. Zacharia, at
Venice.

47. The Martyrdom of St. George, taken from the principal altar
of the church of St. George, at Venice, esteemed the
finest work which Paul Veronese left in his own country.
The _Musée_ has the same work in little.

48. Jupiter thundering against Crimes. Taken from the ducal
palace at Venice, where it was placed in the hall of
the council of ten. The crimes described in the picture
are, Forgery, Exaction, and Treason, which were the
subjects specially entrusted to this dreadful tribunal,
whose judgments were without appeal. Paul Veronese
executed this work after a journey to Rome. He pretended
to have copied, and _connoisseurs_ pretend to discover,
figures imitated from the antique.

49. Christ carrying his Cross.—This valuable picture painted on
wood, comes from the old collection of the kings of France.

50. The Crucifixion of our Saviour.—This also comes from the
royal collection.

No. 51. The Pilgrims of Emmaus, taken from Versailles.

PORDENONE.

No. 54. St. Laurence, Justiniani, and other saints. Taken from the
church of _Madona del Orto_, at Venice. Reckoned one of
_Pordenone’s_ best works. His name appears on it, written
thus, “Joannes Antoninus Portapanaensis.”

RAPHAEL.

No. 55. “La Vierge au Donataire,” or the Virgin with the Donor.—I
have before mentioned the wonderful manner in which this
picture has been recovered.

56. Jesus Christ, the Virgin, St. John, St. Paul, and St.
Catherine.—This picture, painted on wood, comes from
St. Paolo, at Parma.

57. The Portrait of Raphael and his Fencing-master, taken by
himself. Painted on cloth, and brought from Versailles.

58. The Portrait of Count _Balthasar Castiglione_. Painted on
cloth, and brought from Versailles.

59. The Portrait of _Cardinal Inghirami_. Painted on cloth.
Taken from the palace of Pitti, at Florence.

60. Portrait of pope Julius II. Painted on wood. Also from the
palace of _Pitti_.

RUBENS.

No. 61. Grotius, Justus Lipsius, Rubens, and his Brother. A picture
of the great painter, and his nearest and most illustrious
friends.

62. The carrying of the Cross.—This picture, painted on cloth,
comes from the abbey of Affingham, near Alost, in Holland.

No. 63. Christ thundering against Heresy. Painted on cloth. Taken
from the church of the Jacobins, at Antwerp.

64. The Assumption of the Virgin. Painted on cloth. Taken from
the church of the _Carmes des Chaux_, at Brussels.

ANDREA SACCHI.

No. 65. St. Romuald.—This picture comes from the church of the
_Camadules_ of _St. Romuald_, at Rome, where it was
placed above the principal altar. It was long esteemed
one of the four best pictures at Rome.

SALVATOR ROSA.

No. 60. The Ghost of Samuel.—This picture, brought from Versailles,
is on cloth.

TINTORET.

No. 67. Saint Mark freeing a Slave. From the fraternity of St. Marco,
at Venice. One of the best pieces of Tintoret, and one of
the three to which he affixed his name, in this manner,
“Jacomo Tintor, F.”

68. St. Agnes bringing to Life the Son of a Prefect, at Rome.
Taken from the church of _la Madona del Orto_, at Venice.

TITIAN.

No. 69. The Martyrdom of St. Peter, the Dominican.—The wonderful
recovery of this precious picture I have before mentioned.
It is now in high preservation. The colours are rich, and
the whole perfect.

No. 70. The Portrait of the _Marquis del Guasto_.—This picture is
painted on cloth, and was in the old collection.

71. The Virgin, the infant Jesus, St. John, and St. Agnes. From
the old collection.

72. The Holy Family, called the Virgin with the Rabbit. From the
old collection.

73. The Pilgrims of Emmaus.—This picture, painted on cloth, was
brought from Versailles.

74. Titian and his Mistress.—This valuable picture comes from the
old collection.

75. The Picture of a man. From the old collection.

76. The Portrait of Cardinal _Hippolytus de Medici_, in a
military dress. From the palace of Pitti.

VAN DYCK.

No. 84. Francis de Moncade, Marquis d’Aytone, on cloth. From the
palace of prince Braschi, at Rome.

LEONARDI DA VINCI.

No. 37. The Virgin and St. Ann, on wood. From the old collection.

GUERCINO (GIO FRANCESCO BARBIERI.)

No. 33. St. Petronelle. The chef-d’œuvre of Guerchini. Taken from
the pontifical palace, at mount Cavallo, at Rome, where
it ornamented the chapel called _Pauline_.

L. CARRACCI.

No. 19. The carrying away the Body of the Virgin.

20. The Apostles at the Sepulchre.—These two pictures came from
Placenza, where they were seen in the cathedral. Painted
in 1608, when Carracci was far advanced in life.

“The Transfiguration,” by Raphael, is undergoing the same
process as the pictures mentioned in the beginning of
this letter; and will, probably, when this is finished,
obtain all its former celebrity.

I make no apology for this long account; for knowing your curiosity about paintings, and the general taste for such subjects in England, I thought it an indispensible duty to give you the full particulars of this new exhibition, which, though on a smaller scale, is perhaps superiour, in point of real merit, to the larger collection.

Adieu. The more I see of the Musée, the more am I delighted. I often take advantage of the hospitable privilege accorded to foreigners, and come here on those days when the public are not admitted. I have then the united advantages of looking on uninterrupted by the noise of crowds, and of seeing the number of artists, of both sexes, (some professional, and some amateurs), who are busily employed in copying the most esteemed productions.

I think it certain, that so favourable an opportunity will soon revive, in all its ancient splendour, the art of painting, which, for some years back, has been, undoubtedly, on the decline.

I am, &c.