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or rather are, possessed of wings? where we soon discover that the primitive angels of the Pentateuch,

are not.

It is always injudicious of painters and sculptors, to let the points of junction where the wings of their angels are attached to their shoulders, be seen. Attention is here discomforted, because a disappointing truth is disclosed; and the higher an artist's pretensions to anatomical knowledge, the more his want of due reflection is betrayed, unless indeed, his genius should enable him to strike out,-as Coreggio has done, in the instance of that half-fledged Cupid, of which we purpose to treat in a future page--something at once creative and reflective. It is therefore -though without questioning that Michael Angelo made the original sketch, or design, from which the work before us was painted--we doubt whether he could have seen and approved of the figure before us, which has been quoted, we believe, and rendered more perspicuous and credible, by Flaxman and by Blake.

Speaking of the composition collectively, it is original, singular, extraordinary, and, if not inimitable, such as will not readily be imitated; and the whole work, particularly the chief figure and the globe, is liney, austere, and so defective in reflex light, that it may not be approvingly contemplated without especial reference to the early period when it was produced, and the contemporaneous state of imitative art. Michael Angelo was the Dædalus of modern Italy.

PORTRAIT OF POPE JULIUS II.

RAPHAEL SANZIO.

THE Costume of this portrait, the chair in which his holiness is seated-in short, every part of the picture, conspires to show that it is, in all respects, a matter of fact portrait, in painting which, not the faintest shade of what is termed idealising a head, has obtained in the mind of the artist; and that Raphael, who must have produced it during the earlier part of his career (his later and riper years being passed under the pontificate of Leo X.), must have thought, or felt, it necessary to suppress, or suspend, the powers of his fine imagination whilst painting a portrait: perhaps considering that such works should be, both ostensibly and really, mere unadorned transcripts of Nature, to be attained only by attention to her exactnesses; hence the details, not only of the countenance itself, but of the cap, the beard, and other subordinate accessories, are attended to with the careful solicitude of one of her pupils.

We consider that this deferential homage paid by Raphael at the shrines of Nature and Truth, does not lessen, but strengthens, his title to be honoured as

"Unrivall❜d sovereign of the realms of grace;"

and only wish that the National Gallery also contained some scriptural history from the same pencil, that the British public might acknowledge this claim, and bow with due reverence before the sceptre of Raphael.

But our present duty is to attend to the present

work, which is simply the likeness, rendered with exemplary care and fidelity, of a fine square-headed old man, steady and firm in his resolves, if not upright in his intentions; calm; self possessed, if not sincere; and who wished to pass for no more than just the man he was. It has the rare merit, too, of appearing as if the reverend pontiff sat meditating alone, and without the least consciousness that Raphael was painting his portrait.

Thus carefully and conscientiously manipulated, and the artist having been thus sedulous of accuracy, the picture affords a fine study for the modern craniologists; the character of the second Julius being pretty well known, and his forehead, as here portrayed, remarkably broad, lofty, and flat. But in

most other of the observations which we intended to have submitted concerning this performance, Mr. Ottley has so ably anticipated us, that we probably cannot do better than set his estimate of the merits, and his account of the peculiarities of the picture, before our readers, in his own words.

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Although (according to this historian of art) the political conduct of Pope Julius, was not always such as became a Christian pastor, still his abilities in the cabinet, and his intrepidity in the field, have justly rendered him illustrious; besides that, the liberal patronage he extended to Michael Angelo and Rafaelle, will ever entitle his name to respectful remembrance of all lovers of the Fine Arts."-By the way, Mr. Ottley must permit us to wish that he, and all other lovers of the Fine Arts who write in the English language, would spell this renowned painter's name, as Milton, Reynolds, and Fuseli did-Raphael. Those scholars certainly understood pretty well the

orthography of the proper names, both of archangels and artists.

Mr. Ottley proceeds-" The veteran pontiff is represented in a sitting posture, his elbows resting on the arms of his chair. His cap and short cloak are crimson silk, edged with ermine, and his under garment is of white linen, plaited, with silken sleeves. He holds one of the arms of the chair with his left hand, whilst the right hangs easily, advancing before, and hiding part of the body. The head is admirable. It is that of a hardy old man, accustomed to combat and to conquer difficulties; and the square projecting forehead, strongly marked features, straight white beard, and eyes deeply seated in their sockets, indicate at once that keenness of penetration and firmness of purpose, which were among the leading traits of the character of Julius.

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Although this portrait is simple and dignified, it is not deficient in becoming ornament. The background is a green hanging, on which, at regular distances, are slightly indicated [so slightly as to be scarcely discernible], with a somewhat darker tint of the same colour, the cross keys of the pontifical office; and from the corners of the back of the chair, rise two shafts, surmounted by gilt ornaments, in the form of acorns, in reference to the armorial bearings of the Pope's family."

Hazlitt appears to have been much struck with this portrait, and he sparkles accordingly he sees in it precisely what is seen by Mr. Ottley and ourselves, it is not necessary to quote him; but the moral and professional reflections on Raphael's practice, which he adds, are well worth the reader's attentive perusal; more especially if feelings of an

emulative nature inhabit his breast. Hazlitt says, "In seeing the labour, the conscientious and modest pains, which this great painter bestowed upon his smallest works, we cannot help being struck with the number and magnitude of those he left behind him. When we have a single portrait placed before us, that might seem to have taken half a year to complete it [an over-estimate certainly], we wonder how the same painter could find time to execute his cartoons, the compartments of the Vatican, and a thousand other matchless works. The same account serves for both. The more we do, the more we can do. Our leisure (though it may seem a paradox) is in proportion to our industry. The same habit of intense application, which led our artist to bestow as much pains and attention on the study of a single head, as if his whole reputation had depended on it, enabled him to set about the greatest works with alacrity, and to finish them with ease."

These illustrations leave us little to add: after painting the present head--which was, perhaps, a preparatory study for what followed-the divine artist availed himself of a favourable opportunity of pleasing this powerful and munificent patron, by introducing his portrait, in the character of the Hebrew high-priest Onias, in that far famed picture of Heliodorus driven from the Temple of Jerusalem, which graces the second chamber of the Vatican.

As the National Gallery contains none of Raphael's works, save the single portrait of Pope Julius, a slight biographical sketch, or contour, of the great artist, may not prove unacceptable-at least to our less informed readers.

RAPHAEL SANZIO was born at Urbino. His father,

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