Paris as It Was and as It Is Part 16

GERHARD DOUW.

N 234. (Gallery.) _The dropsical Woman._

HANS HOLBEIN.

N 319. (Gallery.) _A young woman, dressed in a yellow veil, and with her hands crossed on her knees._

JORDAENS.

N 351. (Gallery.) _Twelfth-Day_.

352. _The Family-Concert_.

ADRIAN VAN OSTADE.

N 428. (Gallery.) _The family of Ostade, painted by himself._

430. _A smoking Club_.

431. _The Schoolmaster, with the ferula in his hand, surrounded by his scholars_.

PAUL POTTER.

N 446. (Gallery.) _An extensive pasture, with cattle._

This most remarkable picture represents, on the fore-ground, near an oak, a bull, a ewe with its lamb, and a herdsman, all as large as life.

REMBRANDT.

N 457. (Gallery.) _The head of a woman with ear-rings, and dressed in a fur-cloak._

458. _The good Samaritan_.

465. _The Cabinet-maker's family._

466. _Tobias and his family kneeling before the angel Raphael, who disappears from his sight, after having made himself known._

469. _The Presentation of Jesus in the temple._

The pictures, exhibited in the _Saloon_ of the _Louvre_, have infinitely the advantage of those in the _Great Gallery_; the former apartment being lighted from the top; while in the latter, the light is admitted through large windows, placed on both sides, those on the one side facing the compartments between those on the other; so that, in this respect, the master-pieces in the _Gallery_ are viewed under very unfavourable circ.u.mstances.

The _Gallery_ of the _Louvre_ is still capable of containing more pictures, one eighth part of it (that next to the _Tuileries_), being under repair for the purpose.[1] It has long been a question with the French republican government, whether the palace of the _Tuileries_ should not be connected to the _Louvre_, by a gallery parallel to that which borders the Seine. Six years ago, I understand, the subject was agitated, and dropped again, on consideration of the state of the country in general, and particularly the finances. It is now revived; and I was told the other day, that a plan of construction had absolutely been adopted. This, no doubt, is more easy than to find the sums of money necessary for carrying on so expensive an undertaking.

If the fact were true, it is of a nature to produce a great sensation in modern art, since it is affirmed that the object of this work is to give a vast display to every article appropriated to general instruction; for, according to report, it is intended that these united buildings, should, in addition to the National Library, contain the collections of statues, pictures, &c. &c. still remaining at the disposal of the government. I would not undertake to vouch for the precise nature of the object proposed; but it cannot be denied that, in this project, there is a boldness well calculated to flatter the ambition of the Chief Consul.

However, I think it more probable that nothing, in this respect, will be positively determined in the present state of affairs. The expedition to St. Domingo will cost an immense sum, not to speak of the restoration of the French navy, which must occasion great and immediate calls for money. Whence I conclude that the erection of the new Gallery, like that of the National Column, will be much talked of, but remain among other projects in embryo, and the discussion be adjourned _sine die_.

Leaving the _Great Gallery_, we return to the _Saloon_ of the _Louvre_, which, being an intermediate apartment, serves as a point of communication between it and the

GALLERY OF APOLLO.

The old gallery of this name, first called _La pet.i.te galerie du Louvre_, was constructed under the reign of Henry IV, and, from its origin, ornamented with paintings. This gallery having been consumed by fire in 1661, owing to the negligence of a workman employed in preparing a theatre for a grand ballet, in which the king was to dance with all his court, Lewis XIV immediately ordered it to be rebuilt and magnificently decorated.

LE BRUN, who then directed works of this description in France, furnished the designs of all the paintings, sculpture, and ornaments, which are partly executed. He divided the vault of the roof into eleven princ.i.p.al compartments; in that which is in the centre, he intended to represent _Apollo_ in his car, with all the attributes peculiar to the Sun, which was the king's device. The _Seasons_ were to have occupied the four nearest compartments; in the others, were to have been _Evening_ and _Morning_, _Night_ and _Day-break_, the _Waking of the Waters_, and that of the _Earth at Sun-rise_.

Unfortunately for his fame, this vast project of LE BRUN was never completed. Lewis XIV, captivated by Versailles, soon turned all his thoughts towards the embellishment of that palace. The works of the GALLERY OF APOLLO were entirely abandoned, and, of all this grand composition, LE BRUN was enabled to execute no more than the following subjects:

1. _Evening_, represented by Morpheus, lying on a bed of poppies, and buried in a profound sleep.

2. _Night_ succeeding to day, and lighted by the silvery disk of the Moon, which, under the figure of Diana, appears in a car drawn by hinds.

3. _The Waking of the Waters_. Neptune and Amphitrite on a car drawn by sea-horses, and accompanied by Tritons, Nereds, and other divinities of the waters, seem to be paying homage to the rising sun, whose first rays dispel the Winds and Tempests, figured by a group to the left; while, to the right, Polyphemus, seated on a rock, is calling with his loud instrument to his Galatea.

The other compartments, which LE BRUN could not paint, on account of the cessation of the works, remained a long time vacant, and would have been so at this day, had not the _ci-devant_ Academy of Painting, to whom the king, in 1764, granted the use of the GALLERY OF APOLLO, resolved that, in future, the historical painters who might be admitted members, should be bound to paint for their reception one of the subjects which were still wanting for the completion of the ceiling. In this manner, five of the compartments, which remained to be filled, were successively decorated, namely:

1. _Summer_, by DURAMEAU.

2. _Autumn_, by TARAVAL.

3. _Spring_, by CALLET.

4. _Winter_, by LAGRENeE the younger,

5. _Morning_, or day-break, by RENOU.

The GALLERY OF APOLLO now making part of the CENTRAL MUSEUM, it would be worthy of the government to cause its ceiling to be completed, by having the three vacant compartments painted by skillful French artists.

Under the compartments, and immediately above the cornice, are twelve medallions, which were to represent the _twelve months of the year_, characterized by the different occupations peculiar to them: eight only are executed, and these are the months of summer, autumn, and winter.

The rich borders in gilt stucco, which serve as frames to all these paintings, the caryatides which support them, as well as the groups of Muses, Rivers, and Children, that are distributed over the great cornice, are worthy of remark. Not only were the most celebrated sculptors then in France, GASPAR and BALTHAZAR MARSY, REGNAUDIN, and GIRARDON, chosen to execute them; but their emulation was also excited by a premium of three hundred louis, which was promised to him who should excel. GIRARDON obtained it by the execution of the following pieces of sculpture:

1. The figure representing a river which is under the _Waking of the Waters_; at the south extremity of the gallery.

2. The two trophies of arms which are near that river.

3. The caryatides that support one of the octagonal compartments towards the quay, at the foot of which are seen two children; the one armed with a sickle, the other leaning on a lion.

4. The group of caryatides that supports the great compartment where _Summer_ is represented, and below which is a child holding a balance.

5. The two grouped figures of Tragedy and Comedy, which rest on the great cornice.

In the GALLERY OF APOLLO will be exhibited in succession, about twelve thousand original drawings of the Italian, Flemish, and French schools, the greater part of which formerly belonged to the crown.

This valuable collection had been successively enriched by the choice of those of JABAK, LANQUE, MONTARSIS, LE BRUN, CROZAT, MARIETTE, &c.