London and Its Environs Described, vol. 5 (of 6): Containing an Account of Whatever is Most Remarkable for Grandeur, Elegance, Curiosity or Use, in the City and in the Country Twenty Miles Round ItAnonymous
History
London and Its Environs Described, vol. 5 (of 6): Containing an Account of Whatever is Most Remarkable for Grandeur, Elegance, Curiosity or Use, in the City and in the Country Twenty Miles Round It
Anonymous
London (England) -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; London (England) -- Gazetteers -- Early works to 1800
aforesaid order; the frames of which form a beautiful variety of foliage
to adorn the higher parts quite up to the entablature.
Let us now pass over to the opposite side, which is divided into three
large spaces by two chimney pieces made of statuary marble, with
cornices supported by figures of Phrygian captives, copied from those in
the Capitol at Rome, and executed in a very masterly manner. The
finishing above the chimney pieces consists of terms, sphinxes,
festoons, &c. and within the spaces formed by these ornaments are placed
whole length portraits of the Earl and Countess of Northumberland in
their robes.
That the three grand divisions of this side might be furnished in an
elegant manner, his Lordship employed the most eminent masters to copy
five of the most admired paintings in Italy, which are placed as
follows: in the middle and largest division is Raphael’s celebrated
school of Athens, copied from the original in the Vatican by Raphael
Mengs. In the two other divisions on the right and left hand side of the
former are placed the feast and council of the Gods, which were also
painted by Raphael, and copied by Pompeio Battoni from the originals in
the Little Farnese. The two ends of the gallery are ornamented with the
triumphal procession of Bacchus and Ariadne (originally painted by
Annibal Caracci in the Farnese palace) and Guido’s Aurora. The former
was copied by Felice Costansi, and the latter by Masuccio, a scholar of
Carlo Maratti, from the original in the Villa Rospigliosi. All these
pictures are very large, being exactly of the same dimensions with the
originals, and are copied in a very masterly manner. We heartily wish
his Lordship’s taste in procuring them may incite those, who can afford
it, to follow the example, and purchase copies of such paintings as are
universally admired; for by these means not only private curiosity would
be gratified, but the public taste also greatly improved.
Under the aforesaid pictures are placed large sophas, covered with
crimson damask and richly ornamented. This gallery is lighted up for the
reception of company in the evenings, by means of four glass lustres,
consisting in all of as many branches as will receive 100 large wax
candles, and suspended from the ceiling by long chains, magnificently
gilt. We shall close our imperfect account of this stately gallery, by
wishing that it was in the power of words to describe the fine effects,
which arise from a view of its numberless beauties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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