The Palace and Park: Its Natural History, and Its Portrait Gallery, Together with a Description of the Pompeian CourtLatham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
History
The Palace and Park: Its Natural History, and Its Portrait Gallery, Together with a Description of the Pompeian Court
Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
Crystal Palace (Sydenham, London, England)
The visitor, having explored all the Fine Art Courts as well as the
several Courts of Manufacture, may now give his exclusive attention to
the _chefs-d’œuvre_ and valuable examples of ancient and modern
sculpture, which he has not found in the Fine Art Courts; but which will
arrest his eye from point to point, as he accompanies us in a walk
through
THE NAVE AND TRANSEPTS.
Our starting-point shall be the screen of the kings and queens of
England, at the south end of the building, containing casts of the regal
statues at the new Houses of Parliament, Westminster, executed by Mr.
John Thomas.
[Illustration: SCREEN OF THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF ENGLAND.]
The screen itself is from the design of Mr. M. D. Wyatt, and is
characterised by much originality and appropriateness of treatment. The
series of monarchs is placed in chronological order, commencing, on the
return side to the left (as we face the screen), with the kings of the
Saxon heptarchy; and beneath them the Saxon kings, the first on the left
being Egbert, by whom the greater number of the petty kingdoms were
first consolidated. The Norman series commences, on the principal front,
with William I. and his queen, above whom are the statues of St.
George and St. Andrew. Amongst the various rulers of the state may be
noticed as of great excellence, in that style of sculpture which has
been termed the “Romantic,” Henry II., Berengaria, Henry V., Henry VI.,
Richard III., Edward VI., Charles I., Queen Henrietta, and Cromwell;
this last was rejected by the Committee of the Houses of Parliament, but
is clearly necessary for completing the historical series, which is
concluded on the return side, to the right, with the royal personages of
the reigning Guelph family, and a lower row of Saxon kings. An
equestrian statue of her Majesty, by Baron Marochetti, stands here in
the centre.
Quitting the screen, we are first attracted on our road by the Crystal
Fountain, which occupied so conspicuous a place in the Great Exhibition
in Hyde Park. We will now, however, proceed on our tour, entering first
the western end of
THE SOUTH TRANSEPT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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