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seemed to have revived the example of Isocrates, who devoted so many years to the polish of his celebrated Panegyric."

"His picture of the Woman taken in Adultery, used to be pointed out in the Pitti palace for a work of Mantegna. For the rest his paintings are extremely rare, as he did not survive beyond his fortieth year, during which period he painted with the caution of a modest scholar, more than with the freedom of a master*"

On some points here is certainly resemblance, and on others none, between this description of Grandi's style of art, and the picture before us. The resemblance is with regard to the careful labour and revisal he bestowed on his work, his timidity, and his want of masterly freedom and vigorous cogitation. But Albano never could have thought this Conversion of St. Paul, equal to Andrea Mantegna-a bold and energetic artist; nor Lanzi, that its author painted to advance the art, but rather to retard it, unless it be a much earlier work than its apparent freshness appears to proclaim.

Mr. Ottley thinks, that "from the magnificence of Saul's armour, and the great number of his armed attendants, the picture, were it not for the figure of Christ in the clouds, might be supposed to represent the overthrow of the army of Sennacherib, rather than the conversion of the apostle of the Gentiles ;' and there is much truth in the assertion, as well as some pleasantry in the equivoke: neither needs the figure of Jesus Christ to render this construction exceptionable; because the destruction of the Assyrian

* Lanzi's First Epoch of the School of Ferrara, vol. v. on the authority of Barufaldi.

host requires, or at least admits, the presence of such a supernatural apparition in the clouds.

The performance before us, which Mr. Carr obtained from the Aldobrandini Collection, certainly looks like a work done under the cloud of ignorance that overshadowed those middle ages which preceded the resurrection of the antique, and the Italian avatur of poetry; and rather like a crowded map of Saint Paul's conversion, than like a picture of that subject-— there being no expression of space, nor much of the conversion of a sinner to a saint: and the distant groves and suburbs of Damascus, or of Jerusalem (whichsoever be meant) appearing scarcely further from the spectator's eye, than the Christ-stricken persecutor, or proselyte, on the foreground.

The scriptural text from which it is ostensibly taken, is rather obscured, than illustrated, by this picture. Here is not the least sign or symptom of conversion on the part of Saul, who looks a little stupified indeed, but neither blinded, nor illumined with sudden and heaven-sent conviction. The sacred scribe informs us, that "suddenly there shone round about Saul a light from heaven, and that he heard thence a voice." Now here is no such supernatural light; and though sound cannot be painted, yet a celestial verbal announcement may be indicated—as painters of genius have sometimes shewn us. On the present depicted occasion, if a voice,-an articulate voice, might be fancied to proceed from Heaven, it could not possibly be heard by St. Paul, or any person else present in this assemblage, on account of the numerous voices on earth; for almost all the nearer figures have their mouths wide open. Is the moment here chosen, that when the Saviour demands of his

incipient proselyte, why he persecuted him? Or is it that of immediate after occurrence, when Saul, instead of a direct reply, evades the question by asking another, namely, "Who art thou, Lord?" In either case, so many of the companions of the apostle, all with open mouths, exclaiming at once, destroys the effect, and deviates from the scripture, which mentions no more of oral communion than a dialogue, the two colloquists being Jesus Christ and Saul; and does not imply the presence of so numerous a company as we here behold.

The mouth which the painter should have represented open, is closed: those which he should have represented closed, are open. I wonder that the Italian churchmen did not perceive this indecorum, and call upon Ercole to amend his reading, as they did upon Daniel de Volterra to accommodate with small clothes, the rising saints and sinners of Michael Angelo; for it is in the very teeth of the scripture, which expressly says, "The men which journeyed with him, stood speechless." Again, Jesus Christ is indeed here depicted, but with his mouth shut, although he should have been the sole speaker. He is introduced in a common-place, theatrical, sort of cloud above; but, otherwise, here is no manifestation of miracle, or aught else, below, than a display of military foppery and other trivial prettinesses of costume, effected by means of a " prodigal use of minute ornament, gold, and fine colours," to the neglect of considerations of real grandeur.

The future apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, here wears an embossed and superbly plumed helmet, fit for a pageant; and, like some of his attendants, a suit of variegated armour, that might with some pro

priety have made its appearance in that magnificent triumphal procession of the Emperor Maximilian, which Albert Durer has immortalised. Indeed the

work altogether, looks more a production of Wolgemuth (who was Durer's master) than of Italian origin.

The caparisoned white horse, from which the persecutor, who had "breathed forth threatenings and slaughter against the disciples," has been dismounted, looks not only suffering, but pleading, or imploring for mercy; for, like the human figures, he is painted with his mouth wide open: and assuredly, with as good reason as the ass of Balaam, he might inquire, "Wherefore hast thou smitten me?" The painter, in our humble opinion, had better have avoided this inuendo, since there is no scriptural authority for it, and have forborne to plunder Homer and the Pentateuch.

In truth, we can scarcely make out what point of time the artist has chosen, or has intended to choose; but it is quite clear that he has missed the critical, pregnant, and important, moment, which it was his first duty to have selected, when "suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven, and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice," all of which were of simultaneous occurrence, and none of which are here depicted-neither the light, the voice, nor the earth-stricken offender.

But neither is the time chosen that of dawning conversion, when the proselyte inquires, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" for the Lord answered and said unto him, "Arise, and go into the city;' and here, though Saul is speaking, he is already upon his legs.

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The horses introduced, are very indifferently drawn; and so are the human extremities: nor are the characters of their countenances much better. That of Jesus Christ is any thing but divine; neither could we have guessed who it was intended for, but for the clouds and the halo of glory which surrounds it. A naked figure, or naked bodied figure, is improperly introduced among the companions of Saul, which has no other effect than to show how indifferently the author of this performance could reason, and could paint a human back.

As a whole, whoever painted the present picture, we may dismiss it as the production of a laborious, solicitous, unreflecting, and servile mind, without genius, and apparently brought up to Painting as a drudgery and a business; and probably entertaining so little notion even of the nature of excellence in that liberal art, or of the nature of the miracle of St. Paul's conversion, as reluctantly to waste on this subject, the time and talent that would with more of homogeneous enjoyment have painted for Madam Watersouchy the most perfect fillet of veal that ever made the mouth of man to water.

HOLY FAMILIES.

NOTHING can more evidently show how inexhaustible are the stores of Art, when Nature, as it ought, is regarded as at once their archetype and treasury, than the numerous hosts of Holy Families which have issued from the studios of the artists of the continent, for, notwithstanding that their numbers are without

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