The Picture Gallery of the Vatican. 171 



evidently improved himself b)T the study of Raffaelle and Corregio. 

 In 1797 k was taken to Paris from the church of St. Francis at 

 Pesaro. 



No. 22. Venetian School. St. Helena, by Paolo Cagliari, com- 

 monly called Paul Veronese, because he was born at Verona. 



St. Helena was the mother of Constantine the Great, and disco- 

 vered the so called true cross, which symbol her son afterwards 

 selected for his standard. She is dressed in a rich imperial mantle, 

 with a diadem on her head, and sits sleeping- with her cheek resting 

 on her left arm. In front, and a little on one side, an angel is sup- 

 porting- the cross, and leaves an uninterrupted view of a figure so 

 beautiful, that, though single, it is sufficient to fill the picture with a 

 magnificence really wonderful. This is a remarkable work of Paul 

 Veronese, who was so great a favourite with Guido, that he said, if 

 it were in his power he would choose to be not Guido, but Paul. It 

 is not a picture of composition, for its whole merit rests upon a single 

 figure of great richness, imagination, and originality. Rubens alone 

 appears to have possessed a genius capable of rivalling Paul Veronese. 

 This picture belonged to the gallery of the Sacchetti family, from 

 whom it was obtained by Benedict XIV. ; 



No. 23. Roman School. The Mysteries, by Raffaelle. 



Though this picture offers nothing very remarkable to an ordinary 

 observer, it was thought worthy of being sent to Paris in 1797. It 

 formerly belonged to the steps of the altar of the church of the Bene- 

 dictines at Perugia, and represents in three compartments the An- 

 nunciation of the Virgin, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Presen- 

 tation at the Temple. 



No. 24. Ferrara School The Holy Family, by Benvenuto Tisi, 

 commonly called Garofalo. 



A small picture on wood representing the Virgin and Child, St. 

 Joseph, and St. Catherine. If Garofalo was more striking in his larger 

 works, still this little painting, although retouched in some parts, is 

 sufficient to show^thathe was cotemporary with Raffaelle, and that he 

 caught something of his drawing, his touch, and his expression. The 

 little Garofalo, i. e. Carnation, is a surname given to him, because he 

 generally put a violet or a carnation into his pictures as a distinctive 

 mark. The writer of this article looked hard for the garofalo in this 

 picture, but is obliged to confess that he could not find it. 



No. 25. Roman School. Three Saints, by Pietro Perugino. 



Another performance which most persons would pass by unheeded, 

 but which was sent to Paris in 1797. It represents half-length por- 

 traits of St. Benedict, St. Placidus, and St. Flavia his sister. 



No. 26. Roman School. The Madonna di Foligno, by Raffaelle. 



Artists may talk about the Transfiguration or the Communion of 

 St. Girolamo, they are both very fine]creations of the pencil, and too 

 much cannot be said in their praise ; but bring five persons who are 

 merely educated gentlemen to view the pictures, and at least four 

 of them will prefer the beauty, the elegance, and the ideality of the 

 Madonna di Foligno to the more artificial and technical attractions 

 of the others. It is, however, allowed at all hands that among the 

 pictures pointed out for excellence of colouring, this holds the most 



