622 The Pinacotheca of Munich. 



whom there are four pictures whose colours are almost as brilliant as 

 painted glass : they are the Agony in the Garden, the Crucifixion, 

 the Descent from the Cross, and the Resurrection. Of the works of 

 Durer's successors in this school, we may notice as specially worthy 

 of attention two Scripture pieces by Schaiifele, a St. John of Patmos 

 by Burgmayer, four splendid pictures illustrative of the Life of the 

 Virgin by Martin Schaffner, several studies of Saints and some Scrip- 

 ture compositions by the elder Holbein, and a Nativity by Van-Eyk. 

 In the smaller apartments there are, among others, an Adoration of 

 the Magi by Van-Eyk, a Death of Mary by Schorell, and a panel of 

 Saints by Lucas of Leyden. In no other department of the Pinaco- 

 theca and certainly in no other collection that we have seen in Eu- 

 rope is there to be found that almost poetic harmony which subsists 

 between all the parts constituting this division of the gallery. In the 

 second saloon one may find several pictures of the old German 

 school, a Lucretia by Durer and another by Kranach, some por- 

 traits by the younger Holbein and the Money-changer of Messys ; 

 but the far greater number are by German artists of later date, 

 Rottenhammer, Lott, Roos, Mengs, Graff, and Kauffmann. 



The third saloon, the first of the FLEMISH school, is filled with 

 the chefs d'ceuvre of Vandyck, Snyers, Pool, Vanderhelst, Cham- 

 pagne, &c. ; and in one of its smaller rooms are to be seen some 

 beautiful specimens of Rembrandt, some landscapes by Ruysdal and 

 "Wanloo, and some animal paintings by Weenix and Wouvermans. 

 The fourth saloon, however, is unquestionably the most attractive and 

 the finest of the whole gallery : it is entirely devoted to the works 

 of RUBENS. The ninety pictures that hang on its walls may all be 

 justly termed chefs d'ceuvre of that extraordinary artist, who has 

 fiever had a match in all that concerns freedom and roundness in 

 drawing and a luxurious and highly ornamental style of colouring ; 

 and their effect is skilfully heightened by the substitution of a crimson 

 silk ground for the green silk ground which covers the other walls 

 of the gallery. Whether or not in this particular instance the ad- 

 ventitious aid thus called in has been judiciously used, we are not 

 quite positive ; but it is very certain, that continental connoisseurs un- 

 derstand the art of setting off their pictures and arranging them in 

 company much better than the English. We should recommend Mr. 

 Seguier and the hanging committee of the academy to visit not only 

 the Pinacotheca but the Glyptotheca : they may, perchance, pick up 

 a few valuable hints. To return, the most conspicuous stations are 



fiven to the Last Judgment, a Nativity, a Descent of the Holy 

 pirit, an Assumption of the Virgin, a Rape of the Sabines, a Battle 

 of the Horatii and Curiatii, a Samson and Delilah, and a Battle of the 

 Amazons. All these pictures are beautiful specimens of Rubens's 

 characteristic genius ; but the two latter are exquisite and equally in- 

 imitable for composition, drawing, and colouring. The Lion Hunt, 

 the Bear Hunt, and the Massacre of the Innocents, all of which are 

 full of energy and life and are highly dramatical, are surrounded by 

 elegant groups of flower-bearing children and angels, and by some 

 admirable portraits of Rubens and his wives. We could linger over 

 this precious collection of Rubens', perhaps the finest in Europe- 



