WHENCE THE ART OF ROME? 287 



few specimens of plastic art that will forever re- 

 main unsurpassed. The first of these to be men- 

 tioned is the Laocoon group. Offended Apollo com- 

 manded that the father and two sons he strangled by 

 serpents ; and this composite piece of Pentelic marble 

 represents the execution of the relentless order. The 

 group was unearthed in 1506, and pronounced "a 

 marvel of art " by Michael Angelo. Not far from 

 the location of Laocoon is Apollo Belvedere, a piece 

 of sculpture highly esteemed by every art critic. In 

 another corner of the corridor are the two pugilists, 

 by Canova. There exists some diversity of opinion in 

 regard to the " make-up " and pose of these athletes. 

 The display of muscularity is good, but a lack of 

 spirit is manifest in them. In a hall of the Quadrato 

 Atrio stands the Torso of Hercules. The statue was ex- 

 ecuted at Athens B. c., and was found near the theater 

 of Pompey in the 16th century. It is one of the 

 boasted treasures of the Vatican. Plaster casts of 

 the original are in every art gallery of Europe and 

 America. 



The paintings of the Vatican are numerous and 

 wonderfully fine. They are largely scriptural, and 

 mostly mediaeval. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel 

 was embellished by Michael Angelo, several years 

 being spent in the laborious work. In another part 

 of the multiple gallery are the Stanze of Raphael ; and 

 it is difficult to tell in what respect the merits of 

 one artist exceed those of the other. Michael Angelo 

 loved sculpture and architecture, and painted as a 

 pastime, or under compulsion. The ceiling work of 

 the Sistine Chapel was forced upon the great artist 

 against his will, though he took considerable satisfac- 

 tion in the results of his unremitting labor with the 



