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TIIK CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[July, 



myself more clearly without becoming libellous, and forfeiting that 

 character for imliilgent clemency, and considerate forbearance which I 

 have now established. — An nslc, it would be amusing if not edifying to 

 draw a parallel between architecture and cookery, which latter of these 

 two fine arls requires a peculiar genius for combinations, combiiiatwnn- 

 gdat, generallv dispensed with by the other. At all events it cannot 

 h' denied tliat architects do show themselves less expert than our 

 ckfs-d(-cn/sin(,ior they seldom do more than merely /m«/i a/p afresh 

 the same stale remains of classicalitv. 



FRESCO PAINTING IN ENGLAND. 



THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT's MANSIOX. 



We have several times alfuded to the works going on at Beaufort 

 House, but have not until now been able to give our readers any do- 

 tailed iiccnunt. We mav remark that this mansion is situated in Ar- 

 lington Street, Piccadilly, having, from the back, a view of the Green 

 Park. It was formerly in the occupation of the Marquis of Camden, 

 but is now being fitted up by the Duke of Beaufort as a tovvn resi- 

 dence. His grace had certainly some difliculties to contend witli in 

 the previous state of the house, which, like too many other mansions 

 in London, had been consigned to the tasteful hands of the upholsterer 

 and the whitewasher. It being considered that painting might look 

 as well on the walls as dabbed and spotted paper, a point on which 

 we fear there are some doubts entertained by London residents gene- 

 rally, it was originally suggested, under the idea that Englishmen 

 conld not do it so cheaply and so well, that German artists should be 

 employed. While the negociations were going on, Mr. Latilla was 

 mentioned to the Duke as having been eugageil in similar works, and 

 liaving been directed to send in designs, was immediately employed. 

 By this arrangement the work has not only been done much cheaper, 

 and w'e think many will consider better, but a great service has been 

 rendered to English art. Mr. Latilla's system of fresco painting had 

 •ah-eady met witli much approbation and encouragement, but it wanted 

 this excellent opiiortunity to ilisplay its powers more fully. 



Passing on now to the works executed under Mr. Latilla's direction, 

 the first is a vaulted corridor leading from the entrance hall, and which, 

 in the Marquis of Camden's time, remained in all the simplicity of 

 white and unpolluted paint, but is now designed in bigio or cliiar' 

 oscuro with trophies and medallions, something in the Roman style. 

 On the side opposite the windows a range of plaster stat\ies of agri- 

 cultural divinities bear lights in their hands, and serve to break the 

 view. At the end of this corridor is a hall from which a staircase 

 runs to the upper apartments ; the walls and ceiling of this staircase 

 have also been decorated with representations of medallions and ar- 

 chitectural ornaments. 



On the ground floor are the princii)al apartments, one of which, the 

 banquetting room, we are now about to describe. This apartment 

 may be about thirty feet by twent3', anil sixteen feet high, having on 

 one of the long sides three windows, the ojiposite side an entrance 

 door, another and a chimney at one end of the room, and at the other 

 end folding doors leading out of it. Six large panels are thus left, 

 which are painted with two series of subjects, one representing the 

 seasons, and the other Hebe and Ariadne. As a banquetting room 

 the decorations of course are of a Bacchanalian character, and without 

 departing from the character of the antique, are not repulsive to 

 modern taste. The whole style is a similar hajipy adaptation of 

 ancient principles, and without being restricted to any one school, has 

 a unity of character which establishes it as a style in itself. The de- 

 sign of the panels is much in the Pompeian taste, but carried out in 

 accordance with the advance of modern art ; the pilasters and ara- 

 besques have, perhaps, more of the character of (iiroiamo Koinanino, or 

 his model, the baths of Titu^, and the tone of colouring show s a nearer 

 approach to the Herculanean than the Pompeian. The ground of the 

 room is of a lavender colour, and upon this a brightness and harmony 

 of effect is jiroduced without spottiness or rawness. 



The two |)anels at each end of the room are devoted to the seasons, 

 the first of which, Spring, is represented by a female figure clothed 

 in white gauze, and floating in true antique style in ambient air. 

 Beneath her is a landscape representing Greek scenery, and under the 

 panel is a mask of a young head in a festoon of spring flowers, daflb- 

 dils, crocuses, snow-drops, &:c. 



The next on the same side is Summer, also personated by a young 

 female, crowned with a wreath of roses, and holding a garlaml in her 

 hand, and floating over scenery representing Egyptian subjects. The 

 festoon underneath is of roses and other summer flowers, and contains 

 a mask, of Baccaus. . 



At the opposite end of the room, the figure next the door, that of 

 an older female, is the emblem of Autumn; she is crowned with pop- 

 pics, and presides over an autumnal landscape. A mask of a warrior 

 reposes on a festoon of grajies, wheat-ears, and other harvest produc- 

 tions. Part of tlie drapery of this is, perhaps, a little heavy. 



The remaining panel of this series is devoted to Winter, a subject 

 treated in a beautiful and ett'ective method. In a deep blue winter 

 sky floats a young female closely draped, with part of her robe brought 

 round her head as a hood. Above her head is seen the constellation 

 of the Pleiades, and to her breasts she clasps a cinerary urn, the em- 

 blem of the closing year. Underneath is a representation of iceclad 

 mountains, forming ail appropriate finish to this admirable scene, the 

 character of which is indeed well maintained. A mask of a bearded 

 old man is placed on the festoon beneath, wdiich is twined of the holly 

 and mistletoe and other emblems of Christmas. 



The other and smaller series of subjects is on the side opposite the 

 windows. One (xinel is appropriated to Hebe, who, with her golden 

 vase and cup, and usual attributes, flies over a morning scene. The 

 other panel represents Ariadne with the thyrsus, the scene under 

 being a sacrifice to Bacchus. Under each 6f these panels is a festoon 

 of flowers with a mask of a female head. 



There is nothing much to remark in the smaller doors, they have 

 over them each a small panel, containing a vase and flowers. The 

 ornaments of the folding doors consisting of bluish ribbands and of 

 medallions, have much of the character of the baths of Titus, and over 

 the door is an arabesque on a yellow ground. The treatment of these 

 doors is verv skilful, the details made to tell well. The chimney and 

 fire-place is of black marble with ormolu ornaments, and over it is a 

 large glass. This chimney it was very difficult to bring in, but the 

 treatment has been most successful. Over the glass is a deep cho- 

 colate ground jianel, with boys carrying grapes, accompanying an 

 infant Bacchus riding on a goat. The several compartments of the 

 room are divided by arabesques, consisting of a red stafl' or thyrsus, 

 with grapes and Bacchanalian emblems. The carving round the 

 room lias four corners of a peculiar deep brown used by the ancients, 

 w hicli Mr. Latilla names Etruscan brown. Between these are arabes- 

 ques on a cream-coloured ground, consisting of boys playing with 

 panthers. The ceiling is of a low cream colour, having in the centre 

 a patera, formed of light festoons and flowers. From this depends a 

 lamp ornamented with vine leaves of ormolu, and grapes of ground 

 glass. The carpet is of a plain pattern, and light in appearance ; it 

 is of blue and yellow on a maroon ground, with a white border. The 

 furniture is of the simplest description, a mahogany table and red mo- 

 rocco chairs. These latter accessories are not of the selection of the 

 artist, but it does great credit to the high-minded nobleman who em- 

 ))loyed him, that he has not, as is too often the case, allowed the fur- 

 niture to injure the rest of the works. The lamp might have been 

 more in the antique, but it is not oft'ensive. An Elizabethan stove, 

 intended to have been placed in the room, has been removed. 



An oval saloon leading from the banquetting room to the drawdng 

 room is also painted by Mr. Latilla. It has a white ground with fes- 

 toons of gold ribband, but we cannot say we like the design of these 

 last. The drawing room is now under the hands of Mr. Jones, (the 

 author, we believe, of the work on the Alhambra.) The design is 

 in a style somewhat of the time of Henry the Fourth, and is of a most 

 gorgeous character, nearly all gold and silver. The panels represent 

 the story of Mary, Queen of .Scots, and the walls are of a bright blue, 

 with fleur-de-lis. The effect is admirable, but there are few, we be- 

 lieve, who will not prefer the light elegance of the banquetting room, 

 which both by night and by day is equally eft'ective. 



The Duke of Beaufort has reason to congratulate himself on his 

 determination in every respect ; his banquetting room has been exe- 

 cuted for a tenth part of the German estimate, will remain for centu- 

 ries, and would be injured by any but the simplest furniture. As a 

 worthy encouragement of English art and an example to other patrons, 

 Beaufort House and its noble owner have done much valuable service, 

 and we shall be greatly deceived if its results are limited to such a 

 sphere, or confined to the employment of one man. We see, in this 

 mansion, the germ of what can be done in our national and civic edi- 

 fices, and architects and artists will do but half their duty if they do 

 not agitate until in this line, also, we have distanced foreign rivalry. 

 We have enough artists of fame in the country, we have plenty of 

 latent talent, and it wants but scope for exertion to place us in that 

 position which Englishmen, if they have the opportunity, are sure to 

 attain. For three hundred years we fostered foreign art, and the 

 result was that we did not jn'odnce even one good artist for every 

 foreigner employed ; we got only Hudson, Oliver, and Thornliill, in 

 exchange for Holbein, Rubens, Vandyke and Leiy : we began to de- 

 pend on our own resources, and we have produced men whose names 

 are known to Euiope; in all the branches of art for which we have 



