84 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[March, 



pressed by the contact and weight of the solid masses which cover it, the 

 water is constantly, if we may use the expression, in a Btate of insurrection 

 against them, and continually seeking to rush up through them, or throw 

 them off. 



Hence it is that if human industry, exerting itself at the surface of the 

 earth, shall pierce thissurface and force down a vertical pipe into the aqueous 

 region, the impatient water seizes upon the means of escape, and fully liqui- 

 fied by its very first movement in a passage so contracted, runs impetuously 

 through its whole length. Arrived at the orifice, it flows over, and even mounis 

 above it. The vertical jet has a force proportionate to the depth of the 

 excavation which was necessary to arrive at the water. 



This circumstance is remarkable, for the contrary would be the case if the 

 Artesian fountain were produced like an ordinary jet d'eau, by the simple 

 weight of a liquid column falling from an elevated reservoir, and working to 

 regain its level. We know that in every hydraulic apparatus, the effective 

 action is weakened in proportion to the extent of surface which the liquid 

 has to pass over, and to the friction it has to overcome. 



But not only is the furce of the Artesian jet much greater in proportion to 

 the depth of the excavation— the heat of the liquid itself shows clearly that 

 the augur of the well sinker has more closely approached the producing and 

 expelling fire wh'ch exists in the centre of the globe. 



The source then of Artesian eruptions, is the same as that of volcanic 

 eruptions ; it is the central action of this terrestial globe ; it is the formid- 

 able Power, which, during the infancy of the world, launched out upon its 

 primitive surface alike the isolated cones and long unbroken chains of lofty 

 mountairs, and which from time to time is exerting efforts to raise new- 

 mountains. This marvellous Power is that sole and universal Force, that 

 Expansion which is constantly in exercise throughout all material being ; it 

 is none other than the grand Principle, the Soul of nature, the producer of 

 life, which under the eyes of all men, spreads and developes itself throughout 

 the substance of every organized being, and whose expression and sentiment 

 each one of us exhibits in his own person. 



REVIEWS. 



Walks through the Studij of the Sculptors at Rome, Kith a brief 

 historical and critical sketch of Sculpture from the earliest times to the 

 present day. Bv Count Hawks Le Giuce, K.S.G., Chamberlain of 

 Honour to his Holiness the Pope, &c. 



" It is with great pleasure," says the Diario di Roma, "that we 

 announce this new work, by a learned Englishman; it contains des- 

 criptions of works in sculpture, executed by the most renowned living 

 artists. And we may now congratulate ourselves in having, in this work, 

 found a person in every respect qualified to do justice to living merit, 

 and at the sametime give asure and instructiveguide todirectattention 

 10 the modern productions of the chisel. Throughout the work, the 

 Count displays profound erudition, and extensive knowledge of the 

 ;irts, and much beauty of classical and poetic illustration. Hitherto, 

 there existed no book to guide the inquiring traveller through these 

 repositories of modern genius and taste; and hence numbers visited 

 Rome, without deriving pleasure or profit from their inspection." In 

 consequence of these remarks we were led to a perusal of the Count's 

 work, from which it would appear that sculpture has attained, at 

 Rome, a remarkable degree of perfection ; and that many of the 

 works of the nineteenth century are equal to those executed in the 

 Augustan age. 



The degradation of taste in the arts has ever been a mark and 

 consequence of the degradation of taste in literature ; and we shall 

 find during the fourgreat agesof the fine arts, that literature flourished. 

 The first and most brilliant age was that of Phillip and Alexander the 

 Great, or that of a Pericles, a Demosthenes, an Aristotle, a Plato, an 

 Apelles, a Phidias, and a Praxiteles. The second age is that of 

 Caesar and Augustus, distinguished likewise by the names of Lucre- 

 tius, Cicero, Titus Livius, Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Varro, and Vitruvius. 

 The third age was in the time of Medicis; the most glorious age of 

 Italy, when learning was restored under the Popes Julius II and Leo 

 X, and when flourished a Michael Angelo, a Raphael, a Titian, a 

 Tasso, and an Ariosto. 



But it is time that the Count should speak for himself. In des- 

 cribing an allegorical bas-relief, the author says— 



" This allegory is intended to show the difficulties which the arts 

 have to contend with, from the ignorance or malevolence of those 

 who can neither understand their value nor feel their influence, and 

 whose souls are so materialised, if we may be allowed to use the ex- 

 pression, philologically not metaphysically, as to appreciate nothing 

 which is not gross. For such souls, the noblest productions of the 

 chisel and the pencil possess no attractions; the works of genius 

 and of taste are to them as so much waste marble and canvass ; and 

 there are not wanting some, who would gladly wage a war of exter- 

 mination against the productions of the chisel and the pencil. Even 

 in Old England, my own, my native land, the land of commerce, 

 wealth, power, freedom and science, how comparatively parsimo- 

 nious is the encouragement of the fine arts, and how comparatively 

 unknown are sound artistic principles! Far from us the ignominy of 

 disparaging our adored country, which absence has served only to 

 endear to us still more : but it is time that England should take lier 

 stand among the nations of civilized Europe in relation to the fine, as 

 she does with regard to the useful, arts. It is time that a fair portion 

 of that wealth, which is so often profusely expended on less refined 

 enjoyments, should be appropriated to the encouragement of the 

 liberal arts, particularly of sculpture and painting; and we should no 

 longer bear the reproach of employing foreign artists, whilst we. 

 neglect to promote the cultivation of national artistic taste and 

 talent." 



The Count again observes — " The foreigner finds no obstruction in 

 Rome to his progress in the fine arts; hut, on the contrary, enjoys 

 indiscriminately with the Roman, all the facilities that Rome com- 

 mands. Hence, we find that Thorwaldsen and Fogelberg have aban- 

 doned the frozen regions of the north to bask in the sunshine of their 

 fame in the more genial clime of the south. These eminent sculptors 

 have both won laurels for their country. France, too, is not backward 

 in the race of glory ; and her splendid academy in Rome will perpetu- 

 ate, her series of distinguished artists. Russia, too, extends efficient 

 patronage to her native artists; and at this moment she maintains in 

 Rome 30 pensioned students. Naples, also, has a Royal Academy 

 here, under the direction of Baron Camuccini, the first of living 

 painters ; and Berlin, Spain and Portugal, have also their respective 

 academies in Rome, as have several other nations, too numerous to be 

 mentioned. Thus does Europe testify, that Rome is in truth the 

 only school for the fine arts. And must we make one painful excep- 

 tion, and that exception our own, our native land? Yes, it is our 

 painful duty to state, and we do so, in the humble hope of drawing 

 attention to the fact, and remedying the evil, that England, with all 

 her wealth, sends but one solitary artist to Rome from the Royal 

 Academy, and that once only every three years ! How, then, can she 

 compete with other countries in the true classic style of art." 



In speaking of the extraordinary progress of sculpture, our author 

 observes — " The group of Nestor and Antidochus by Alvarez, exe- 

 cuted during Canova's life time, the Discobulos of the late Kessels, 

 the Achilles of Albasini, and the Mercury of Thorwaldsen, astonished 

 the whole artistic world ; and yet they essentially differ in style and 

 character from the works of the immortal Canova. These produc- 

 tions have aided in producing a revolution in style, which is likely to 

 be permanent; and all with one accord now agree to follow the pure 

 style of Grecian sculpture. Denmark has now to boast a Thorwald- 

 sen ; Sweden a Fogelberg; England a Gibson and a Hyatt; Ireland a 

 Hogan; Scotland a Macdonald; Italy a Tenerani and a Finelli ; Spain 

 an Alvarez; and Holland a Kessals, all educated in Rome, and essen- 

 tially Roman sculptors of the revised school of Grecian art." 



It does appear that nation after nation and century after century 

 have been able to do little more than copy the Grecian masters. We 

 know the use Virgil made of Homer in his jEneid, and of Theocritus 

 in his pastorals; and we find that Horace applied several places, out 

 of Anacreon and other lyrics, to his own purpose: therefore, why 

 should we preclude the modern sculptor from copying from Grecian 

 art ? " There is," says the Count, " but one school of art that can 

 lead to perfect design and execution, and that is the school of Grecian 

 art. Any deviation from the Grecian type must necessarily be a de- 

 parture from the only true standard. The choice of a subject, the 

 attitude, and in some instances, the drapery, are all of comparatively 

 minor importance, provided the artist has made the severe, classic 

 style of Grecian art his canon. The works of the greatest modern 

 artists should not be taken as models; to copy their style would be to 

 give a translation from that which has been already translated ; and 

 he who suffers himself to be carried away by his admiration of 

 modern productions, should bear in mind that their authors drew their 

 excellence from no living artist, but from the great masters of ancient 

 Greece, whose productions they have profoundly studied. When the 

 great Canova blazed in the zenith of his fame, many artists became 

 imitators of his style, and their copies were mere shadows of the 



