THE CIVIL ENGINELR AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



168 



of another museum of art, which though situated in a provincial town, and 

 built neither by the national wealth nor under the auspices of the govern- 

 ment, is the only one of the three worthy of the high purpose for which it 

 was designed. 



Of the architecture of the other parts of the building, besides 'hose ex- 

 hibited in our drawings, it must be allowed that though not absolutely bad 

 in themselves, they by no means correspond to the elaborate magmhcence 

 of the portico. This is the more to be regretted, because from the nature 

 of the site the sides of the Museum are quite as conspicuous as its front, 

 and the observer can never approach it without being made aware of be 

 disagreeable contrast. The elevation next Peterhouse Gardens has tbe 

 raost°architectural pretension, and it, as well as the sides, are of the same 

 beautiful stone as the front ; but still the surfaces appear comparatively 

 flat and unbroken ; and what is perhaps even of more consequence, tne 

 few ornaments displayed by no means correspond in purity of taste to tne 

 character of the portico. 



The interior of the building is still in a very unBnished state; the com- 

 pletion of it is assigned to Mr. Cockerel), and it is earnestly to be hoped that 

 the decoration, will be as real as possible, and that there will be no attempts 

 to make plaster look like stone or cast iron, and deal boards look like oak. 

 The building when completed will hold the statues, pictures, cameos and 

 engravings bequeathed to the University by the Earl of Filzwilliam, and 

 also another very valuable collection of pictures at present m the Fitt 

 Press. 



[Junk, 



ARCHITECTURAL RECOLLECTIONS OF ITALY. 



By Frederick Lcsh. 



From some ornaments taken in Italy I select the accompanying sketches 



for your Journal, on account of their beautiful forms, and because they 



might serve as a model for our English knockers, or at least suggest a 



more graceful and pleasing feature than that which is generally placed 



Pig. 1 



else which passed through tbe hands of these cunning goldsmiths and m- 

 dustrious sculptors, there is an elaborate finish, of which they are quite 

 worthy, and which for the most part challenges the closest inspection. 



Fig. i. 



on our doors. Figures 1 and 2 are from Venice, but most probably of 

 Florentine workmanship, and fig. 3 is from Verona. 



Whoever has seen these small though magnificent objects abroad, mus 

 have felt how much they ennobled the entrances of the old palaces, and 

 how delightful it was to Imger on the threshold and admire them. It is 

 .iran.e that in England, where within the last few years so much has been 

 done^to improve every kind of decoration, these things have been ne- 

 glected as though they were consi.lered beneath the notice of '''e ,«^ J^ • 

 Tl names of such men as Ghiberti, John of Bologna, Benvenuto Celhn,, 

 and others, who have left us th.ir beautiful works, along with larger ones, 

 could not sutler such an opinion for a moment to be entertained ; but it is 

 well known, as in the examples before us, the beauty and pa uresque 

 effect which is infused into the smallest th mgswhen genius has laboured 

 upon them. In the design of these knockers, as well as in everything 



Leaf flower, bird, or figure, were executed with so much feeling, and such 

 trulli' to nature, that even the simplest articles of common use or ornameutj 

 in dress were real works of art ; nor could a censer, salver, goblet, or a 

 crucilix, that was fashioned by the same hand as that which wrought the 

 Perseus, be otherwise than a gem in the collection of a prince or in the 

 cabinet of the virtuoso. ^, . . ~ 



The high opinion conceived by the Italian artists of the humblest de- 

 partment of art; the intense care and industry bestowed on small things 

 as well as great; and their associating together in ooe common brother- 

 hood where none was excluded from the rest, were circumstances 

 which acted most happily towards the development of taste and the per- 

 fection of Uie arts, and of which Lanzi speaks in his history of the Italian 

 nainters The result of these ideas and the strength acquired by this 

 union is epeciallv evinced in Italy. Common objects, which in Britain 

 seldom receive any attention, there reveal some striking artistic beauty. 

 It is sufficient in addition to what has been already referred to, to mention 



