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ART. 



Celebrated Gallery of Old Masters of the late 

 General Marquess de Garbarino. 



This is a small gallery, but I think that it can compare 

 with any. It consists only of thirteen paintings, but all of 

 them are gems. 



The first is a Masaccio, celebrated Italian painter, born 

 in 140 1 at Valdurno, and died at Florence in 1443. It 

 represents the Wedding of the* Virgen. According to 

 Marquess Garbarino, it comes from the Royal Gallery of 

 Madrid, where his uncle André de Montebruno, a great 

 expert and collector of paintings, then a General in the 

 service of Napoleon the First, bought it, after the conquest 

 of the capital by the French army. It is signed Opus 

 Masaccio, 1435. 



In this painting can be seen the coat of arms of Cardinal 

 de Monti, who during the fifteenth century was sent as 

 Nuncio to Spain. It is probable that it was given to the 

 King of Spain by his Holiness the Pope, or by the Cardinal 

 himself. It is the finest and the best preserved Masaccio 

 existing. 



Tne subject of the second, which is not inferior to the 

 first, but even more exquisite in design, and antiquity is 

 a Presentation to the Temple, by the most illustrious 

 painter Raphael d'Urbino. His master Perugino has also 

 worked on it. 



This magnificent masterpiece was bought in 18 r5 by 

 General Montebruno, from the parson of the noble church 

 of Prince's Larmarmora, at Biella, Piedmonte. Money was 

 wanted to rebuild the roof of the church, hence the sale of 

 this picture to the General. The painting was formerly on 

 wood, and from old age it was decaying, when the painter 

 Merani of Genoa saw it and convinced the father of the late 

 Marquess to have it restored. It was an easy work being 

 painted on canvas called peaud'œuf. It was transposed on 

 a new canvas with all the perfection desired. The third 

 painting on wood is from Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most 

 celebrated painters of the fifteenth century, 1452— 1519. 



It represents Santa Catarina with her wheel. If you 

 look at it carefully, the eyes of the Saint seem to be life-like 



