4.36 
the moft part, feattered in different Mu- 
feums. The Gallery contains, in all, 
more than a hundred and eighty objeéts, 
and is divided into a number of faloons, 
each of which has a particular charaéter. 
The Mufeum of Antiques, the veftibule 
@f which is not: yet finifhed, and which 
is only now. entered by a lateral door, near 
the ftair-cafe of the Mufeum of Painting, 
zs compoled of ten contiguous faloons, 
connected together by the perfe& accord- 
ance of their adjuftments. The firft of 
thefe faloons is that of the Seafons. It de- 
vives its name from the cieling which 
crowns it, and whofe paintings, executed 
almolt underathe reign of Louis XIII. by. 
ROMANELLI, an Italian painter, in high 
fame for the grace of his compofitions and 
the {weetnels of his pencil, reprefent the 
four Seafons. Here, it is thought, fhould 
be aflembled ‘the antique ftatues fof the 
rural divinities, and thofe relative to the 
different epochs of the year. The ciélings 
of the three following faloons, viz: that of 
Hliuftrious Men; that of the Romans, 
whofe paintings offer*many traits of hifttory 
of that people ; and thatof the Laocoen, 
of which this admirable groupe makes the 
principal ornament, have been painted by 
the fame artiftt, The gildings with which 
the dome is enriched, contraft, in a 
firikmg manner, with the noble fimplicity 
of the conftruétions which fuftain the up- 
per architecture ; and if they do not cffer 
any violent—any difagreeable oppofi- 
tion, it is becaufe the fkilful architeé 
(Citizen Raymonp) who ‘has directed 
all thefe labours, has known how to re- 
place adroitly, in fome parts of the new 
decoration, a very fmall number of rich 
details,which unite the whole and form an 
-harmonious exjemble. To prevent a re- 
turn to the! paintings which decorate the 
cieling of the Gallery, it is proper to ob- 
ferve here, that a painting executed on a 
wall which it was neceflary to pull down, 
2 
Carredt Lift of New Publications. 
tions and embellifhments. 
[Dec. is 
in order toenlarge the Hall of Laocoon,’ 
has been tranfported elfewhere witnout 
any injury, and in one entire piece, with 
the mafonry which ferved' to fupport its” 
This painting is, at prefent, above the 
niche where this groupe is feen, and many 
toifes from the place which it formerly 
occupied. The fuccefs of this delicate 
and hazardous undertaking, does honour 
to the artift to whom it was intrufted.. 
In the Saloon or Hall of Laocoon, many 
fre{coes have been deftroyed, either by time 
or by humidity; the fame fpaces haye 
been again occupied by new compof- 
tions ; thefe laft have been painted in oil. 
The Minifter of Interior. has chofen for 
this purpofe, fome of the artifts who, in 
the laft public cozcours, had‘ obtained 
prizes ‘of encouragement. A cieling and 
two vertical paintings have been exccuted _ 
by Citizens HENNEQUIN, PeyRon and 
LETHIER ; they repreient allegorical fubs ° 
jects. Citizens PRUbHOM and GuERIN - 
have painted groupes of infants in two 
{paces of acircular form, making part of 
the dome. 
authors of which are juftly held ‘in efti-. 
_mation, have been finifhed with as much. 
fuccefs as could be. expected from artifts 
diftinguifhed by their talents, but little 
accuftomed to the painful. and wearifome 
pofture, which they were obliged to fub-- 
mit to, during the term of their labours ~— 
Citizen Raymond, Member of the Na- 
tional Inttitute, and Architeé& of the Na- 
tiodal Palace of Sciences and of Arts, has 
defigned and fuperintended all the labours ~~ 
which have been carried on in the Saloons 
which compofe the Gallery of Antiques ; 
as likewife the new difpofitions, decora- 
It is wrong- 
fully therefore that fome perfons have pre- 
tended that he only executed the plans of 
HuBert, his predeceffor. It is undeni- 
able, that thofe plans were not even come © 
municated to Citizen Raymond. 
LIST or NEW PUBLICATIONS 1n NOVEMBER.- 
ANTIQUITIES. 
A Differtation on the newly difcovered Ba- 
bylonian Infcriptions ; illuftrated with Cop- 
per-plates, and an Infcription found on a 
Fragment of Jafper, printed from the Stone 
itfelf, by permiffion of the Hon. Dire€tors 
of the Eaft India Company. By Jofeph Ha- 
ger, D.Di_ i]. 1s. boards. Richardfons. 
The Archaiology of Wales, for preferving 
the Contents of ancient Manufcripts; the 
two frff Volumes, which contain a Collec- 
tion of the Poetry of the Britith Bards to the 
beginning of the Fourteenth -Century; and 
various Hiftorical Documents and Chronicles 
to the end of the fame Period. Royal 8vo, 
21. 2s. boards. 
BIOGRRAPHY.- :. 
The Juvenile Plutarch, or Lives of Cele» 
brated and Extraordinary Children, 2s. 6d. - 
-: Phillips. 
Aa 
Thefe different paintings, the ~ 
Longmanand Rees. ~ 
‘ . 
— ee a ee 
