MONTHLY RETROSPEC 
rDec. 1, 
T OF THE FINE ARTS. 
(Communications and the Loan of all new Prints are requefied.) 
Figures of Mofaic Pavements difcovered at Hork- 
flow, in Lincolnfhire, large folio. 
R. SAMUEL Lysons informs the 
public, in an advertifement prefix- 
ed to this number, that the plates of Mo- 
faic Pavements difcovered at Horkftow, 
here offered'to the public, are the begin- 
ning of a work, in which it is propoted 
to exhibit figures of the moft remarkable 
Roman antiquities difcovered in Great 
Britain, under the title of ** ReLiquiz& 
RoMangz&,” to be publifhed in feparate 
parts, four of which will make a volume. 
With the fourth part will be given a ge- 
neral title-page, and table of contents. 
The fecond part, which was publifhed 
May 1, 1802, confifts of twelve plates, re- 
prefenting the remains of two temples, 
anfcriptions, &c. difcovered at Bath. 
The third part will contain ten plates, 
reprefenting feveral Mofaic pavements, 
Gifcovered near Frampton, in Dorfetfhire ; 
coloured after the originals. 
Of a work of this kind it is impoffible 
to afcertain the extent, as that muft, ina 
great meafure, depend on future difcove- 
ries. 
To the well-known tafte and talents of 
Mr. Lyfons this work does great credit. 
The prints are exaétly copied and colour- 
ed from the original pavement, and the 
fpecimens mutt be highly interefting to the 
virtuofi, as well as the antiquary. 
Plate I. reprefents. a view taken from 
Horkfow-hall, the feat of the Hon. Admi- 
ral Shirley. In the diffance are feen the 
River Humber, and the Yorkfhire coatt. 
The fore-ground fhews the fituation of a 
Mofaic pavement, accidentally difcovered, 
in the year 1796, in a clofe adjoining to 
the garden, by labourers employed in 
making a kitchen-garden: it lay at the 
depth of about three feet below the fur- 
face of the ground. 
This view makes a fingularly pleafine 
little landfcape; the figures are well 
drawn, and the whole beautifully coloured; 
but,confidering the general tafte it difplays, 
we were rather furprifed, that the artift did 
not vary his point of view, fo as to have 
avoided the number of parallel lines, 
which rife one above another, and hurt 
the eye. 
Plate II. is a map, fhewing the fitua- 
tion of the feveral Roman remains, in the 
ncighbourhood ef Horkfiow, 
Plate III. reprefents what remains of 
the compartment at the weft end of the 
large Mofaic pavement. This compart- 
ment has originally confifted of a circles 
eighteen feet fix inches in diameter, di- 
vided into eight fmaller compartments by 
radii proceeding from a fmall circle in the 
cenire. This {mall circle contains a figure 
of Orpheus, with the Phrygian bonnet on 
his head, playing on his lyre, and attend- 
ed by animals; in the fmaller compart- 
ments, of which two only remain entire, 
are reprefented various birds and beats. 
The circles and radii are formed by 
a fingle twifted guilloche of three co- 
lours——bluifi-grey, red, and white. The 
larger circle is inclofed within a fquare 
border, of a zig-zag pattern, bluifh-grey 
and white; each of its fpandrils appears 
to have been filled with a large head, 
having a red crofs on each fide; only one 
of thefe heads remains. Among the frag- 
ments of animals, which remain, may be 
diftinguifhed an elephant, a bear, and the 
fragment of a boar, 
Plate 1V. contains the central compart- 
ment of the pavement, confifting of a cir- 
cle, fifteen feet, three inches, in diameters 
inclofed within an ornamented border. 
The four fpandrils are occupied by figures 
of ‘Titans, whole lower extremities end in 
ferpents, and whofe-arms fupport the- 
circle. In the centre of thefe four com- 
partments are fmall circles, containing 
Bacchanalian figures, on a dark blue 
ground, on either fide of which are Tri- 
tons, Nereids, Cupids, and marine mon- 
fters, on a red ground : within thefe are 
figures of genii, dancing round a bafket 
of fiowers. ‘The centre of this divifion is 
dettroyed, It is moft probable, that the 
radii proceeded from a fmaller circle, near 
the centre, as reprefented in the reftored 
defign, Plate VI. TS 
Plate V. reprefents a chariot race. 
Plate VI. is drawn with great tafte and 
fpirit, by Robert Smirke, Efg. R. A. and 
reprelents the general defign of the large 
pavement reficred.. When the figures 
here delineated are compared with the 
detached parts which precede them, Mr. 
Smmirke’s pencil appears to have had a ma- 
gical effect ; touched by the fpear of Ithu- 
riel, each of the figures have ftarted into 
life. Yet, highly as we think of the la- 
bours of the artit, we fufpedt it does not 
give 
