126 Account of the Marquis of Stafford’s Gallery of Pictures. {Sept. 1s 
the conqueror. In the delineation of 
Leauty there is a natural grace and pleas- 
ing proportion in the fisures of Poussin, 
which is quite as delightful to the eye as 
the ideal beauty of Raphael, and which 
eertainly seems mere easy and uncon- 
strained, as it is not confined to one ex- 
act and studied set of forms. 
Moses striking the Rock. 
Moses appears in a blue dress, with a 
large red mantle thrown over his shoulder; 
mn his face and manner are depicted per- 
yect confidence and reliance upon the 
expected imiacle. The water flows at 
his command, and the front of the picture 
is filled with various figures stooping to 
reach up the water from the rivulet. 
The emotions of anxiety, devotion, and 
hope, are finely contrasted and expressed. 
A youth in the centre of the picture pre- 
sents a fine instance of the force of 
friendship :—without waiting to gratify his 
own thirst, he eagerly reaches the cup, 
which he has just filled, to his half ex- 
pirmg friend. Behind these is an inter- 
esting group, consisting of a matron 
and her children, to whom with a 
most. interesting smile of sohcitude 
and delight she “ofi@rs the vital draught. 
Devotion and gratitude 1s strongly ex- 
pressed in the head of a young vir- 
gin,in the middle of the picture, who 
approaches with anumerous and exulting 
company of figures joining in the general 
acclamation of praise to the donor. A 
young figure of a Levite, in green dra- 
pery,scems overpowered with reverence, 
and an universat complaceney spreads’ 
itself throughthe wholegroup. Ditterent 
assemblies of persons are seen in the back 
ground of this ee e; some are engaged 
in fervent prayer for succour, others em- 
ployed in relieving their fainting friends. 
The tone of cclouring is inimitabl y — 
It there is any exception to this remark, 
it is that the blue draperies predominate 
too much by their lustre: the picture, 
however, may justly be regarded as one 
of the finest in existence, and fitted to 
stand in competition with the best works 
of Raphael or Corregeio. 
The Sacrament of tre Eucharist, or the 
: Last Supper. 
In this last and solemn scene of the 
departing life of our Saviour, the painter 
bas endeavoured, by an unusual darkness, 
toadda solemnity whichis highly becom- 
ing so important a subject. The room is 
illuminated only by the faint glimmering 
of a lamp, suspended from the eieling, 
a.idthe doors are all closed: In the face of 
our Saviour, the pamter has represented 
grief, occasioned, as we may suppose, 
by the parting with his disciples and 
the foresight of his suffermgs, but mixed 
at the same time, with an amiable expres- 
sion of condescension and benevolence. 
He points to the bread, and seenis to be 
imparting the precept of « Take, eat, this 
as my body, ” which several of the disci 
ples are im the act of doimg. In the face 
-and attitude of St. John, is a mingled sen- 
sation of accumulated grief and horror, 
such as we should suppose at the recital 
of treachery; but im that of St. Peter, 
there is evidently more of surprise and 
unbelief. Throughout the rest of the 
group is shewn an earnest curiosity and 
attention to what is-said. The light is 
very finely diffused upon the figures in a 
partial manner, so as not to exhibit any 
glaring colours in the draperies. The 
arch-fiend, Judas, 1s observed slowly with- 
drawing himself to the side of the room, 
as if meditating seeretly on bis future 
treachery. If there is any fault in this 
most excellent picture, it is that the fea- 
tures of the disciples are perhaps repeat- 
ed with too oh resemblance to each 
other. The head of our Saviour would 
have been mere expressive of grief, if 
it had been more inclined; but per- 
haps it was the intention of the painter 
to impress a character of dignity and au-. 
thority upon the instructor, The dispo- 
sition of the figures and the foreshorten- 
ing are most admirable, andthe harmony 
of the colouring is excellent. 
The Sucrament of Penance. 
The painter has chosen for this, the 
historical subject of Mary Magdalene 
anointing the feet of our Saviour. In 
this admirable picture is exhibited the 
Phar'see’s house, where there is a nume=- 
rous group of friends seated at the feast. 
The figure of Christ is represented as 
turned away from the table, whilst Mary 
in an attitude of the deepest self-humilia- 
tion and penitence, with a face expressive 
ef fasting and mortification, approaches 
his feet, anointing and wiping them with 
the hair of her head. In the face of. 
Christ is pleasure and complacency mixed 
-with the greatest beneficence. The Pha- 
risee sits. opposite to him, witha white 
drapery upon his head, his face indicat- 
ing surprise, but still a reverence for the 
character of our Saviour. Next to him sits 
a Scribe, bearing upon his toreheadan in- 
scription from the Law of Moses; he 
seems anxious to search into the thoughts 
of the Pharisee as to the transactions: 
behind lim is aSaddacee, whois evidently 
sneering at the character of Mary. Se- 
veral 
