1807.] 
raises his head towards the mausoleum - 
with all the expression of the most pro- 
found griet, ‘Vo the left, on the lower 
step, a winged genius, under the figure 
of a young man, reposes near a lion, on 
whose mane he rests his arm. His eyes 
are fixed with a look of deep dejection 
on the arms of the house of Austria, which 
is placed beside the entrance of the t/inb. 
Tis lett hand rests on thearms of the/iouse 
of Saxe. ‘The lower part of lis Vody is 
slightly covered with a long mantle, 
which falls down upon the last step. 
This mausoleum, it must be obvious, 
differs exceedingly from the modern 
tombs, executed since the sixteenth cen- 
tury. This idea of a funeral and theatri-~ 
cal procession is abselutely new and ori- 
ginal. The artist had before formed the 
- 
Account of the Lf and Works of Canovae 
design for a monument of this kind, which. 
was to have been erected at the expence 
of the Venetian republic, to the memory 
of Titian. The genius of Art bore the 
urn. Painting, Sculpture, and Architec- 
ture, accompanied the procession, and 
were distinguished by their peculiar at- 
tributes. The revolution prevented the 
execution of this monument; but it will 
easily be perceived how much superior’ 
this allegory was to that of the mausole- 
um of the Archduchess Christina. How 
are we to know that the first figure is de- 
signed to represent Virtue? And if the 
olive crown is suilicient to dispel all 
doubts, how happens it that we find ano- 
ther Virtue in the figure belonging to the 
second group? Bot that, I sh all be told, 
is Charity; and the first female denotes 
Virtue in general, Were then is au ab- 
straction, and the attributes of that ab- 
straction are personified. We here ob- 
serve virtue considered in an abstract 
manner, and im a -concrete manner, 
These subtleties, indeed, throw a great 
obscurity over the sense ol the allegory ; 
and if the virtaes may be discovered by 
certain attributes which indiv idually cta- 
racterize them, it is dificult to find any 
that combine in their general appearance 
all the characters which are adapted to 
virtue, taken im an abstract. and general 
manner, * ; 
The spectator cannot discover the in- 
terpretation of the ailegory conveyed in 
the third group, representing a Genius 
reclined upon a Lion, except by an inves- 
tigation and analysis equi ally subtle. 
“Tes well Known (says M. Van de 
Viveie) that the Archduchess was the 
wife of Duke Albert, of Saxe-Teschen ; 
that this prince held one of the highest 
ranks in the armies of the house 
155 
of Austria; that he always manifested 
the utmost tenderness for Jus consort ; 
that in the fortitude of the deceased he 
always found the greatest alleviation of 
the sorrows incident to life; that he was 
inconsolable for her dently; that the re- 
collection of her greatness of soul can 
alone sooth the grief occasioned by her 
loss; finally, that to the memory of this 
illustrious consort he has caused this mag- 
nificent mausoleum to be erected: all 
these circumstances are expressed in this 
eroupin a most admirable manner, Duke 
Albert, represented by the Genius, is 
the first fizure that attracts the eye. His 
drapery consists of the pen: and he 
appears overwhelmed with grief; he re- 
clines against the.lion, the arallon of 
courage, and casts an expressive look 
ujon the arms of the house of Austria, 
‘while he holds in his lett the escutcheon 
of Saxe. No artist that I know of ever 
made a more ingenious use of the two 
coats of arms of the husband and wife 
than M, Canova. In general, they have 
ho connection with the iain perform- 
ance; but in this instance they are close- 
ly. connected with the symbols which they 
serve to explain, and form essential parts 
of the composition. . The lion resting his 
head on the arms of the house of Aus-: 
tria, demonstrates that he 1s emblemati- 
cal on the courage of the archduchess, a 
branch of that house. The escutcheon 
of Saxe, placed below the sub-basement 
of the pyramid, is in the second place, 
and indicates that the mausvleum was 
erected by a prince of the house of Saxe ; 
and that nothing might be left defective, 
these two coats of arms are uniced by the 
strength of conjugal love, a ‘delicate and 
charming allegory.” 
It is nevertheless impossible to repress 
our astonishment that ideas so subtle and 
refined should have entered ito the com- 
Heme of a mausoleuny, which ought to 
combine with the profund: ty of the sen- 
Umighits it excites, as much simph city as 
gradeur and perspicuity in the allegories ; 
sO that itis not tll atter Jong and tedious 
research that the spectator is enabed to 
comprehend the meaning of this ingeni- 
ous Composition, and to admire this 
group, of which the reader has just seen 
such a brilliant eulogy, » Is 
to assign any character to-the genius; the 
fizure itself affords no clue to an oven. 
tion; and) you must previously. be ins 
formed that it is intended to represent 
Duke Albert. 
let us new notice anbihes defect which, 
cannot escape the connoisseur, It is 
this¢ 
1S nnpossibie: 
re 
Seer 
——— 
SNS DY Fe 
Seen ae 
Sie i Di Sp 
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