1808.] 
three Marys are at the feet of Christ. 
Magdalenis kissing his hand. Other per- 
sons are seen behind Joseph, I could ne- 
ver be tired of admiring the expression of 
grief in the heads of Magdalen and of Jo- 
seph, and the delicacy “with which Mary 
takes off the crown of thorns; you would 
say that she was still afraid of hurting 
him. 
S$. The Adoration of the Shepherds. 
The principal light falls upon the infant 
Jesus. 
4, Sarah presenting Hagar to Abraham. 
This picture was painted in 1699. It is 
impossible to suppese that such great ]ux- 
ury prevailed in the apartments of the an- 
cient patriarchs. But we are inclined to 
forgive this fault ia the painter of history, 
when we behold the admirable execution 
of his imaginary luxury. 
5. Abraham sending away Hagar and 
Ishmael. This piece, ‘painted i in 1701, re- 
conciles us with the faults against history 
remarked in the preceding. Its author 
here seems to have studied and felt the 
simplicity of patriarchal life. 
All these pictures are nearly of the same 
dimensions as the first. 
6. Jesus presented to the Jews by Pon- 
tius Pilate; four feet high, three feet five 
inches broad, painted on canvas at Rot- 
terdam in 1691. In this, as in the pre- 
ceding pictures, the ex pression of the heads 
as particularly admired, 
We ‘ind here nine pictures by Rem- 
brandt, both portraits and historical sub- 
jects. Of the former, I prefer his own por- 
trait, in which are exhibited that touch 
replete with energy, that clair-obscure ma- 
gic, which causes his pencil to be so highly 
admired. 
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin 
by Guido Reni is one of his finest pro- 
ductions. The Virgin is rising toward 
heaven, borne in the clouds “by two 
angels; two other angels conceal them- 
selves under her drapery. The atti- 
tude of the Virgin, the correctness, the 
agreeable expression of the heads, the 
exquisite drapery, all enchant us in this 
master-piece. Professor Hess has en- 
graved it in the dotted manner. This 
picture is nine feet two inches in height, 
and six feet six inches in breadth. 
I have still a few words to say con- 
cerning Rubens. We find here forty- 
six of his works. I shall not enter into 
any detail of them: since every day may 
be seen at the Museum (in Paris) more 
than jifty of his pieces. 
The Last Judgment is one of the pro- 
digics of the pencil of Rubens, and is, 
Observations on the Gallery of Dusseldorf. 
i3 
beyond dispute, one of his capital works, 
replete with force and energy. I never- 
theless think that this subject is not 
within the province of painting, any more 
than the Deluge, as I have Cleewhere ob= 
served. The celebrated Lessing has made 
the same remark on his Laocoon. It 
cannot be denied that this picture pos- 
sesses vreat beauties, but the subject is 
not treated in a manner worthy of its 
author. Scarcely any of the figures has 
the position or the character adapted to 
it, not even the principal personage, 
which is Jesus Christ. If ever subject 
afforded scope for expression, it is uns 
doubtedly this, in which men of all ages, 
of all passions, of all virtues, and of all 
vices, might be represented. He cannot 
theréfore reasonably be pardoned for 
having introduced so many ignoble and 
unmeaning countenances, when he had 
at his command all the expressions by 
which human life can be characterized. 
But while we censure his defects, it is 
impossible to forbear admiring the gran- 
deur and beauty of his composition, his 
exquisite groups, the variety of his at- 
titudes, the boldness of his pencil, the 
warmth of that inimitable colouring which 
enchants us in all the works of Rubens, 
especially when we behold them at « 
certain distance; of that colouring which, 
unrivalled at the time when he painted, 
procured him the crown of immor talaty- 
This picture, one of the largest of that 
master, and which, from the magnitude 
of its dimensions, obliged the owner to 
construct the gallery, is eignteen fees 
nine inches in height, and fourteen fecs. 
in breadth. It has been engraved by 
Cornelius Vischer. 
The Fall of the rebellious Angels into 
Hell, a sketch. It is impossible to guess 
where the artist began, or where he 
finished. The spectator suffers with the 
falling spirits. What beautiful confu- 
sion! It is an exertion of the genius of 
Rubens, which can be compared to ne- 
thing but the sublime conception of Mil- 
ton’s Paradise Lost. This piece has beex 
engraved by Lucas Vostermann. 
The whole-length portraits of Rubens 
and his wife, are “well painted, and are 
replete with grace and truth. They have 
been engraved by less. 
I have been too diffuse, and IT have 
been too brief; but it is out of iny power 
to correct these faults. I shall ye any 
if I can only enable vou to appreciate the 
beautiful collection which { lave atten pt- 
ed to describe. 
Permit me to subjoin a few ohserva- 
tious 
