a 
* 
4 
ss 
4 
1306.] 
the figure of a fleeping Venus and Satyr 
on the fore-ground. The colouring of 
the trees is autumnal, and the manner in 
which fome of the large upper branches 
appear to project over the figures cannot 
be defcribed, or even imagined, except 
by thofe who fee it. The {peétator can 
hardly conceive it poflible that fuch an 
effect could be given by the pencil; to the 
eye it has all the force and relief that 
could be attained by carving. 
There are eight landfcapes by Claude, 
and it has been confidently faid that, fince 
Mr. Agar’s death, an agent from France 
has offered eight thoufand guineas for two 
of them. Weare, however, rejoiced to 
find, that none of them are to be fent out 
of this country, neither is the colleCtion 
to be divided and fcattered by public auc- 
tion; for though it was advertifed to 
be fold under the hammer, and would 
probably thus have produced a larger fum 
than by any other mode of fale, yet the 
executors have altered the plan to what 
would, indifputably, have been more con- 
fonant to the wifhes of the late proprie- 
tor, by felling the whole in one let to Lord 
Grofvenor ; to whofe houfe they are re- 
moved, The amount 5f the purchafe 
money is fo varicufly reported that we 
mult poftpone inferting it. 
The exhibition of produftions in paint 
ing, {culptme, and a:chiteflure, by the 
penfionaries of the Academy of France, 
took place at Rome, in the great hal] of 
the Villa Medici. Architeéture, the 
richeit portion of this exhibition, pre- 
fented cefigns for the reiio:aticn of many 
antique monuments, fuch as the Templrs 
of Veita, of Mars the Avenger, of For- 
tuna wirilis, ot the Arch of Trajan at 
Benevento, of the temb of Cecilia Me. 
tella, and likewife defigns of plans in mo- 
dern architecture, fuch as palaces for the 
Emperor, military. hofpitals, libraries, 
public -{quares, muftums, &c. The 
Sculptors furpifhed a great number of per- 
formances. M. Calamard exhibited the 
platter model of the ftatue of the Empe- 
ror raked, holding a branch of olive and 
the parazxonium; anda mode! cf Innocence 
and fome bufts; and: M. Marin a bas re- 
lief for the tomb of Madame de Montmo- 
rin, with feven medallions fulpended from 
the top of the bas relief. 
HISTORIC GALLERY: 
In eftimating the various works in the 
fine arts which have been produced with- 
in the laft half century, thofe of the Hif- 
toric Gailery, in Pallmail, hold a very 
preeminent rank. ‘Ihe original plan of 
MonTHLY Mac, Novi4as 
Monthly Retrofped? of the Fine. Arts. 
237 
its proprietor, Mr. Bowyer, was a noble 
one—no lefs thas that of promoting a 
means for bringing the arts of painting, 
drawing, and engraving, to fuch pertec» 
tion, as to prove an honour and ornamient 
to the genius of the nation. In fojlaw- 
ing up this laudable principle for many 
years, and at: an immenfe expence, Mr 
Bowyer formed a moft valuable collection, 
by Britith artifts of the firft celebrity. 
His grand defgn was to make this im- 
portant collection fubfervient to the illaf- 
tration of the hiftory of his country. For 
this end, the paintings, executed entirely 
by members of the Royal Academy, were 
on fubjects that difplayed great national 
atchievements, and its moft ftriking 
events. Nearly two hundred engravings, 
by our moft eminent artilis, were accom- 
plifhed from thefe, in order toembellifh a 
magnificent edition, in ten volumes folio, 
of Hume’s Hiftory of England, which 
engravings alone coft Mr. Bowyer above 
68,ooo]. and thus forming one of the 
moft fuperb and {plendid publications in 
Europe. We have the pleafure now to 
announce that this great work is com- 
pleted, and certainly ina manner which 
does Mr. Bowyer infinite credit; as the fol. 
lowing letter will fufficiently demonftrate 
a SER, 
€¢ Having been neceffarily led, in the exe- 
cution of our truft, intoan examination of the 
whole of your edition of the Hiftory of 
England, we have great pleafure in exprefiing 
to you our opinion that you have honourably 
' fulfilled your engagements to the fub{cribers, 
and have attained, both in the type and the 
decorations, a greater degree of uniform ex- 
cellence than perhaps could reafonably have 
been expected in an undertaking of fuch 
magnitude and dificulty, and where fo many 
‘and various artifts were neceflarily to be em-~ 
66 We are, Sir, 
€* Your obed. humble Servants, 
‘* SHEFFIELD, 
cH. C. ENGLEFIELD, 
6 We. Smivu.” 
© London, April 4, 1806, 
‘© To Mr Robert Bowyer, Pall Mall.” 
Highly meritorious as were Mr. Bow- 
yer’s intentions, times very unpropitious 
ta the fine arts fucceeded ; and from their 
continuance, rendered it at length expe- 
dient for Mr. Bowyer to obtain an aé& of 
Parliament for tne difpofal, by a lottery, 
of the various produétions concentered 
in his Hiftoric Gallery; on which he had 
embarked his whole foriune, and expended 
in his feveral engagements on the entire 
of his patriotic {peculations upwards of 
one hundred thevfand pounds, 
“x NEW 
ployed. 
