PICTURES AND ARTISTS.
ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY THE THREE CARACCI.
THE Drawings of LEDOVICO, AGOSTINO, and ANNIBALE CARACCI, twenty-five of each of the two first and fifty of the last, form the sixth exhibition of the LAWRENCE Collection. These great artists were the founders of the famous Bolognese School of Painting, which aimed at combining the dramatic expression of 11 AFFAELLE and the learned drawing of MICHAEL ANGELO, with the colouring of Trriex and the chiaroscuro of COREGGIO ; and succeeded as far as such an at- tempt could do.
These beautiful drawings form two distinct classes,—namely, studies from nature of figures, heads, draperies, groups, landscape scenery, trees, &c. ; and ideas for and designs of pictures. Both these may be again subdivided into the slighter sketches with pen-and-ink heightened with a wash of bistre, and the more finished drawings. All are alike admirable for the fine perception of grace and elegance in the action of figures, the flow of drapery and the composition of groups, the consummate mastery of hand in the indications of form and character, and the patient skill and elaboration displayed in the larger and more finished studies.
The heads, mostly in red chalk, are wonderful for the power and cer- tainty with which the features and their expression are delineated : no hesitation is visible, but the artist seems to have gone through his drawing without a false line : and so with the studies of the figure,— among which, the back of a female (54) is especially admirable for beauty and solidity of form. All the beads arc striking; but the most interesting are the portrait of Antonio Caracci (45), son of Lu- dovico, an artist of promise who died young; one of a priest (67); and A nnibale himself (75), when an old man,—a venerable head full of sagacity and vigour, with a look of apostolic earnestness and goodness. The studies of a woman and child (8)—a female walking, holding a sieve (28)—an old woman with children (55)—and a woman airing linen (68)—are instances that the most homely objects served them as studies, and show us how quickly these great artists saw the beauty around them, and how well they could preserve and apply it to their use.
Six of the heads of the Apostles, by LEONARDO DA VINCI, are still here ; so that, though they have not yet been bought by Government, Dmore shame for it,) they are not yet sold to any one else. But the irector of the Russian Academy is in London, and perhaps he may secure them for the Czar. We looked our last, we fear. Did they but belong to a poor Tory Peer, they would have been bought ere now at ten times the price.
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