PICTORIAL PERIODICALS.
THE portrait of RAFFAELLE, in the last number of the Gallery of
Portraits, published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Know- ledge, will set aside ninny of the received portraits of him, the one en-
graved by INIcntottEN in particular. That portrait, which was commonly
considered as the best and most authentic likeness of RAFFAELLE, being painted by himself, turns out to be the likeness of one BINDO ALTO*
VITL a musician, whose portrait RAFFAELLE painted. The error arose
from a misinterpretation of a passage in Vas.sits. We are glad to have this erroneous notion of the personal appearance of the Prince of Pdnters so agreeably corrected as it is, by the portrait here engraved from a miniature copy of the original painted in stucco by RAFFAELLE himself, on a wall at Urbino, and now forming the chief attraction of the Camera di' Ritratti at Florence. The head engraved by MonunEm had a heavy, voluptuous character, corresponding rather with the scan- dalous stories of RAFFAELLE'S amorous propensities, than with the elevated imagination and profound passion of his great works. The present portrait represents a fair and youthful face, of almost feminine beauty of feature, with an expression of ingenuous sweetness, denoting a character where gentleness, sensibility, and reflectiveness are combined
with high intellect—the very mirror of a pure and exalted spirit. It is a face to love. The quaint and simple dress—a dark vest fitting close
to the bust, and a Florentine cap—and the long hair parted and flowing down the neck, give a character of unaffected simplicity, quite in keep- ing with the unconscious look and air of the person.
The accompanying memoir, which is compiled with careful research, corrects several misstatements of former biographers, and in particular the gross one of VASARI respecting the cause of his death. We quote the passage- " Life in him (Raffaelle) seemed to inform a most fragile bodily structure, for he was all mind ; and moreover, his physical forces were much impaired by
the extraordinary exertions he had gone through, and which it is wonderful to think he could have made in so short a life. Being then in a very delicate state of health, he received orders one day while at the Farnesina to repair to
the court: not to lose time, he ran all the way to the Vatican, and arrived there heated and breathless ; there the sudden chill of the vast rooms, where he was obliged to stand long consulting on the alterations of St. Peter's, checked the perspiration, and he was presently seized with indisposition. On his return home, Inc was attacked with a fever, which ended in Ins death."
What a delightful idea this gives us of the enthusiastic, active, and unostentatious character of the great painter! The highest geniuses have always done the most as well as the best.
This same number of the Gallery al Portraits also contains an ad- mirable portrait of JOHN KNOX, it living transcript of individual cha- racter. The vigorous energy and enthusiastic spirit of the great Scottish Reformer are boldly portrayed in his strongly-marked coun- tenance ; whose prominent features are crowned by a noble and lofty forehead, denoting corresponding capacity of mind. RaFFAELLE looks quite angelic between the crabbed face and mas- sive forehead of old HOBBES, and the stern, ascetic physiognomy of KNOX.
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