ENGRAVING OF COREGGIO'S MAGDALEN READING.
Wm° has not heard of Colieocdo's Magdalen Beading—the cynosure of the Dresden Gallery ; dividing admiration with his famous Nolte Often does some print of this delicious picture in a shop-window arrest the hurried gaze of the passer-by, breathing an air of its divine tran- quillity and beauty even into the soul of the sordid and bustling money - seeker. One cannot look on this soft, rounded form—that would be voluptuous if it were not chastened by a holy serenity and purity— swathed in its sad mantle, from which the ample bust emerges in the full loveliness of womanhood, (typical, perhaps, of the soul escaping from its mortal chrysalis,) stretched on the stony ground in a desert solitude, absorbed in meditation of the sacred volume, without being in- fluenced by the solemn peacefulness and repose of the scene. A divine sentiment pervades the picture, and sanctifies the fleshly charms of the repentant frail one. The Magdalen is represented in the calm state of blissful contemplation succeeding to contrition and forgiveness ; the commencement of her after-life of dedication to the service of heaven and the duties of religious retirement : her face shows no traces of tears or anguish, but reflects the radiant sweetness and ingenuousness of' a renewed nature, and depicts the pure abstraction of a mind filled with sublime aspirations. The wild and pathless seclusion, with its dim screen of foliage, the gently-flowing rill, and the twilight gloom that enshrouds the landscape, relieved only by a faint streak of day through the thick boughs, dispose the mind to that placid state most favourable to the contemplation of this lovely image of erring morta- lity, the lustre of whose beauty shines like " a bright particular star " front out the sombre scene that its radiance fills. The simplicity of the posture—the bosom resting against the arm that holds the volume, and the head supported on the band of the other that leans on its elbow, the fingers embedded in the flowing hair—is a touch of nature that greatly assists the idea of perfect quietude and unconscious ease : it moreover expands the broad mass of light, whose brilliancy is carried by a graduated diffusion of half-tones through the whole form, even to the naked feet that peer out of the enlhkled garment. Snell is the impression of this exquisite picture that we have derived from a new line engraving, as yet unpublished, executed by an able engraver named HUMPHREYS : it has been a labour of love, and it is one likely to cost him dear, for he cannot find a purchaser among the trade. That an unknown artist should find no sale for the produce of two years' labour, is unfortunately not an uncommon occurrence ; but that an elaborate engraving in the highest style of the art, of a well-known e'o:/./Piertere of one of the greatest masters, that has never before been adequately translated into black and white, is indeed surprising. Of the merits of this engraving, as a colourless reflection of the picture, we can only judge by comparison with other prints, not having seen the original ; but thus much we may confidently say, that of the many engravings, of various styles, sizes, and degrees of excellence we have met avail, this by Hume] liEVS is very far superior to all in spirit and character, and inferior to none in finish and mechanical skill. We never before had a complete and satisfactory idea of the expression of the coun- tenance; something always seemed to be wanting to fill up the measure of its beauty. In the face here given there is an angelic innocence and clearness—a mild pleasurable delight, expressed in the raised eye- brows and the gently-arched mouth, as if an unearthly rapture and sur- prise dawned upon the new existence of the penitent. The flesh ap- pears delicately white, and yielding to the touch ; and the brilliancy of the high lights and the transparency of the demi-tints, in short the whole chiaroscuro of the picture is rendered with painter-like skill and feel- ing : the foliage in the background, too, is beautifully wrought, and the tone of the original is finely preserved. The cross-hatching by which the transparency of the demi-tints is imitated, is so light that only its result is shown : this remark, indeed, applies to the execution through- out. The aim of the engraver has been to render the picture truly, not to obtrude hi,: manual dexterity on the attention his work is equally solid and brilliant—the brightness is the reflection of the painter's effects, not the metallic glitter of the engraver's style. That an engraving of such rare excellence of so popular a picture will besought after, there can be no doubt, whatever the printsellers may say or do; but the avant of their coilperation is a serious hindrance to its circulation. that we hope will soon be removed, if it exists. We are indeed fold that the best line engravings after the finest old pictures do not sell ; yet we see French engravings from Raffaelles and Leo- nardos in the windows, and we know that choice plates bear a premium. Fashion may require its sated palate to be tickled with novelty, and the persuasive powers of an eloquent salesman, exhausted on a trumpery Coronation-picture, may languish over a Titian or Coreggio ; but good engravings of the ch.' :1:,-(l'altrre of the old masters will sell when Coro- natiou, Queen, and all are forgotten. We can readily understand that Buttxwer's four-shilling engravings of the Cartoons are too cheap to stimulate the vendorial oratory of the shopkeepers ; but a guinea
print, whether it be a dogs head by LANDSEER or a Magdalen by Coneocio, bears equal profit. The real lovers of engravings from old pictures, however, look to the expression of sentiment in the fhces, and only buy the French Raffaelles because there are no better to be had : we do not say that all the French copies are false, but many of them are alloyed by affectation. We have never seen, for instance, a satisfactory print of RAveAm.i.e's "Madonna del' Seggiola," of the " Last Supper" of DA fixed, nor of the " Magdalen Reading"
by COREGGIO, till this plate of Mr. HUMPHREY'S met our eye. RAF-. FAELLE NORCIIEN'S engravings enjoy a high reputation, yet they rarely do justice to the originals. Indeed, an entire new set of plates from the finest old pictures is much wanted : but they must be faithful in spirit and ellhet to be popular.
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