ADVANTAGES OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY.
PERHAPS one of the greatest advantages likely to attend on our National Gallery, though one little contemplated at the time of its formation, is the opportunity it affords engravers to ground their works on some of the finest specimens of the old masters, and to usher their own name into the world under the sanction of that of a RUBENS, a Poussirs, or a REMBRANDT. In the earliest days of the National Gallery, it was perceived that the rising pictorial genius of the country (grant us the word for the distinction's sake) would find there ample scope for invigorating and refining its natu- ral bent; and now we have to add to this, the school which the same place opens for the rising engraving genius of the empire. Our attention has been particularly directed to this by an en- graving' after SEBASTIAN del Piostho's celebrated picture, which has just made its appearance, and which reflects the highest credit on its performer, M. VENDRAMINI. If the question were, whether the choice of this picture above all others, to exercise his talents upon, was judicious, there might perhaps he a demur to the entire concession of the point ; but, that being waved, it is impossible to give half an hour's attention to the print without being convinced that the work has proceeded from a hand calculated to do justice to the highest historical school of painting.
But in order to come fairly at the engraving, it will be necessary to say a few words about the painting itself. In speaking of this, it is impossible to deny that it contains many of the strong charac- teristics of a first-rate work :—it has vigour of conception and boldness of execution in a high degree, together with many of the
raore minute but scarcely less necessary qualifications which the art requires to constitute a chef-theuvre. What we object to in it is, that the master, in telling his story, has set out upon a wrong feeling :—pardon us, ye R.A.s, if we say that he has treated his subject as an artist, not as a man; or in other words, that he has sought out the contrast and the effect, without bearing in mind the truth and nature of the subject Take away from your mind all reminiscence of the way in which SEBASTIAN del PIOME40 has treated the story, andearhat is the " Raising of Lazarus ?" It is the supernatural and unexpected resuscitation of a corpse, that but a minute before was the occupant of a charnel-house, and the food of its worms. Next consider what human passion would be ex- cited at witnessing such a sight ;—surely none but the chord of fear and horror would respond at such a moment while the other sympathies of the heart, overwhelmed and annihilated by the inten- sity of that one feeling, would for the moment be as if they were not : yes, there is something in the incident so contrary to our innate sensations—so adverse to the conditions on which we instinctively know this life of ours is held—that terror alone of all the soul's movements would be awakened, and the whole frames of thousands or of units would acknowledge
"The one, as infinite as all; The others, blank as nothing."
Let us return to Piomno's picture, and try it by this test. There are not above one or two persons in the whole groupe that appear to be influenced by a feeling of terror ; which, if our proposition is correct, should have been the feeling of all: the rest are hoping, inquiring, worshipping,—making a variety for the painter to display his skill upon, but all deviating from the sentiment which the story requires.
As M. VENDRAMINI'S engraving of the picture is a very faithful transcript, of course all these objections exist in both eases. The great size of the painting, however, which is too large to permit the eye to embrace it all at once, is got rid of; and for this reason the engraving may be studied as a good introit 3tion to its original: by bringing the whole subject within an eas grasp, the matter con- tained is better understood ; and on this hecount we would even say that the absence of the colouring affords a greater convenience. No artist that really knew his own interest would ever undertake works of such immense magnitude ; for whatever they may gain by the attempt to awe the spectator into admiration by their size, they more than lose by the difficulty with which the eye embraces' piece by piece, the sum total of the work, and carries on from stage to stage the different materiel it receives on its journey.
Making, then, these deductions as to the execution of the picture, we may again repeat that M. VENDRAMINI'S copy of it is one that does _him the highest credit. Unable to avoid the errors of the master whom he has copied, he has at least done ample• justice to all hislexcellencies; -and has placed on copper all that vigour and effect which Pious() has planted o then canvass.
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