A " RAPHAEL" AND A " LEONARDO PA VINCI."
Loenoe has always been the great market for chefsa/Seurre of art ; and especially since John Bull set up a taste, and Government indulged him with a National Gallery. Two fresh picture candidates for Eng- lish gold have lately arrived in this country from Paris,—a Raenata., end a (so called) Leosanoo lea Visca—the proprietors of which seem so fully impressed with their value, that any opinion of ours, after the glowing tributes that have been paid to their merits, seems supererogatory.
The subject of the II:steam is the Virgin and Infimt Christ and St. John—called " La Belle Jardiniere"—from the scene being in a field, we presume. It is a beautiful and highly-finished picture, in RAPHAEL'S early manner—the minute style of his master PERMINO. HORACE VERNET, it is stated, valued it at the romantic price of 16,0000 ; but the proprietor generously offers it for 9000L,—though, strange to say, no more than 4000!. has been bid for it as yet. It may be seen at Messrs. LEGGATT'S, 55, Cornhill• The subject of the LEONARDO is Christ taken down from the Cross: and a very powerful and elaborate painting it is,—though, in our igno- rance of connoisseurship, we should have taken it for a very fine and curious specimen of the old German school, from its dry, Gothic manner. The drawing of the figure of Christ, the expression of the heads, and the execution of the entire picture, are admirable--with reference to the age wheat it was produced ; but it wants that elevation of sentiment and refinement of style which we look for in a work of LEONARDO DA VINCI. The picture is in the possession of Messrs. BENNET and PAPI., of Bucklersbury. How many thousands it is valued at, we don't know.
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