THE LAWRENCE GALLERY.
THE Seventh Century of Drawings selected from this matchless collection is now exhibiting at Messrs. WoonatraN's Gallery, St. Martin', Lane. It consists of the works of FEDERICO and TADDEO ZUCCHERO, POLIDORO DA CARAVAGGIO, ERA BARTOLOMEO, and ANDREA DEL SART°.
F. ZUCCHERO is principally known to us as a portrait.painter, and especially of the portrait of Queen Elizabeth at Hatfield House, which represents her in a dress covered with eyes and ears and with a rainbow in tier hand,—a quaint piece of pictorial flattery, that shows what a stomach Queen Bess had for adulation. These drawings exhibit FEDERICO in a very amiable light he has depicted in a series of twenty designs, intended to decorate a saloon in his house, the career of his brother TADDEO. We see the youth taking leave of his father and mother—viewing in imagination Rome, which he was travelling to repulsed by one painter—treated as a menial by another—pursuing his studies by night—returning home, sick of a fever through fatigue and vexation—setting out again—drawing from the great works of painting and sculpture—and lastly, attracting the admiration of RAF.. FAELLE and Alielimm ANGELO by his frescoes on the front of a palace. Such a delightful instance of brotherly sympathy gives to these designs tenfold beauty. There are only a few of the sketches of TADDEO; but among them are two studies for a picture of the Adoration of the Shepherds, that remind us of the " Notte." of COREGGIO. POLTDORO DA CARAVAGGIO was originally employed as a labourer, carrying mortar and stucco for the fresco-painters ; but the beautiful works he saw in progress led him to study, and he soon became famous as an artist, and was much employed in ornamenting the fronts of palaces. His sketches in this exhibition consist chiefly of designs of friezes for this kind of work. They display great elegance and processional grandeur; and are elaborate in composition and drawing. Of the designs of Fan IlAitroLemEo—who was a sort of monkish IlmaiaEL—the finished drawing for his celebrated picture of the " Intercession of the Virgin," in the church of St. Romano at Lucca, is the most remarkable. His study of the Virgin with the infant Christ in her arms (68), shows a feeling of grace, and simplicity, mixed with formality it would make a beautiful statue. The bead of a man (69), i5 full of character. ANDREA DEL SARTO was the ALBERT PURER Of Italy : there is a quaintness and precision of outline in his designs, as well as grace and naturalness. Two studies of his from MicerAEL ANGELO'S cartoon of Pisa (79 and 80), are more elegant and not less true than the oliginaL There are several beautiful drawings of heads, and some careful drawings for his pictures of the history of St. John and Joseph and his Brethren, at Florence.
The next Exhibition will be composed of the Drawings of TITIAN and ALBERT DURER: tbell Will follow those of RAFFAELLE and MICHAEL ANGELO ; of each of which a whole hundred will be exhibited,—a glorious conclusion to this rare pageant of art.
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