DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66024#0285
MEMORANDUM OF PAINTINGS 171
and she is assisted by various maidens who are getting ready for the
sacrifice in commemoration of the death of Adonis, to which sacrifice the
young men were allowed to intervene, so as to behold the young maidens
assembled there. The moment depicted in the picture, is when Leander
having approached nearer to the image, he sees the young priestess
Hero, he gazes at her with rapturous wonderment and falls in love with
her. The image is in bronze and represents the Goddess weeping over
the death of Adonis, and Cupid breaking his bow. The pedestal is of
marble and on it is represented Adonis’s departure from Venus. One
sees the sea in the distance. The width of this picture is 12 spans and
the height 10 spans.
1790. Also the one of the fables as pendant to the following one, for Prince
Youssoupoff of Russia, Venus persuading Helen to Love Paris who has
been led into Helen’s apartments by Cupid. Paris is bewildered at
the sight of such beauty. The pendant of this is the one representing
Ovid in exile, sitting writing his fables. He is already advanced in
years and he is being assisted by the Genuis of Poetry, whilst Love
breaks his bow, as it had been love which had been the cause of all the
poets’ unhappiness.
For a lady friend in London 1787 turn the page and you will find the
date 1788.—a picture representing Bacchus dictating verses to the
Nymphs of the Woods who are eagerly listening to him some of them
are writing down on their tablets the verses which Bacchus is dictating
to them. There are also some Satyrs who are listening from behind
the bushes. The background of this picture represents a landscape.
The subject is taken from the ode 19 of Horace. The pendant of this
picture is the one of Telemachus in the Island of Calypso whilst the
Goddess is offering food to him and to Mentor. She is assisted by
various Nymphs and some of them are singing Ulysses’ praises. Tele-
machus becomes sad and the goddess stops the singing, this is the moment
depicted in the picture. The figures are of about 3 spans.
1789. Turn the page and you will find the dates 90 & 91 The picture of the Holy
Family for the Chapel of Bartholomew Colleoni ordered by his Eminence
Cardinal Carrara it was generally liked And so was the one which I
did, to be reproduced in mosaic for the church of Loreto, representing
St Anne, St Joachim and Mary the Virgin as a little Girl, watering the
Lily emblem of purity; whilst a Luminous ray descends on her from
Heaven. She lifts her eyes heavenwards and St Anne who is sitting
and St Joachim who is beside her, watch her with admiration. The
novelty of sacred poetry being introduced into a subject which had been
many times dealt with before by excellent Masters, was generally
liked and approved of.
1796. My latest finished works are a picture for the Bishop Suffragamo of
Munster. io| spans by 8 spans in height representing Christ sitting in
front of Peter’s house (of which one sees a slight portion) blessing the
children; whilst, lifting his eyes to Heaven He Blesses one child by
placing his hand on him, with the other hand he is holding another
child close to him some of the Apostles are beside him, and there are
several women who are bringing children of various ages to be blessed
by Jesus In all there are 13 figures. This picture is noteworthy for
the beauty of the subject and it is also very interesting on account of
the variety of characters depicted. The figure of Christ is especially
liked and approved of as it is considered that his face expresses
and she is assisted by various maidens who are getting ready for the
sacrifice in commemoration of the death of Adonis, to which sacrifice the
young men were allowed to intervene, so as to behold the young maidens
assembled there. The moment depicted in the picture, is when Leander
having approached nearer to the image, he sees the young priestess
Hero, he gazes at her with rapturous wonderment and falls in love with
her. The image is in bronze and represents the Goddess weeping over
the death of Adonis, and Cupid breaking his bow. The pedestal is of
marble and on it is represented Adonis’s departure from Venus. One
sees the sea in the distance. The width of this picture is 12 spans and
the height 10 spans.
1790. Also the one of the fables as pendant to the following one, for Prince
Youssoupoff of Russia, Venus persuading Helen to Love Paris who has
been led into Helen’s apartments by Cupid. Paris is bewildered at
the sight of such beauty. The pendant of this is the one representing
Ovid in exile, sitting writing his fables. He is already advanced in
years and he is being assisted by the Genuis of Poetry, whilst Love
breaks his bow, as it had been love which had been the cause of all the
poets’ unhappiness.
For a lady friend in London 1787 turn the page and you will find the
date 1788.—a picture representing Bacchus dictating verses to the
Nymphs of the Woods who are eagerly listening to him some of them
are writing down on their tablets the verses which Bacchus is dictating
to them. There are also some Satyrs who are listening from behind
the bushes. The background of this picture represents a landscape.
The subject is taken from the ode 19 of Horace. The pendant of this
picture is the one of Telemachus in the Island of Calypso whilst the
Goddess is offering food to him and to Mentor. She is assisted by
various Nymphs and some of them are singing Ulysses’ praises. Tele-
machus becomes sad and the goddess stops the singing, this is the moment
depicted in the picture. The figures are of about 3 spans.
1789. Turn the page and you will find the dates 90 & 91 The picture of the Holy
Family for the Chapel of Bartholomew Colleoni ordered by his Eminence
Cardinal Carrara it was generally liked And so was the one which I
did, to be reproduced in mosaic for the church of Loreto, representing
St Anne, St Joachim and Mary the Virgin as a little Girl, watering the
Lily emblem of purity; whilst a Luminous ray descends on her from
Heaven. She lifts her eyes heavenwards and St Anne who is sitting
and St Joachim who is beside her, watch her with admiration. The
novelty of sacred poetry being introduced into a subject which had been
many times dealt with before by excellent Masters, was generally
liked and approved of.
1796. My latest finished works are a picture for the Bishop Suffragamo of
Munster. io| spans by 8 spans in height representing Christ sitting in
front of Peter’s house (of which one sees a slight portion) blessing the
children; whilst, lifting his eyes to Heaven He Blesses one child by
placing his hand on him, with the other hand he is holding another
child close to him some of the Apostles are beside him, and there are
several women who are bringing children of various ages to be blessed
by Jesus In all there are 13 figures. This picture is noteworthy for
the beauty of the subject and it is also very interesting on account of
the variety of characters depicted. The figure of Christ is especially
liked and approved of as it is considered that his face expresses