DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22424#0260
2i6
CRYSTAL PALACE.
Letter IV.
melata and Coleoni, the first and earlier by Donatello, before
the church of S. Antonio at Padua, the second and later by
Verocchio, before the church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo at Venice.
While we recognise in the more quiet and restrained conception
of Donatello a certain influence of the antique, the more realistic
invention of Verocchio gives us the impetuous force of the period
of Coleoni.
At present the great scheme of the Crystal Palace has effected
but little in the exhibition of the art of painting. But here
serious impediments arise. For, in order to give the public
the same advantages in painting as in sculpture, copies of the
finest works of all periods and schools, the size of the ori-
ginals, would be requisite. This, however, would demand a far
greater outlay than in the case of plaster casts, without at the
same time affording the same satisfactory result. The directors
of the Palace, well aware of this deficiency, have therefore
endeavoured to supply it temporarily by the exhibition of a
number of water-coloured copies. But, independent of the small-
ness of scale as compared with the originals, these drawings bear
too much the impress of the individuality of the copyist, otherwise
a very skilful artist. Far more satisfactory is the copy of the
ceiling of the Stanza della Segnatura, by Raphael, which gives a
good representation of the monumental painting of the Italian
school at the period of its highest excellence. A series of tapes-
tries from the cartoons of Raphael, and various copies from some
of the chief works of Rubens arranged as transparencies, are well
adapted to the purpose in view. An exhibition of the paintings of
the different nations of our own time, which was opened in 1855,
contains also many good specimens, and is well calculated to give a
general idea of modern art.
Finally, as appertaining to the department of art, I may men-
tion the tasteful basins and fountains, with the banks of exquisite
shrubs and flowers, the creepers and pendent flower-beds, which
decorate the interior of the palace, while of the gardens and
waterworks outside the building I can only say that they are
conceived and carried out with a grandeur of design which has no
parallel in the world. At the same time the distant and extensive
view over a richly-wooded country, which stretches from the gar-
CRYSTAL PALACE.
Letter IV.
melata and Coleoni, the first and earlier by Donatello, before
the church of S. Antonio at Padua, the second and later by
Verocchio, before the church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo at Venice.
While we recognise in the more quiet and restrained conception
of Donatello a certain influence of the antique, the more realistic
invention of Verocchio gives us the impetuous force of the period
of Coleoni.
At present the great scheme of the Crystal Palace has effected
but little in the exhibition of the art of painting. But here
serious impediments arise. For, in order to give the public
the same advantages in painting as in sculpture, copies of the
finest works of all periods and schools, the size of the ori-
ginals, would be requisite. This, however, would demand a far
greater outlay than in the case of plaster casts, without at the
same time affording the same satisfactory result. The directors
of the Palace, well aware of this deficiency, have therefore
endeavoured to supply it temporarily by the exhibition of a
number of water-coloured copies. But, independent of the small-
ness of scale as compared with the originals, these drawings bear
too much the impress of the individuality of the copyist, otherwise
a very skilful artist. Far more satisfactory is the copy of the
ceiling of the Stanza della Segnatura, by Raphael, which gives a
good representation of the monumental painting of the Italian
school at the period of its highest excellence. A series of tapes-
tries from the cartoons of Raphael, and various copies from some
of the chief works of Rubens arranged as transparencies, are well
adapted to the purpose in view. An exhibition of the paintings of
the different nations of our own time, which was opened in 1855,
contains also many good specimens, and is well calculated to give a
general idea of modern art.
Finally, as appertaining to the department of art, I may men-
tion the tasteful basins and fountains, with the banks of exquisite
shrubs and flowers, the creepers and pendent flower-beds, which
decorate the interior of the palace, while of the gardens and
waterworks outside the building I can only say that they are
conceived and carried out with a grandeur of design which has no
parallel in the world. At the same time the distant and extensive
view over a richly-wooded country, which stretches from the gar-