Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. II.djvu/40

50 Palace, for my inner museum, Michael Angelo's picture of the Three Fates—with secret astonishment that the Titan master has been able to produce forms so gentle and beautiful;—together with two pictures by Cigoli. One of these, an Ecce Homo, I already knew from an excellent copy by Miss Adlersparre; another, the Taking Down from the Cross, was new to me, and admirable. Cigoli's comprehension of Christ, is peculiar to him, and certainly nearer to the truth than that of most of the great masters. He loves to paint Christ as a beautiful young man, of a pure and noble character. He loves to contrast this lofty purity, physical beauty, and almost feminine delicacy, with coarse or ordinary human figures. The portrait of Cigoli, painted by himself, exhibits a refined, expressive countenance, with a trait of deep, almost nervous sensibility.

From the great collection of portraits I have, for the rest, merely retained in my memory the amiable, soulful likeness of Angelica Kaufmann.

From the admirable mosaics, which have here attained to the rank of the actual fine arts, I could not but carry away with me a couple of tables—you understand, in that innocent and convenient mode, which still leaves them where they are.

Let me now conduct you to La Specola, the Museum of Natural Science; because one more interesting and instructive, I believe is not to be met with. In the vast, well-arranged collection of minerals, the rich bosom of the earth is laid bare to our sight, so that we are filled with amazement and admiration at its treasures. Excellent representations in wax, make