AN ACCURATE AND DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE SEVERAL PAINTINGS IN THE KING OF SPAIN's PALACE AT MADRID; WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PICTURES IN THE BUEN-RETIRO.
By RICHARD CUMBERLAND, Author of The Anecdotes of Eminent Painters in Spain.
LONDON: Printed for C. DILLY, in the Poultry; AND J. WALTER, Charing-Croſs. M.DCC.LXXXVII.
ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.
[]THIS Catalogue was made at my requeſt by the Gentleman, who has the ſuperintendance of the Royal Collection in the Palace at Madrid; and by his favour tranſmitted to me after my return out of Spain, but too late to be inſerted in my Anecdotes of Spaniſh Painters: There can be no doubt therefore of its being accurate; and I have accordingly ſo ſtated it in the title of this publication. If the deſcriptive part had been executed by [iv] the ſame hand, I might have ſafely re⯑commended this performance even to Profeſſors of the Art; I muſt now ad⯑dreſs it to the Lovers only, and ſub⯑mit my weak attempt, with all its errors, to the candour of the Public.
[]CATALOGUE OF PAINTINGS IN THE NEW PALACE.
FRESCOS.
1. Great Stair-Caſe; by D. Cor⯑rado Giaciunto.
THE compoſition of this bril⯑liant ceiling repreſents the riſing of the Sun: Apollo, ſur⯑rounded by various allegorical fi⯑gures and emblems, gives life and motion to the Elements. Spain, as a matron, habited in an imperial [2] mantle, with ſeveral attributes and inſignia proper to her character. The colouring, drawing and deſign very maſterly.
The ſtair-caſe itſelf is a very magnificent work, projected and executed by the celebrated Sabatini, a Neapolitan, Architect to His Ca⯑tholic Majeſty.
2. Great Guard-Chamber; by D. Juan Bautiſta Tiepolo.
Vulcan forging the armour of Aeneas at the requeſt of Venus: Mars, in a triumphal character, ſu⯑perintending and protecting the work. Various figures, emblema⯑tic of the Provinces, Religion, Va⯑lour, Victories and Productions of Spain.
3. Ball-Room; by Corrado.
[3]In the center of this ceiling Re⯑ligion is ſeated, and the Church triumphant, enthroned amidſt the clouds; to which Spain is offering gifts and incenſe in an attitude of adoration: The nations, ſubject to her empire, are introduced with their reſpective emblems: In the four corners are the Elements, in medallic compartments: Over one of the entrances there is a group of various figures, with Boys em⯑ployed in placing crowns of palm upon the principal characters: Over another entrance, Hercules is de⯑ſcribed in the act of pulling down his pillars at the command of Nep⯑tune, who in his chariot paſſes the [4] Streights, making his way through the barrier of antient navigation. This is a very brilliant deſign, rich and glowing in colour and execu⯑tion, and producing a very ſuperb and ſtriking effect.
4. King's Anti-Chamber; by Tie⯑polo.
The Monarchy of Spain, as a majeſtic Matron in an imperial mantle, with a Lion at her ſide: An attendant figure in the act of placing a crown on her head: Apollo with his lyre and the Muſes form a ſeparate group: Caſtile in the character of a female, with her proper attributes: Hercules break⯑ing down his pillars for the purpoſe of laying open the barrier of Africa: [5] Sacrifices and Oblations repre⯑ſented in four medallic compart⯑ments, and addreſſed to the Deities, who appear in the principal com⯑poſition.
5. Grand Saloon; by the ſame Maſter.
The painter has here perſonified the various characters of the Spa⯑niſh monarchy: The figures are emblematic of Power, Religion, Wealth, Plenty, Victory, &c. &c. The provinces of Spain are diſpoſed over the cornice with their proper attributes: The medals in the an⯑gles are by the ſame maſter; but the Boys that ſupport them, and the naked River-Gods, as likewiſe the gilt compartments, where the Ele⯑ments [6] are repreſented, are by the hand of Robert Mitchell. This ceil⯑ing and all the embelliſhments are profuſely rich and ſplendid.
Tiepolo was a ſtudent of the Ve⯑netian ſchool, and died at Madrid, in the king's ſervice, on the 27th of March 1770.
6. King's Dining-Room; by A. R. Mengs.
The Apotheoſis of Trajan. The deified Hero is ſeated on a throne of reſplendent glory: The virtues and attributes of a perfect monarch ſurround his throne: A chaplet of laurel is ſupported in the air by five imaginary beings, under which the artiſt has contrived to deli⯑neate the victories of this imperial [7] Spaniard: The temple of Immor⯑tality appears in view, and the choir of Muſes are ſeen in the act of ce⯑lebrating his glories. Other alle⯑gorical figures are interſperſed in the compoſition with extraordinary judgment and contrivance.
7. King's Supper-Room; by the ſame.
The Apotheoſis of Hercules. He is conducted by Mercury to Jupi⯑ter, who inveſts him with the crown of immortality, as a reward for his labours and conqueſts: A group of Deities aſſiſt in the ceremony; the diſtinguiſhing characteriſtics of the ſeveral Deities, male and fe⯑male, are marked with great taſte and much claſſical preciſion: The [8] artiſt has given proof of his pro⯑found ſtudy and experience in the antique: The colouring, perſpec⯑tive, and general diſpoſition of theſe two ceilings are inimitable: There is no crowd, flutter, or deficiency in the whole or part; the ſeveral groups conſpire and harmonize in the moſt perfect and beautiful man⯑ner; the eye is not diſtracted by any predominance of detached parts, but receives the whole magnificent compoſition, as one compleat pic⯑ture, at a glance.
Theſe Freſcos (eſpecially the Apotheoſis of Trajan) are, as I conceive, far ſuperior to his Paint⯑ings in oil; and in this province of his art, Mengs appears a very ca⯑pital maſter: I have never ſeen any [9] thing equal to them; and ſo admi⯑rable they appeared to me upon re⯑peated viſits, that I muſt believe there are few productions in art, which can better gratify the curio⯑ſity of a traveller. One thing is clear, that Mengs's colouring in freſco is totally of another caſt from what he practiſed upon can⯑vaſs.
8. King's Retiring-Room; by Tiepolo.
Juno in her car, with her proper attributes, &c.
9. Queen's firſt Anti-Chamber; by Luis Velaſquez.
The four Cardinal Virtues, with ſeveral allegorical accompaniments. [10] This painter muſt not be confound⯑ed with the famous Diego Velaſ⯑quez.
10. Queen's ſecond Anti-Chamber; by Antonio Velaſquez.
The ſubject nearly correſponds with the above, and the artiſt has treated it pretty much in the ſame manner: Both are reſpectable per⯑formances. Antonio was the bro⯑ther of Luis Velaſquez.
11. Queen's Dining-Room; by Franciſco Bayeu.
The Conqueſt of Grenada.
12. Preſence-Chamber; by Ant. Velaſquez.
Chriſtopher Columbus in the act [11] of offering the new-diſcovered World to the Catholic Sovereigns: The four compartments in the an⯑gles repreſent the provinces of Mexico, Peru, Chili, and the Phi⯑lippines.
13. State Bed-Chamber; by Mengs.
Another beautiful compoſition of this maſter, repreſenting Aurora going forth in her car, drawn by horſes: All the emblems of Morn⯑ing are exquiſitely conceived: The breaking forth of Light (which is perſonified), the accompaniment of the Hours, the group of Night and her attendant emblems in the rear of the proceſſion, and all the cor⯑reſpondent embelliſhments in high [12] relief, are finely executed: In theſe are repreſented the four Seaſons of the year, and the Elements.
14. Prince of Aſturias's Chamber; by Tiepolo.
The Conqueſt of Vellocino.
15. Prince's Dining-Room; by the ſame.
Hercules in a car, drawn by Centaurs: The Muſes and Graces celebrate his victories.
16. Prince's Saloon; by Domingo Tiepolo.
Diana in the chace. Domingo was the brother of Juan Bautiſta Tiepolo.
17. Prince's Dreſſing-Room; by Mariano Maella.
[13]The Choice of Hercules.
Maella was a diſciple of Mengs, and is now in the ſervice of the King as Royal Artiſt: He has made ſeveral portraits of the royal family. I have ſeen ſome good original compoſitions of this maſ⯑ter, and ſeveral copies from Mengs and the elder painters of great me⯑rit and truth: I am convinced he is a man of talents and candour, and could refer to a ſtriking in⯑ſtance of his honour and integrity. I would recommend it to any ar⯑tiſt, or lover of art, who ſhall viſit Madrid, to introduce himſelf to the acquaintance of Maella, from whoſe [14] courteſy, I am perſuaded, he will receive all poſſible good offices and aſſiſtance.
18. Princeſs of Aſturias's Anti-Chamber; by Gonzalez.
The Arts.
19. Princeſs's Preſence-Chamber; by Bayeu.
The Fall of the Giants.
20. Princeſs's Cabinet; by Maella.
Juno ſolicits Aeolus for the Winds.
21. Princeſs's Drawing Room; by Bayeu.
The Deification of Hercules: The Virtues and Sciences attend.
22. Infant Don Gabriel's Dining-Room; by the ſame.
[15]Religion and the concomitant Virtues.
23. Infant's Drawing-Room; by Luis Velaſquez.
Allegorical compoſition relative to the kingdom of Spain.
24. Infant's Cabinet; by Domingo Tiepolo.
A group of Birds, with great variety of compoſition, and deli⯑cately executed.
PICTURES.
[16]King's Anti-Chamber.
Titian. Two large pictures of Siſyphus and Prometheus in their torments: the figures above hu⯑man ſize: They were painted by this maſter in Spain, and are fi⯑gures of great force, colouring and expreſſion. The manner of treat⯑ing the Prometheus much reſembles that of a celebrated picture on the ſame ſubject at Kimbolton Caſtle: As the noble owner has no deter⯑mined tradition of its author, I ſhall hazard a conjecture, that it [17] was painted by Rubens upon the idea of this figure of Titian's, after that artiſt had viſited Spain.
Titian. Four half-length pour⯑traits of Women, not in his bright⯑eſt manner.
Titian. Four pourtraits of Men, ſeemingly of the ſame period; one of which is a pourtrait of the great artiſt himſelf in his advanced age; a grand and venerable piece.
Titian. A pourtrait of a Boy, full length. Correct and beautiful nature.
Titian. Two fancy compoſi⯑tions, companions; the figures half length: One, two Bacchants; the other a Venus, admiring herſelf in a [18] Mirror, which Cupid holds up to her face. With one of her hands ſhe preſſes her boſom, which is un⯑covered, and the action is delicately expreſſed. Theſe pictures hang level with the eye on each ſide of a door fronting the great entrance; the effect is remarkably ſtriking, the relief bold, and the colouring nature itſelf; but perhaps the exe⯑cution has not that finiſhed delica⯑cy, which many of his earlier com⯑poſitions have: The characters, both of one and the other, are cer⯑tainly of a wanton caſt; the per⯑ſon half-uncovered, half-concealed, with ſuch a ſtudied negligence of dreſs, and ſo much playfulneſs of expreſſion and attitude, that the draperies ſeem introduced ſor no [19] other purpoſe but to attract the at⯑tention more ſtrongly to the charms they do not ſerve to hide.
Titian. Venus preſents a cup to a Nymph: Two Satyrs in the back ground with baſkets of fruit: This, like the former, is the Venus laſciva. The contraſt of hues between the prominent figure and the Satyrs in ſhades is managed with maſterly addreſs.
All who are converſant in the works of this maſter will better conceive the ſtriking effect of theſe three compoſitions, than any de⯑ſcription of mine can convey: In whatever collection they hung, they would certainly be very dangerous neighbours to moſt other colouriſts who came in contact with them.
Titian. Adam and Eve in Pa⯑radiſe; the ſize of life; a very ca⯑pital picture, upon a large canvaſs; both figures of conſummate beauty, and of a ſublime and chaſte charac⯑ter; their attitudes ſimple, natural, without any trace of the Academy in their diſpoſition: The carna⯑tions are not florid, and the whole hue of the piece rather duſkier than is uſual with this maſter: The back-ground preſents a noble land⯑ſcape; the ſcenery finely character⯑ed, and in beautiful harmony.
Rubens. A copy of the above on a cloth of the ſame ſize; this copy hangs between the windows in an unfavourable light, and op⯑poſite to the original. It is a maſ⯑terpiece of colouring, and though [21] it has miſſed the delicacy of the model, I am inclined to think it has ſurpaſſed it in force and effect. It is evident that Rubens has put his whole ſtrength to the work, and as his efforts have been decidedly ad⯑dreſſed to the colouring, his figures have a broader nakedneſs (if I may ſo expreſs it), than they have in the original; whereas there is a purity in Titian's nakedneſs, which is in character with the ſubject, and fully correſponds with the moſt refined conceptions of human nature in it's primitive ſtate of innocence and beauty: When we contemplate Titian's Adam and Eve, we are convinced they never wore cloaths; turn to the copy, and the ſame per⯑ſons appear to have laid theirs [22] aſide, and expoſed themſelves to ſhame for the credit of the painter.
Tintoret. Two noble compoſi⯑tions from ſacred hiſtory, compa⯑nions. The one a Judith, with the head of Holofernes; the other, a Martyrdom of Saint Urſula and her companions: The characters in both are of great grandeur, finely conceived and executed with pecu⯑liar brilliancy and ſpirit.
Paul Veroneſe. Two charming pictures, and the ſubjects beautiful. One, a Venus and a Sleeping Ado⯑nis; the other, Cephalus and Pro⯑cris, both natural ſize.
Juan Labrador. Two flower-pieces of the beſt maſter Spain ever [23] produced in this ſtile of painting. Theſe pieces are held in high eſ⯑teem; and, though in company with works of a ſuperior caſt, will attract the admiration of the be⯑holder. It has never been my chance to meet with any paintings of the like ſort, which I have thought comparable to theſe of La⯑brador. He died at Madrid in 1600, at a very advanced age. (See Anecdotes, vol. i. p. 151.)
Pedro Orrente. A Nativity; a capital compoſition: This picture was removed from the chapel de los Reyes nuevos, belonging to the ca⯑thedral of Toledo. Orrente was a familiar of the Inquiſition, and died in 1642, very old. He was a diſ⯑ciple of Baſſan; and greatly ſa⯑voured [24] and employed by the mi⯑niſter Olivares: ‘"He coloured in the ſtile of his maſter, but in his choice of nature did not imitate his vulgarity of taſte; in correct⯑neſs of drawing, he has rarely been exceeded. He was buried at Toledo, where he died, and is deſervedly to be numbered amongſt the moſt eminent Spa⯑niards of his profeſſion." (See Anecdotes, vol. i. p. 193.)’
Baſſan. Nine pictures of this maſter, viz.
- Adam, naming the brute crea⯑tion.
- Noah, introducing them into the Ark, its companion; both charm⯑ing pictures.
- Two upon ſcripture ſubjects.
- [25] Four of rural and domeſtic ſcenes.
- One, very beautiful, of Orpheus harping to the beaſts.
Theſe pictures have been drawn from the great collection of Baſſans in the Buen Retiro; but it does not appear to have been a very ju⯑dicious ſelection, for they have certainly left many there of a ſupe⯑rior merit to theſe; particularly ſome upon hiſtorical ſubjects in a great ſtile, and which are probably the moſt capital of their maſter any where to be met with.
King's Dining-Room.
Velaſquez. Five magnificent pourtraits, by this greateſt of all the Spaniſh maſters, adorn this ſtately [26] chamber: It is altogether one of the moſt ſtriking ſpectacles that can meet the eye; few ſcenes are to be found, that can better repay the curioſity of a traveller, and a ſtran⯑ger to the works of this great paint⯑er. The magnitude of theſe ob⯑jects, the force and vigour of their colouring, the proud character they are diſplayed in, the profuſe ſplen⯑dor of the draperies, and (more than all) the ſtately horſes, on which they are mounted, dreſſed out with ſuch redundancy of embel⯑liſhment, conſpire to produce an aſtoniſhing effect; of theſe pour⯑traits, four are of royal perſon⯑ages, viz.
Philip III. and IV. and their re⯑ſpective Queens.
[27] The laſt and beſt is the pourtrait of the Conde Duque de Olivares, miniſter of Spain and patron of the artiſt. There are etchings of all theſe pourtraits, copies of which I brought over from Spain.
Rubens. Philip the Third on horſeback: A very noble pour⯑trait.
Vanlo. Philip the Fifth on horſeback, and Queen Iſabella on foot. The inferiority of this artiſt is rendered very conſpicuous by the contraſt of the capital pictures a⯑bove-mentioned.
Rubens. Four compoſitions of this maſter hang over the doors, viz.
- A Hercules reſting from his la⯑bours.
- The Judgment of Paris.
- Pluto in his car.
- Apollo in his courſe; capital pieces.
The ſculptures in this, and the anti-chamber above deſcribed, are numerous and fine: In the former there is a remarkable buſt of Sene⯑ca by Bernini; and in this ſeveral of Roman emperors and empreſſes, antique; an infant Hercules ſleep⯑ing, of exquiſite workmanſhip, &c. &c.
King's Supper-Room.
Velaſquez. The famous Family-piece of the Infanta Da Margarita of Auſtria, afterwards empreſs of [29] Germany, with various other per⯑ſons in different employments; a large group: The painter has intro⯑duced two dwarfs, and (what adds greatly to its value) he is repre⯑ſented in perſon in the act of paint⯑ing the Infanta, whoſe pourtrait ap⯑pears upon the eaſel. ‘"It is related of this picture, that King Philip, with his own hand, painted the order of Santiago upon the dra⯑pery of Velaſquez's figure, which order he was not till then poſſeſſ⯑ed of. When Charles the Se⯑cond of Spain ſhewed this pic⯑ture to Luca Jordano, he ex⯑claimed with rapture and ſurprize, Sen̄or, eſta es la Theologia de la pintura." (Anecdotes, vol. ii. p. 37.)’
[30] A copy of this famous picture, upon a ſmall ſcale, was taken for the late Lord Grantham, when he was ambaſſador in Spain, and brought over by his Lordſhip to England. It is to be hoped his ſucceſſors in that ſtation will follow his example, and obtain copies or drawings of other capital pictures in that kingdom.
Titian. Charles V. in complete armour; his lance in his hand, his vizor up, and himſelf mounted on a beautiful horſe; he is preparing to paſs his troops over a river, which is deſcribed in the ſcenery of the back-ground, of the ſize of life, upon a very large canvaſs: This picture ſets all deſcription at de⯑fiance, [31] at leaſt all ſuch deſcription as I can attempt: I cannot doubt its being the moſt capital pourtrait of the maſter, and has been ſo eſ⯑teemed by the beſt judges, who have ſeen it; there is reaſon to believe that Titian rated it as ſuch him⯑ſelf.
In the countenance of the mo⯑narch we read his hiſtory, or (which perhaps is nearer to truth) recol⯑lecting his hiſtory, we acknowlege the agreement of character in every line, and in the reflection of his features we find the painter has re⯑corded the annals of his life: Ne⯑ver was more expreſſion of a mind committed to canvaſs. A penſive dignity prevails, traced with marks of pain and bodily decay: He is [32] deep in thought; his eyes gloomy and ſevere, the lids heavy, inflated and remarkably low over the eye⯑balls; the under-lip projecting, and the mouth characteriſtic of revenge and reſolution: He is advancing to give battle to the unfortunate Elec⯑tor of Saxony and the Landgrave, thoſe oppoſers of his power and of his faith; external objects have no ſhare in his attention; the whole man is engroſſed by the deepeſt meditation: His lance is poiſed pa⯑rallel with the ground, and ranges along the ſide of his horſe, with the point advanced beyond its breaſt; the action of the animal harmonizes with the character of his rider, ſlowly and compoſedly ſtepping forward, the head low [33] and ſubmitted, and the eye expreſ⯑ſive of the moſt reſigned obedience to his imperial maſter: All is calm and ſtill in the ſcene, no flutter or diſturbance in the objects; the co⯑louring, drawing and perſpective are the life itſelf; the whole is ſuch perfect nature, that art ſeems extin⯑guiſhed by its own excellence.
Titian. Philip II. in armour, his infant Son raiſed in his arms, whom he is devoting to Fame, which is repreſented as deſcending from the ſkies, in the act of crown⯑ing the new-born prince with a wreath of palm: On a ſcroll are theſe words—Majora Tibi.—The artiſt has put his name to this pic⯑ture in the following words— [34] Titianus Vecellius, Eques Caeſaris, fecit.
Vandyke. The Infant Don Fer⯑dinand, on horſeback.
Caſtiglione. Gladiators; very fine and ſpirited. This picture is doubt⯑fully aſcribed to Caſtiglione, but my catalogue gives it to him with⯑out any remark.
Cavallero Maximo. Gladiators; its companion.—Theſe two pictures hang over the doors, and have both great merit.
Titian. Venus and Adonis, and Europa on the Bull, its companion.—Theſe alſo hang over the doors; and are beautiful pic⯑tures: Every ſpectator muſt regret that they are not brought down [35] nearer to the eye; but theſe and many other inſtances occur of over⯑ſights in the hanging of this collec⯑tion, which I am informed was ar⯑ranged by Mengs, and, as it ſhould ſeem, with ſome partiality to his own performances.
King's Dreſſing-Room.
Velaſquez. A group of Spaniards carouſing. Theſe ruſtic Bacchana⯑lians are evidently ſketched from nature: Bacchus is introduced ſit⯑ting on a caſk, putting a garland on the head of a Peaſant, who kneels at his feet: On his left hand is a group of five other ruſtics, one of which holds a goblet of wine, ano⯑ther a can, and another has a lea⯑ther bag ſlung acroſs his ſhoulder; [36] their faces are groteſque and ſavage, and ſtrongly marked with the Caſ⯑tilian caſt of features: On the right hand of Bacchus are two fi⯑gures attendant upon him; one of theſe is naked, and ſits at his back, leaning on one elbow, and in the other hand holding a narrow-bot⯑tomed drinking glaſs with wide lips; the other is in ſtrong ſhade in the fore-ground, his face turned from the ſpectator, in a crouching attitude, embracing a large earthen amphora, which ſtands on the ground; both theſe figures are crowned with wreaths of vine; and the God, who has a mantle looſely thrown over his waiſt, has his whole head covered with a large cluſter of broad vine leaves, [37] in a grand and pictureſque ſtile: His countenance is ſtrongly charac⯑tered in the Mooriſh or Andaluſian caſt, with a broad noſe, full lips, wide mouth, and black ſparkling eyes: The figures are of the ſize of life. A very capital compo⯑ſition.
Velaſquez. A compoſition on the ſubject of Mercury and Argos: Its companion.
Velaſquez. The Forge of Vul⯑can. The Cyclops are at work, and Apollo is introduced, who is diſcloſing to Vulcan the intrigues of Venus with Mars. The painter has here choſen a ſubject, which enables him to diſplay his art in its ſulleſt extent, and he has per⯑ſormed [38] it with conſummate addreſs. The effect of light and ſhade from the reflection of the forge, and the ſparks which fly from their ham⯑mers, produce a ſtriking effect. The athletic forms and duſky hues of the Cyclops are artfully contraſt⯑ed with the beautiful proportions and fine tints of Apollo's perſon: The character of Vulcan is finely conceived, the ſtory well told, and the group diſpoſed with great judgment.
Velaſquez. The celebrated pic⯑ture of the Tapeſtry-workers, or women weaving tapeſtry; a won⯑derful repreſentation of nature in the beſt ſtile of the maſter, and of his cleareſt colouring.
Velaſquez. The famous Aqua⯑dor, or Water-bearer of Seville. One of his earlieſt productions, (See Anecdotes, vol. ii. p. 6.)
Velaſquez. Two pourtraits of Dwarfs, ſitting on the ground. Theſe Dwarfs belonged to Philip IV. One has a large volume be⯑fore him, and is turning over the leaves; by his ſide are pen and ink and a common-place book. A correct reſemblance of deformed nature.
Velaſquez. A full-length pour⯑trait of an Old Man with papers in his hand, ſaid to be the Alcalde Ronquillo.
Velaſquez. Two full-length [40] pourtraits of dignified characters. Very fine.
Theſe compleat the number of ten pictures by this maſter here brought together, and though there may be ſuperior pictures of Velaſ⯑quez in this palace, in the Eſcorial, and particularly the Dead Chriſt on the Croſs, in the monaſtery of San Placido, yet there can no where be ſeen ſuch a collection of his works under one view; and whatever lover of the art ſhall enter this room, I am perſuaded he will not depart from it without a very high reſpect for this illuſtrious Spaniard.
Murillo. Two large and fine compoſitions on ſcriptural ſubjects, viz.
- The Annunciation, and
- The Nativity.
Murillo. Two ſmall ditto, very delicately touched, and finely co⯑loured, viz.
- The Eſpouſals of Ma⯑ry the Mother of Chriſt, and
- An Infant Jeſus ſleeping.
Murillo. A Jeſus with St. John the Baptiſt, in his laſt and beſt manner: An exquiſite piece; mid⯑dle ſized.
Murillo. A Holy Family, large ſize.
Murillo. A Virgin half-length, with the Infant Jeſus entire, ſtand⯑ing.
Lanfranc. An Aſſumption, with a Glory of Angels; ſmall ſize; very beautiful. Ponz, in his Di⯑rectory, calls this a Guido.
Vandyke. Two pourtraits of La⯑dies of the Auſtrian houſe, in the religious habit of the Royal Carmel⯑itiſh convent: One of them appears to be the Infanta Don̄a Margarita: Both half-lengths.
Titian. Three half-length pour⯑traits of noble perſons.
Spagnolet.
- Saint John,
- Saint Bartholomew,
- Mary Magdalene, and
- Mary of Egypt.
Exquiſite ſamples of a maſter, whoſe merit cannot be fully known but to thoſe who have ſeen his works in his native country.
Luca Jordano. The Flight into Egypt.
[43] Abraham ſacrificing his Son, its companion.
David Teniers. Four landſcapes, with a great variety of figures; ex⯑cellent.
There is alſo a picture, by a maſter unknown, in the Flemiſh ſtile, a compoſition of great labour and minuteneſs, after the manner of Brughel; repreſenting a cabinet ſurniſhed with a variety of pictures, ſtatues, flowers, and articles of dif⯑ferent ſorts, highly finiſhed.
Mengs. A Nativity, the figures of the ſize of life.
This is his celebrated picture, which the king has covered with a magnificent plate of glaſs: It was painted at Rome, and ſent from [44] thence to Madrid. In the perſon of one of the Shepherds, the artiſt has introduced his own pourtrait: The whole is laboured with amaz⯑ing care and ſtudy, and very ten⯑derly coloured: His miniature-edu⯑cation is conſpicuous in this per⯑formance, and the Infant is remark⯑ably diminutive and delicate: The ſubject perhaps precludes origina⯑lity, and it does not ſeem to be attempted. It is ſcarce neceſſary to add, that this picture is a great court-favourite; all the works of Mengs are generally extolled in Spain, and this the moſt: I have obſerved, however, that the opi⯑nions of mankind at large, with re⯑gard to his rank in the liſt of artiſts, run much into oppoſite extremes; [45] and this is generally the fate which eminent men experience in the judgment of their contemporaries: This does not ſeem to proceed from any want of preſent capacity to aſ⯑certain the degrees of merit in men, before Time has pronounced upon them with more authority, but is rather owing to the good and evil paſſions of mankind, to their lik⯑ings and their antipathies, to an affectation of ſingularity, and a vanity to be thought a leader in taſte, and a diſcoverer of latent merit; ſurpriſed by theſe motives into ſudden applauſe, we commit ourſelves to it with a warmth which, though it frequently cools, we dare not diſavow, and thus become par⯑ties [46] in the reputation we are pledg⯑ed to ſupport.
Mengs. An Incarnation, its companion: This alſo was painted in Rome, and tranſmitted from thence.
King's Cloſet.
Teniers. Twenty-four pictures of this much-admired maſter, ſmall in ſize, but of admirable execution, hang in this room, and form of themſelves a moſt valuable collec⯑tion.
Two of theſe are ſatirical and lu⯑dicrous allegories on the ſubject of the Arts.
Two others are much in the ſame [47] ſtile, and repreſent the temptations of Saint Anthony.
The reſt are landſcapes of vari⯑ous ſorts, with figures and cattle: Of theſe I ſhall not offer any de⯑ſcription, which ſcenes of this ſort do not admit of like pictures upon hiſtorical ſubjects. The eye of the artiſt will dwell upon them with de⯑light. If we may ſuppoſe for a mo⯑ment that this whole magnificent collection was at ſale, perhaps theſe pictures of Teniers would be a⯑mongſt the very firſt that modern virtuoſi would reach at.
Wouvermans. An exquiſite picce: The landſcape a moſt beautiful country, with men and women, dogs and horſes, and all the concomitants [48] of a rural wake and merry-mak⯑ing.
Segers. A grand Flower-piece.
Brughel. Eight beautiful pic⯑tures: Three of theſe are Flower-pieces; the other five, ſmall fabu⯑lous compoſitions, with nymphs adorned with garlands of flowers, and various embelliſhments, rich and luxuriantly coloured: The whole a moſt captivating collection of a favourite maſter.
In this cloſet is a painted Cabi⯑net, which would demand longer examination than I could devote to it; it is by a Flemiſh hand, but the maſter's name has eſcap⯑ed me, and my manuſcript cata⯑logue does not mention it: It [49] is eſteemed a maſter-piece in its kind.
Paſſage-Room to the King's Bed-Chamber.
Alonzo Cano. A Dead Chriſt, ſupported by an Angel.
This noble Spaniard may be ſtyled the Michael Angelo of Spain; for he was architect, ſtatuary, and paint⯑er, and excelled in each. For his life, which is curious, See Anecdotes, vol. ii. p. 72, &c.
Murillo. Head of an Ecce Homo.
Do of a Madona; both ſmall pieces, very fine.
A ſingle figure of the tutelar Saint James to the knees; excel⯑lent; [50] in his beſt and brighteſt man⯑ner.
Spagnolet. Saint Francis de Aſis, half-length.
Saint Geronimo, a companion.
Amongſt all the works of this artiſt, whether here or in the Eſco⯑rial, I have not met one, which did not engage my admiration; and I was ſurpriſed to find him as great a maſter of grace and beauty, as he is of effect.
Cavallero Maximo. A Magda⯑lene, half-length.
Mengs. A Holy Family, large ſize.
Baroccio. A Laſt Supper, ſmall, and of exquiſite delicacy.
Leonardo da Vinci. Herodias with the head of John the Baptiſt; half-length, ſmall ſize, very fine; but its originality doubtful.
Luca Jordano. A Madona, half-length, with the Child ſleep⯑ing; Saint John kiſſing his feet, and Saint Joſeph in the back⯑ground: An oval, painted in the manner of Raphael; a charming piece. A very curious ſample of the imitative powers of this inge⯑nious painter.
Joſeph de Arpino. The Martyr⯑dom of Saint Ines; a glory, with Saints and the Bleſſed Virgin in the clouds. Clement VIII. made this painter a knight of Chriſt, and Louis XIII. of France gave him [52] the order of Saint Michael: He died at Rome in 1640, aged eighty years.
This chamber being only a paſ⯑ſage-room between the dreſſing-room and bed-chamber, is lighted only from the glaſs doors, and very unfavourable to the excellent pic⯑tures it contains.
King's Bed-Chamber.
Mengs. The king has here ſtrongly marked his predilection for Mengs, by admitting none but his paintings to hang in this cham⯑ber. Theſe conſiſt of ſix compoſi⯑tions of the ſize of life, and two ſmall ones, viz.
- A Deſcent from the Croſs; both the Marys and Saint John are re⯑preſented: [53] The air and expreſſion of the head of Saint John very ca⯑pital, but cloſely copied from the Elder Mary, in a painting of Van⯑dyke's on the ſame ſubject, which was long in Mengs's hands, and now in my poſſeſſion. In my opi⯑nion this compoſition is far the beſt of all his paintings in oil, that are in this palace.
- The Eternal Father, enthroned amongſt the Angels in heaven: This hangs over the picture above-mentioned.
- Chriſt praying in the Garden;
- Chriſt appearing to Mary Magda⯑len;
- Chriſt falling under the Croſs;
- Chriſt ſcourged. Theſe four hang over the doors.
[54] Two ſmall pictures; one a Saint John, the other a Magdalen; highly finiſhed and well coloured. Of the pictures over the doors I cannot ſpeak in commendation.
King's Retiring-Room.
Vandyke. Pourtrait of a woman; ſmall ſize.
Guido. An Ecce Homo; a head, very fine.
Velaſquez, A Boy, full-length, with a dog.
Peaſant Boys, eating and drink⯑ing, of the ſize of life; half-length: In the back-ground a clear and beautiful landſcape.
Paul Veroneſe. Two ſmall pour⯑traits.
Titian. Two ſmall pourtraits.
Pouſſin. An old Bacchanal; ini⯑mitable: A landſcape in the back-ground.
Brughel. A moſt beautiful col⯑lection of landſcapes with hiſtorical figures, eight in number; amongſt theſe there is a Venus and Vulcan, very fine.—The Arts.—A Saint John the Baptiſt preaching, ca⯑pital.—The Baths of Diana; the ſcenery moſt charming.
Teniers. Twenty ſmall compo⯑ſitions of this maſter, which, with the others above mentioned, make this cabinet ineſtimable.
Berbedel. A ſmall picture of a Dead Chriſt; very fine.
Queen's firſt Antichamber.
[56]Lanfranc. A large and capital compoſition repreſenting a Royal Funeral, ſuppoſed to be that of A⯑lexander, whoſe body is laid out in ſtate, and in front a fight of Gladia⯑tors, of the ſize of life.
Lanfranc. The Election of a Succeſſor, in which is introduced another combat of Gladiators: Both noble performances, in the beſt ſtile of the Maſter.
Lanfranc died at Rome in 1647, aged 66 years.
Guido. Love and Avarice, per⯑ſonified in the characters of two Boys; very beautiful.
Pouſſin. A very celebrated com⯑poſition, repreſenting a grand Bac⯑chanalian Sacrifice; prieſteſſes per⯑forming rites at the altars of Bac⯑chus and Priapus: The landſcape undeſcribably rich and fine; a large-ſized picture.
What a noble ſubject had this been for our late incomparable Woollet! What a ſtudy for Ar⯑tiſts! a picture formed to captivate all beholders.
Jordaens. Two allegorical Paint⯑ings over the doors, viz.
- Wantonneſs, in the character of a Fawn.
- Plenty, deſcribed by ſundry fe⯑male figures bearing fruits and flowers; very like Rubens.
Titian. Philip the Third, of Spain;
A Venetian Cavalier; two excel⯑lent pourtraits.
Paul Veroneſe. Pourtrait of a Lady.
Youth, between Virtue and Vice; very fine.
Vandyke. Pourtrait of a man, full-length.
Velaſquez. Two pourtraits of Buffoons, full-lengths.
Alexander Andriens. Four ſmall pictures of Still Life, highly fi⯑niſhed.
Corrado. Original Sketches of the Ceilings of the Grand Staircaſe and Ball-Room.
Luca Jordano. Four compoſi⯑tions from the Hiſtory of Samp⯑ſon.
Three do of the Elements.
One large Hiſtorical Piece on the Subject of Solomon.
A ſmall compoſition of Hercu⯑les drawn by Centaurs.
A Companion, on the Story of Cephalus and Procris.
Rubens. A large and capital compoſition, on the ſubject of Or⯑pheus harping to the Brutes.
This is truly an ineſtimable pic⯑ture, giving ſuch a diſplay of co⯑louring as can hardly be conceiv⯑ed: It was painted by him in Spain, in his beſt age and manner.
Flemiſh, Painter unknown. Three landſcapes, and one large do.
Queen's Second Antichamber.
Lanfranc. Julius Caeſar haran⯑guing his Soldiers, large ſize: This picture does honour to the ſchool of the Caraccis.
French School (Painter unknown.) Two large compoſitions; a public entry, as it ſhould ſeem, of ſome ambaſſador.
Luca Jordano. Eſau ſelling his birth-right to Jacob.
Bathſheba in the bath.
Carlo Maratti. Two half-lengths of women with baſkets of flowers; very beautiful.
Cavallero Maximo. A ſacrifice for Bacchus.
Andrea Vaſari. The Life of St. Catherine, in four compoſitions.
A Magdalen.
Spagnolet. A Saint Barthole⯑mew, half-length; horribly fine.
Corrado. Two original Sketches of Freſcos.
Two large Landſcapes over the doors, of great merit.
Brughel. Two moſt charming Flower-pieces.
Jordaens. A capital compoſi⯑tion of Fruits and Flowers, with a Female Figure to the knees.
Queen's Dining Room.
[62]Luca Jordano. The Martyr⯑dom of St. Lawrence, large ſize; four compoſitions from the Hiſtory of the Bleſſed Virgin.
A Saint Peter.
A Mary Magdalen.
A Transfiguration.
A Saint Michael, being the ori⯑ginal deſign for the great alter-piece in the King's chapel.
A Battle-piece.
Vaſari. Two ſmall compoſitions from the Story of Saint Cay⯑etan.
Corrado. Three original Sketch⯑es of Freſcos.
Teniers. An Armoury; very fine.
Teniers. A very curious and ca⯑pital picture, in which the Artiſt has drawn himſelf ſitting in his painting-room, where is a grand collection of ſtatues, pictures, and deſigns; which, without doubt, is a pourtrait in all particulars.
Of all the pictures of Teniers, I have ever ſeen, this I think the moſt to be coveted and admired: Another excellent ſubject for an engraving.
Brughels. Four fine Sea Pieces.
Two Landſcapes.
One do, of a large ſize.
Three ſmall Flower-pieces; a very valuable collection.
Queen's Great Sa [...]
[64]Titian. A full-length pourtrait of the Emperor Charles V. on foot, with a large maſtiff, painted at Bo⯑logna before Titian entered into his ſervice, and as he was on his way to Rome. To this pourtrait Titian applied his utmoſt art, and his ſucceſs paved the way to the favour, in which he was ever after held by the Emperor.
Zelma, a Spaniſh Artiſt of great merit, has engraved this pourtrait very finely: It is bound up with the new publication of Sepulveda's Works; in which is contained the Hiſtory of Charles V. written in pure Latin, with other matters, hiſtorical and miſcellaneous, of a [65] very curious nature: This work is compriſed in four quarto volumes, and was publiſhed whilſt I was in Spain.
Titian. Philip the Second of Spain; a capital pourtrait.
Pourtrait of a man, half-length.
Do of a woman, do.
Rubens. The Rape of Proſer⯑pine; a capital compoſition.
A Garden Scene, in which he has introduced his family; the fi⯑gures ſmall.
A magnificent compoſition, ex⯑hibiting a very fine Landſcape, in which he has introduced a prieſt in the act of carrying the viaticum to a dying perſon: The prieſt is [66] mounted on a horſe, which is led by a count of Augſberg.
This is one of the many ca⯑pital pictures of this maſter to be found in Spain, which have con⯑ſpired to impreſs me with the high⯑eſt veneration for his talents. Per⯑haps I have already tired the reader with too many attempts at deſcrib⯑ing objects, which intereſted my feelings upon the contemplation of them; and therefore, altho' few occaſions can offer, which might better warrant the endeavour, I ſhall venture upon nothing more than to recommend it to the tra⯑veller, who ſhall viſit this collec⯑tion, if he condeſcends to take this Directory in his hand, to ſtop at this picture; and if he beſtows his [67] attention upon it, I am perſuaded he will not withhold his admi⯑ration.
Velaſquez. Four capital pour⯑traits, full-length, viz.
- Margaret of Auſtria.
- Philip the Second.
- Philip the Third of Spain.
- An African commander, ſuppoſ⯑ed to be the famous Barbaroſſa.
Luca Jordano. Four great Hiſ⯑torical Pieces, on the ſubject of Solomon.
Three ſabulous compoſitions, viz. Pluto in his car; Jupiter; and a Daedalus.
Jordaens. Still Life; Fruits, and various Viands.
Corrado. Sketches of emblema⯑tic Figures; Juſtice, Peace, &c.
Flemiſh. Two large and fine Landſcapes.
Queen's Bed-Chamber.
Vandyke. Chriſt betrayed and ſeized by Judas and his followers, a night-piece.
Mengs, in his Obſervations upon the Royal Collection, particularizes this picture; and ſays it is painted with great taſte, and coloured to as great a perfection as the ſcene, which is by night, will admit of. Undoubtedly it merits the warmeſt admiration, and is a very capital picture of the maſter.
Luca Jordano. Four, Hiſtories from the Life of St. Anthony.
Two, from that of Solomon.
Two, of the Bleſſed Virgin.
Two, of St. Nicholas de Bari, and St. Francis Xavier.
Two others, of the Incarnation.
Pedro Orrente. Orpheus harp⯑ing to the Brute Creation; very fine.
Of the School of Guido. Chriſt laid in the Sepulchre.
Vaſari. The four Cardinal Vir⯑tues.
St. Roſalia, ſupported by An⯑gels.
Carlo Maratt. St. Anthony ador⯑ding the Infant Chriſt; a very [70] charming picture; a cloſe copy of his maſter Andrea Sacchi.
Paul Veroneſe. A capital Paint⯑ing of Suſanna and the Elders.
Prince of Aſturias's Saloon.
Luca Jordano. Four ſmall Pic⯑tures; two of which are Battle⯑pieces; one, a Rape of the Sabines; and the other, a Curtius leaping the gulph.
A Seneca expiring in the bath, dictating to his diſciples in his laſt moments.
I believe the picture at Burleigh is a fac-ſimile of this; but I did not carry it ſufficiently in mind to be ſure of the aſſertion.
Velaſquez. St. Anthony converſ⯑ing in the Deſart with St. Paul the Hermit;
A celebrated figure of the God Mars; both capital.
Spaniolet. Eſau ſelling his Birth⯑right, finely treated, with great ef⯑fect of light and ſhade, and ſtrong expreſſion of nature.
Lanfranc. Two magnificent De⯑ſigns, viz.
- A Naval Combat in an amphi⯑theatre;
- A Pagan Sacrifice; in which a Roman Emperor is officiating in perſon; maſterly and bold compo⯑ſitions; large.
Rubens.
Mercury and Argos.
Satyrs.
School of Rubens. A Triumph, in which is introduced a combat of Gladiators, male and female.
Two compoſitions upon the Al⯑legories of the Senſes and Ele⯑ments.
Jordaens. A Pomona; the ſce⯑nery very beautiful.
Prince's Dining-Room.
Velaſquez. Vulcan at his Forge.
The Prince of Spain mounted on a beautiful Spaniſh Jennet, in full ſpeed. The ſpirit, which the paint⯑er has thrown into this pourtrait, and the truth, with which it is drawn and coloured, render it a moſt admirable piece of art. I have an etching from this pour⯑trait.
Velaſquez. A grand and cele⯑brated piece of hiſtory, upon a very large canvas, repreſenting the fa⯑mous General Peſcara receiving the keys of a Flemiſh citadel from the Governor of the place; the groupe of Generals, Soldiers, Citi⯑zens, Horſes, &c. and the ſtriking effect of the town and landſcape in the back-ground, all in the moſt harmonious perſpective, have eſta⯑bliſhed the fame of this noble pic⯑ture, in the opinion of judges, as one of the firſt, if not the very firſt, production of the maſter. Mengs ſays decidedly that it is the chef⯑d'oeuvre of Velaſquez, and has pro⯑nounced it to be faultleſs, except in the circumſtance of the ſoldiers' lances, which he criticiſes as being [74] too long: Surely this is a very trivial remark, to fall from the pen of ſo great authority, and, trivial as it is, there is great reaſon to doubt if it is founded in truth. Af⯑ter all, if the painter has enlarged upon the actual height of Peſcara's lances for the purpoſe of effect, who would expect that any eminent critic, after pronouncing the com⯑poſition faultleſs in every noble part, would ſeriouſly ſtate this re⯑mark as a ſingle exception? Let us therefore admit, with Mengs, that Velaſquez has taken a wrong mea⯑ſure of Peſcara's lances; but at the ſame time let us take his word for the perfection of the picture in every other reſpect. If any lover of the art, who reſorts to this col⯑lection, [75] ſhould at the ſame time diſ⯑cover that there is one foot in the famous Paſmo de Sicilia more than can be accounted for, I hope for his ſake it will not abate the rap⯑ture he would elſe receive in the contemplation of ſuch unrivalled compoſitions.
Velaſquez. Philip the Second of Spain;
Philip the Third; both full-length pourtraits, by the ſame great maſter; and both very fine.
Two full-length characters, of Aeſop one, and the other of Mae⯑nippus; of the ſtrongeſt expreſſion, and in a great ſtile. Of theſe two I have etchings.
Two half-length pourtraits; one [76] of which is a very intereſting and curious picture of the unfortunate Antonio Perez: It hangs near the pourtrait of Philip the Second.
A View of the Palace of the Par⯑do, in which he has introduced the perſons of Philip IV. and the Prin⯑ceſs Margaret of Auſtria. This compleats a liſt of ten paintings by Velaſquez in this chamber; few apartments can be more royally furniſhed.
Pedro Mazo. A perſpective View of the City of Saragoſſa, with the courſe of the river Ebro, and a group of figures; a fine and ela⯑borate piece.
Titian. Six pourtraits; four of men and two of women, all half-lengths.
Titian. An Orpheus; this pic⯑ture is highly celebrated: Of his beſt age and manner.
Tintorett. Judith and Holofernes; capital.
Solimena. Six hiſtories of Solo⯑mon, over the doors.
Murillo. An Old Woman ſell⯑ing grapes;
A Country-fellow ſelling wine; both half-lengths.
Theſe are reputed to be the moſt finiſhed heads Murillo ever painted; they are the nature itſelf, coloured to a miracle.
The Infant Don Gabriel has co⯑pied them in ſifted cloth with great truth and exactneſs, and has hung [78] them in his lodge at the Eſcorial. There are alſo good engravings of them taken in Spain, of which I have copies.
Antony Coypel. The Elders ac⯑cuſing Suſanna.
Spagnolet. A ſmall copy from Raphael.
Wouvermans. Two moſt beau⯑tiful Landſcapes; companions.
Teniers. Two Alchymiſts; very fine:
Two ſmall Paintings; compa⯑nions.
A large and moſt capital Land⯑ſcape.
Brughels. Two charming Land⯑capes, with variety of animals.
Paſſage-Room.
[79]Teniers. Eight ſmall Sketches; two of them Landſcapes.
Brughels. Eight Flower-pieces.
Ten ſmall Landſcapes; ſome with fabulous ſtories introduced.
Pedro Orrente. Four Landſcapes with figures; eſteemed very ca⯑pital.
Murillo. An Old Woman peel⯑ing a lemon; half-length: A very natural character; much admired.
Corrado. Four Sketches of de⯑ſigns in freſco.
Vato. Two Landſcapes with fi⯑gures, perſonating Peace and Plenty.
Flemiſh. Still life; Fiſh and ſundry Viands.
Prince's Dreſſing-Room.
Raphael. The celebrated pic⯑ture called PASMO DE SICILIA, purchaſed by Philip the Fourth of the Monks of Palermo, and by him termed La Joya, in preference to all others! An annual-rent of one thouſand ſcudi was the price at which the king purchaſed it of the monks of our Lady dello Spaſimo; and hence it got the name of Paſmo de Sicilia. Vaſari, and the cele⯑brated canon of Valencia, Don Vi⯑cente Victoria, and in late times Mengs, have all written largely in teſtimony of its unrivalled excel⯑lence; and there ſeems a general [81] concurrence amongſt the judges of the art to ſet it down as the maſter-piece of Raphael. In my ſecond volume of the Anecdotes of Spaniſh Painters I have collected ſeveral cir⯑cumſtances relating to this famous picture, and attempted a deſcription of it, which, if the reader is diſpoſed to, refer to will be found in vol. ii. from page 172 to 182, incluſive.
Rubens. The Adoration of the Magi.
This picture, like the Laſt Supper of Titian in the Refectory of the Eſcorial, is the ſtandard work of its maſter. It was begun in Flanders; enlarged, retouched and finiſhed during his embaſſy in Spain; no⯑thing that his art, genius and in⯑duſtry [82] could effect is omitted: In grandeur of deſign, diſplay of colour⯑ing, dignity of character; in com⯑poſition, drawing, perſpective, har⯑mony, it is a model of excellence: Rubens, in putting his laſt hand to it, has inſerted his own pourtrait amongſt the groupe of the Magi; the nobleſt ſignature that could be ſet upon his canvaſs.
The figures are the ſize of life.
Rubens. A Holy Family; a groupe of Female Saints and Boys in vari⯑ous employments: The ſcenery and embelliſhments of this rich and noble compoſition are admirable.
Vaſari. Five hiſtorical pieces, taken from the Story of Saint Caye⯑tan; companions.
Murillo. A large Holy Family; the Mother and Saviour to the knees.
Spagnolet. A celebrated picture, repreſenting the Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew; a maſter-piece of ana⯑tomical art and terrible expreſſion.
A Saint Benito, and a Saint Ge⯑ronimo, both penitential characters, finely deſigned, and of the tendereſt expreſſion; a ſtriking contraſt to the Saint Bartholomew.
A Mary Magdalen; a touching and moſt delicate deſign, conceived and executed with all the grace of the Italian ſtudent, and all the na⯑ture of the Spaniſh maſter.
The genius of Spagnolet, like his fortune, ſeems always to be engaged on ſubjects either of terror or of pity; [84] he never draws but with a tragic pencil, and ſo truly, that he gives the nature itſelf upon his canvaſs: In melancholy grace and penitential beauty he is equal to Guercino; in anatomical ſcience and muſcular correctneſs he ranks with Leonardo de Vinci, and in the ſublime and terrible approaches to Michael An⯑gelo. The examples of his art, which he has left in Spain, if they were generally known, would, I am per⯑ſuaded, warrant what I now venture to ſay; and for his life and misfor⯑tunes, which are very intereſting, I beg leave to refer once more to the Anecdotes, vol. i. page 197.
Andrea Sacchi. A Nativity; a large and capital compoſition.
Mengs. A Nativity; large ſize.
Luca Jordano. An Incarnation.
A Flight into Egypt.
Vandyke. A Mary Magdalen, ſmall ſize, under a groupe of Angels in the Clouds.
An hiſtorical compoſition from the Story of Saint Roſalia.
Pouſſin. A Saint Cecilia; full length.
Titian. An Ecce Homo; alſo A Mater doloroſa; capital heads.
Gerard Sepez. A Virgin, with Flowers thrown round, in a frame.
Albert Durer. A Virgin, dead; the Apoſtles are introduced as miniſter⯑ing on the occaſion. A very curious and claborace piece of art.
Leonardo de Vinci. A Madona and Child, half-length; alſo
A Madona with the Child, full-length and erect; very fine.
Andrea del Sarto. A Madona, ſomething more than half-length, with the Child entire.
A ſmall Holy Family, from Ra⯑phael.
Vaſari. A Nativity; ſmall.
Brughels. An Adoration of the Magi; alſo
The Deſcent into Egypt, compa⯑nions, ſmall ſize.
A Madona, with Chaplets of Flowers, in frame-work, highly eſteemed.
Palma. A Madona and Child; a perſon is introduced who preſents [87] his family in adoration of the Infant Saviour; a capital picture.
Juan Antonio Regilio, called Bor⯑donon. A Madona and Child; vari⯑ous Saints adoring; half-length; very fine.
Pedro Cortona. A Magdalen, ſize of life.
Carlo Maratt. A Saint Roſalia, ſize of life.
The Oratory.
Salvator Roſa. A Madona and Child, with Saint Joſeph; a capital picture.
Luca Jordano. A large Altar-piece; Our Saviour bearing his Croſs; alſo
Two Side-pieces, viz. an Annun⯑ciation, and Nativity.
Andrea del Sarto. A Holy Fa⯑mily, very beautiful.
Prince's Bed-Chamber.
Daniel Criſpio. A Dead Chriſt ſup⯑ported by his Mother, an Angel weeping over the body; a large piece.
Raphael. A Madona, of ſmall ſize, embracing the Child.
Corregio. Chriſt praying in the Garden;
A ſmall picture, but of inexpreſ⯑ſible beauty, and magical effect of colouring. It has been particularly celebrated by Mengs in his Remarks. The figure of Chriſt receives its light from a Glory; the ſcene is by night; a reflected light from the Sa⯑viour [89] ſtrikes on the Angel, who is attending for his conſolation: The manner in which this emanation is reflected and diffuſed through the piece to the extremities of the back⯑ground, and the exquiſite gradations obſerved in its diſtribution, are in the higheſt degree characteriſtic of the maſter. Mengs remarks, that Chriſt and the Miniſtering Angel are the only figures which meet the eye upon a firſt view; a cloſer examina⯑tion brings forward many other ob⯑jects and much beautiful ſcenery. This is truly obſerved; for the Troop that come to ſeize our Saviour, the Apoſtles ſtanding aloof under the ſhade of Trees, the Foliage of the Grove, the Herbage of the Garden, a Crown of Thorns, a Croſs fixt in the [90] earth, and ſeveral other emblematic objects ſuitable to the action, come by degrees into view, and ſtart up like viſions created by the fancy of the ſpectator rather than by the pencil of the artiſt.
Corregio. A Madona and Child, with Saint Joſeph at a diſtance.
Mengs obſerves that this may be called a ſketch, as it plainly appears that the attitude and action of the Mother and Child have undergone ſeveral alterations in point of diſpo⯑ſition; by a peculiar management of the middle imperceptible tints in this ſmall, yet ineſtimable paint⯑ing, there is produced a very won⯑derful effect of ſize and grandeur, from figures which do not meaſure [91] two inches. Mengs pronounces that Corregio poſſeſt this art of treating lights and ſhades in the firſt degree; Velaſquez in the ſecond to Corregio, and Rembrandt next to Velaſquez: He adds, that the Child in this ſketch is a model of conſummate excel⯑lence, not only from the incom⯑parable management of the Clear-obſcure, but alſo from the colour⯑ing, character, drawing and divine grace. Of the outline he ſpeaks with rapture, and remarks that Corregio, in this moſt difficult branch of his art, was never equalled by any but the great Michael Angelo and Ra⯑phael Urbin.
Corregio. A Head of Saint John; of a ſweet character, and beautifully treated.
Leonardo de Vinci. A Madona and Child, ſmall ſize;
A Holy Family; alſo
A Madona and Child, and Saint John; beautiful ſamples, and in fine preſervation.
Rubens. Two Heads of Old Men; ſketch-like and very grand.
Andrea del Sarto. A large Holy Family, from Raphael.
Julio Romano. A Holy Family, the ſize of life; conſiſting of a Ma⯑dona and Child, Saint John and Saint Joſeph. The compoſition and drawing is attributed to Raphael, the finiſhing to Julio Romano.
Vaſari. Two ſmall hiſtorical pieces, from the Story of Saint Cayetan.
Velaſquez. A large and noble com⯑poſition, repreſenting the Crowning of the Holy Mother of Chriſt.
Titian. Saint Margaret and the Dragon, large ſize; a brilliant com⯑poſition; alſo
Mary worſhipping Chriſt, in his firſt ſtile.
Guido Rheni. Saint Denis with his Croſs; a large and capital piece.
Mengs. A Flight into Egypt; large ſize.
Claudio Coello. Saint Fernando worſhipping the Virgin, who is ſeated on a Throne, with the Infant Jeſus, in a rich and ſplendid Apartment; a beautiful Landſcape is diſcovered in the back-ground: A large and fine compoſition, painted with great [94] expreſſion and effect, in the beſt manner of the maſter.
This painter was a native of Spain, out of which he never tra⯑velled; a diſciple of Franciſco Ricci, and royal artiſt in the court of Philip IV. His pictures are highly eſteemed in Spain, and I have met ſome admirers of them, who do not ſcruple to prefer him to Murillo, Spagnolet, and even to Velaſquez. His maſter-piece is the great picture in the ſacriſty of the Eſcorial, upon which he expended ſeven years la⯑bour: Of this, and many other anecdotes of his hiſtory, I have given an account, vol. ii. page 130, &c.
Paul Veroneſe. Jeſus diſputing with the Doctors in the Temple. This [95] I conceive to be a picture of great beauty, majeſty and effect; the com⯑poſition is full and finely diſpoſed; the characters ſublime and majeſtic, marked with ſtriking diſcrimination and contraſt: The architecture is ſuperb; the colouring clear and of a moſt captivating brilliancy: The character of Chriſt is divinely con⯑ceived, and of matchleſs beauty. The picture is of large ſize, and a moſt capital performance of the maſter.
The Receiving Room.
Rembrandt. Cleopatra receives the Cup of melted Pearl from the Hands of a Female Slave. An in⯑eſtimable picture, in his fineſt ſtile; large ſize.
Spagnolet. A Combat of Gladi⯑ators. This picture is eſteemed one of the very beſt of the maſter; it is a ſtudy for an Academy. The atti⯑tudes of the Combatants, the ſpirit of their characters, and the great truth and correctneſs of drawing, cannot be too much admired. The ſubject was well choſen to diſplay the ſcience of the painter in the muſcles and proportions of the hu⯑man figure, naked and in the ſtrongeſt exertion of manly vigour.
Murillo. A Judith with the Head of Holofernes; a Female Servant with a Light; half-length: This is managed with great ſkill and effect; it is a ſtudy from nature admirably executed.
Titian. Two moſt capital com⯑poſitions, celebrated through Eu⯑rope, and juſtly recorded by Mengs as the moſt conſummate models of beauty. One repreſents a group of Boys and Cupids; the other of Bac⯑chanals; companions. ‘"The figures in each are of the third part of the natural ſize: In the fore-ground of the group of Bacchanals there is a young Female Reveller ſleep⯑ing, of which Mengs ſpeaks in rap⯑tures of admiration, and concludes his remarks on this picture by ob⯑ſerving, that all the harmonious accompaniments of Sky, variegat⯑ed Ground, with deep and tender ſhades of the Trees, form ſuch an aſſemblage of beautiful objects in nature perfectly imitated, that he [98] does not think the world poſſeſſes a better picture in this ſtile. The Boys and Cupids in the other piece are grouped with wonderful variety of attitudes; they are en⯑gaged in puerile ſports under a Grove of Apple-trees, the fruit of which they have ſcattered on the ground, and are playing with it in the moſt gay and natural manner. It is equally excellent with its companion. Theſe pictures were formerly in the Ludovici palace at Rome, and were a preſent to the king of Spain. Sandrart re⯑ports of this group of Cupids, that it ſerved for a ſtudy to Do⯑meniquino, Pouſſin, and Flameneco; Albano has taken part of it into a compoſition of his painting, and [99] there are copies of both theſe com⯑panions by Rubens in the palace: Of theſe Mengs ſays, that they are like an elegant author tranſlated into Dutch, where the ſentiments of the original may be gueſſed at, but all the grace is vaniſhed." (Anecdotes, vol. i. p. 60.)’ What ſubjects for an eminent engraver!
Titian. Three pourtraits, half-length, one of a Man, another of a Woman, and a third of a Girl.
Leonardo de Vinci. Three exquiſite pourtraits, three quarters. One of theſe is of Ann Bullen, exceeding beautiful, but of a wanton, ſly cha⯑racter: The other two are alſo of Women.
Rubens. Two capital and full-ſized Landſcapes; in one of which he has introduced his own Family; the ſcene a Garden.
Two ſmaller ditto; in one a Diana in the Chace, companions; extreme⯑ly fine.
Brughels. Two ſmall Landſcapes; one repreſenting an Allegory of Love and War; the other of Love protecting the Arts.
A third ſmall Landſcape, with a variety of Animals.
Luca Jordano. A large compoſi⯑tion on the ſubject of Love and War, in the ſtile of Rubens, whom he has introduced in the act of painting the very picture in queſtion. A valuable and very curious picture.
Paul Veroneſe. Moſes ſaved by Pharaoh's Daughter; a ſmall piece, of great beauty and maſterly com⯑poſition.
Mengs. Four pictures over the doors; viz. Morning, Noon, Even⯑ing, and Midnight.
Teniers. Two capital Landſcapes, companions.
Firſt Cloſet.
Mengs. Four pourtraits; viz.
- The Reigning Sovereign;
- The Prince of Aſturias;
- The Princeſs of Aſturias;
- The late Queen.
Vanlo. Three pourtraits (copies) viz.
- The Infant Don Philip;
- [102] Queen Iſabella;
- The Conſort of Don Philip.
Antonio Ynza. Four pourtraits, viz.
- The Infanta Donna Joſepha;
- The Infant Don Gabriel;
- The Infant Don Antonio; and
- Don Franciſco Xavier.
Second Cloſet.
Rubens. Six ſmall ſketches of his famous tapeſtry deſigns, repreſenting the Triumph of the Church.
Albert Durer. Three curious pourtraits; viz.
- Calvin,
- Luther, and
- His own.
Titian. A moſt lovely pourtrait of a Boy.
Baſan. Two ſmall compoſitions; one of the Adoration; the other, Chriſt praying in the Garden; both admirable.
Wouvermans. Two ſmall land⯑ſcapes with figures, companions.
Anti-Chamber of the Princeſs.
Luca Jordano. The miraculous Draught of Fiſhes;
Chriſt purging the Temple;
Abſalom caught by the Hair;
David and Abigail.
Four Battle-pieces, ſmall ſize: In one of theſe he has repreſented Francis I. of France taken Priſoner.
[104] A compoſition, emblematic of the Four Quarters of the Globe.
Rubens. A large and capital pic⯑ture upon the Story of Marſyas and Apollo, Pan and Faunus in the group.
The Story of the Centaurs; very capital.
Two companions; viz.
- Saturn, and
- The Rape of Ganymede; ſmall ſize.
Two ſmall pictures, companions; viz.
- An Icarus and Apollo, and
- A Narciſſus; beautiful.
A large compoſition on a ſcrip⯑tural ſubject, of which there is a copy by Murillo.
Villa Vicenzi. A Scriptural Com⯑poſition, companion in ſize with the above, in the ſtile of Murillo. The name of this painter was Pedro Nu⯑n̄ez, a diſciple of Mathias Preti, commonly called El Cavellero Ca⯑labrès. He died at Seville in 1700.
Flemiſh. A beautiful group of Fruits and Flowers; painter un⯑known.
Mazo. Philip IV. with his Queen and Dames of Honour: Mazo was a diſciple of the famous Velaſquez.
I have now gone through the Ca⯑talogue of this noble collection; and, as I have reaſon to think it is the only correct and entire account yet [106] publiſhed, I hope it will be accept⯑able to the curious reader. Mengs's remarks only go to a few pictures, and the account of them in the Viage de Eſpan̄a, by Don Antonio Ponz, is very far from perfect, though it is a work otherwiſe replete with in⯑tereſting information; and, as a ge⯑neral directory to travellers in Spain, no book can be better contrived.
If the lovers of the art are curi⯑ous to analyze this account, and ſe⯑parate the reſpective works of the ſeveral great maſters, they will find it to be a vaſt collection, which the Spaniſh monarchs Charles V. Phi⯑lip II. III. and IV. amaſſed within the periods of their reigns: And if we add to this the great collection in the Eſcorial, that of the Buen-Retiro, [107] the many fine pictures which were burnt in the Pardo, and ſome of the moſt capital which have been diſcarded in the preſent reign, the amount will appear prodigious, and, I apprehend, is not to be equalled by any other ſingle collection in Europe.
Of Titian, Velaſquez, Rubens, Mu⯑rillo and Spagnolet, I find above one hundred and forty pictures in this ſin⯑gle Catalogue; forty-three of which are by the hand of Titian: I muſt take the liberty notwithſtanding to ſuggeſt that this collection would ſtill allow of many draughts to be made; and if theſe vacancies were filled up from the Buen-Retiro only (not to mention the Eſcorial) it would be much more perfect. [108] Some of Luca Jordano's pictures might well be ſpared; Corrado's ſketches, the pourtraits of Vanlo and Ynza, and ſome of Mengs's inferior performances, would be well ex⯑changed for a ſelect number of Baſ⯑ſan's from the old Palace, for a ca⯑pital Lucretia by Guido, which hangs there in obſcurity, and many others that might be named.
It is alſo to be regretted, that Ve⯑laſquez's famous picture of Jacob re⯑ceiving the bloody Coat of his Son Joſeph, and a very fine Guercino on the ſubject of Suſanna and the El⯑ders, both which now hang in a wretched hole in the Eſcorial, not appropriated to any ſacred uſes, ſhould not be removed from thence, and added to the royal collection.
[109] Advantageous changes might alſo be made in the arrangement of the pictures; for in the quarter belong⯑ing to the Prince and Princeſs many capital pictures of Raphael, Corregio, Leonardo de Vinci, Julio Romano, An⯑drea Sacchi, Andrea del Sarto, and others, are very unfavourably hung; the chamber in which the principal pieces are, being a mean obſcure room, filled with lumber, and not in the ſuite of great apartments: The maſters are claſſed, in general, with⯑out much ſcientific attention to their ſtiles of colouring; ſo that the florid pictures oftentimes brow-beat the more tender; and the cold, laboured regularity of Mengs ill contraſts the warm and glowing canvaſſes of Ti⯑tian, Rubens, and Velaſquez. But if [110] this remark holds good againſt the ſorting of the pictures in this palace, how much more to be lamented is the condition of the capital pictures in the Eſcorial, where the inimitable Perla of Raphael, the Holy Family of Andrea del Sarto, and the famous Tintorett of Chriſt waſhing his Diſciples' Feet, hang aloft in duſt and darkneſs over the preſſes that contain the Reliques in the Sacriſty, and are almoſt totally out of ſight. This muſt be painful to every lover of the art, but to the Engliſh tra⯑veller more than any, who will na⯑turally caſt a look of pity and af⯑fection towards theſe intereſting ob⯑jects, once in the poſſeſſion of an elegant and unhappy monarch, who left them as monuments of his [111] taſte, to be alienated from his crown and nation by an unfeeling crew of fanatics, as barbarous as they were bloody.
It is to be regretted, that ſo few engravings have been taken from the capital pictures in Spain; I procured all that were to be had, and the col⯑lection is very ſmall: Two more may be ſoon expected by the hand of Zelma, an eminent artiſt; viz. of the Paſmo de Sicilia and the Perla: The Nra Sen̄ora del pez has been en⯑graved by Bartolozzi. It were greatly to be wiſhed that proper encourage⯑ment ſhould be given to our young artiſts of talents to take drawings of ſome of theſe pictures above de⯑ſcribed; in which I am confident they would meet every poſſible fa⯑vour [112] and protection from the royal owner of the collection. Several pictures might be pointed out in this Catalogue, and elſewhere, which would be admirable ſubjects, and raiſe the credit of our artiſts, already ſo high in eſtimation: At the ſame time that I venture to recommend this undertaking, I am not without ſome grounds to hope that it is in contemplation.
I ſhould here take notice, that in the above Catalogue no account is taken of the pictures in the apart⯑ments of the Infants Don Gabriel; Don Antonio and Don Luis: In the former there are ſix Sacred Hiſtories by Luca Jordano, from paſſages in the Life of the Virgin Mary; alſo an Abſalom, and a ſmall ſketch by [113] the ſame hand; two ſketches by Cor⯑rado; a Saint Joſeph, with the young Jeſus about ten years of age, by Spagnolet; a Saint Sebaſtian and a Magdalen, by the ſame; Charles V. haranguing his Army, by Titian; Or⯑pheus harping to the Beaſts, by Ru⯑bens; and a Vulcan, by the ſame ma⯑ſter; with a large Flemiſh painting of Still Life, finely coloured, and capital in its ſtile.
In the quarter of Don Antonio there are ſeveral by Luca Jordano on ſacred as well as fabulous ſtory: A pourtrait of a Youth in Armour, by Vandyke; another of Carreno, after Velaſquez; and a compoſition, after Rubens, on the ſubject of Moſes and Pharaoh's Daughter.
[114] In the apartments late appropri⯑ated to Don Luis we find the copies which Rubens made of Titian's fa⯑mous pictures of the Cupids and Bac⯑chanals above deſcribed, and which Mengs ſo tauntingly compared to a Dutch tranſlation: There are ſeveral others of the ſame maſter, particu⯑larly a Saint George ſlaying the Dragon, of the ſize of life, coloured with ſurpriſing brilliancy, but in a gaudy ſtile and flattering. Amongſt the works of Rubens there is an Ar⯑chimedes, a Mercury, Hercules kil⯑ling the Hydra, Apollo and Pan, and two pourtraits of Ladies of the Houſe of Medici, with ſome ſketches; two pourtraits by Vandyke, one very capital of the Infant Don Ferdinand. There is a Woman, with [115] ſeveral boys, in the manner of Leo⯑nardo de Vinci; a Scriptural Piece by Paul Veroneſe; a Chriſt, of the ſize of life, with the Croſs, by Guido; a pourtrait of a Woman, by Titian; of a Man, by Vandyke; and ſome beautiful Flower-pieces by Brughel.
Having mentioned ſome pictures caſt out of the royal collection, which I ſaw in the cuſtody of an artiſt belonging to the king, it may be proper to obſerve, that they con⯑ſiſt of five capital Titians; the firſt of which is his ineſtimable Venus, once the property of King Charles I. of England, deſcribed in the Anecdotes (vol. i. p. 56.) the greateſt model of beauty and perfection in the world: 2. A Venus and Cupid, with a Per⯑ſon in the back-ground playing on [116] an Organ, the Venus recumbent on a couch: 3. A Venus of the ſame ſize, attitude, &c. with the addition of a little Dog, which ſhe is careſſ⯑ing: 4. A Venus in the action of holding back Adonis in her embrace, who is ſetting out for the chace with his dogs, &c. 5. A Danae, naked, re⯑ceiving the golden ſhower: There is alſo a half-length pourtrait of Ti⯑tian, by his own hand. Beſides theſe, there is a Venus, by Paul Ve⯑roneſe; and an Adonis and Cupid, by Annibal Caracci; an Atalanta and Hippomenes in the Race, by Guido, of conſummate beauty: The figures are of very tall life, the outline as glittering as Corregio, the limbs di⯑vinely graceful, and the air of the heads unſpeakably elegant and ex⯑preſſive; [117] the attitudes perhaps have more of the academy than might be wiſhed, the colouring warmer than his uſual hue. Of Rubens there are ſeveral, and ſuch as would dignify the firſt collections in Europe; viz. The Rape of the Sabines; The Baths of Diana; a Bacchanalian Tri⯑umph, wherein ſeveral Bacchants are plucking fruits, and the figure of Bacchus himſelf in a capital ſtile; a Perſeus and Andromeda, which is a wonderful picture; a group of Juno, Minerva, and Venus; Paris carrying away Helen, capital; and The Judg⯑ment of Paris, with the Rival God⯑deſſes, a matchleſs piece of colour⯑ing; all of the ſize of life, and the very beſt of the maſter. There are [118] alſo two beautiful pictures by Al⯑bano; one of them The Judgment of Paris; the other a Venus coming out of the Bath; and a Lot and his Daughters, by Andrea del Sarto. I need not obſerve what an acceſſion theſe ineſtimable pictures might be to the collection in the palace.
The royal chapel of the palace is a very beautiful piece of archi⯑tecture, ſupported by vaſt columns of Biſcayan black and white marble, each of one entire block; and in the ſacriſty and chaplain's room there are ſeveral fine pictures by Spagnolet, Murillo, Luca Jordano, Corrado, Cambiaſo, Alonzo Cano, and other Spaniſh maſters; beſides which there is a Deſcent from the Croſs, by Al⯑bert [119] Durer; and a Converſation-piece of Saint Anthony and Saint Paul the Hermit, by Andrea Sacchi.
Old Palace of the Buen-Retiro.
In the chamber called de los Rey⯑nos, there are twelve large Battle-pieces by Spaniſh maſters, and the Labours of Hercules, boldly exe⯑cuted by Franciſco Zurbaran.
In the anti-chamber to the queen's apartment there are two large pic⯑tures by Luca Jordano, ſome by Rico a Neapolitan, and the repreſentation of an Auto de Fé by Franciſco Rizi; a Roman Triumph, by Bor⯑giani; and a fine pourtrait of Hen⯑ry II. of France, aſcribed to Titian; alſo pourtraits of Ferdinand and Iſa⯑bella.
[120] In the chamber of Caſtrillo a Tantalus and an Ixion, both by Spagnolet, coloſſal, and of ſtriking expreſſion; a view of Saint Peter's in Rome, Saint Mark's Place in Venice, and the Vatican, with the Pope and Cardinals in proceſſion.
In a paſſage-room leading from this chamber there are ſome noble pictures of Snyders, John Tillen, and Peter de Vos; in the Hunting-pieces of De Vos there are ſeveral perſons introduced with wonderful ſpirit and expreſſion. A capital compoſition by Rubens of Hercules ſlaying the Hy⯑dra; the Queen Mother of Charles II. of Spain; two full-lengths of Charles V. by Juan Pantoia de la Cruz; two of Philip IV. of different ages; and one of a Buffoon, in the [121] ſtile of Velaſquez; ſeveral Sacred Hiſtories, finely executed by Baſſan, and ſome by Eſtevan Marc.
In a large room adjoining are two grand Hiſtorical Compoſitions by Pedro de Cortona, in both which he has introduced Pope Urban VIII. with his Cardinals, and views of the Vatican; two ſmall compoſitions on the ſubject of Diana, by Titian, painted in his latter age; a Mercury and Argos, by Jordaens, and ſeveral excellent Baſſans, and ſome land⯑ſcapes by Marc.
In the Court-room many pic⯑tures by Luca Jordano; a large Bac⯑chanalian piece, by Cornelius de Vos; a large Fruit-piece, of unparalleled execution and variety, repreſenting [122] the Golden Age, by Adrian Van Utrecht, with nine figures of the School of Rubens; alſo another ad⯑mirable piece of Fruits, Birds, &c. to which Van Utrecht has ſet his name and the date of the year 1642; Orpheus redeeming Eurydice from Hell, by Rubens; a capital Land⯑ſcape, ſigned with the Name of Jor⯑daens, in which he has repreſented Vertumnus and Pomona, naked figures.
In a ſmall room next to this ſome copies by Luca Jordano, and a ſu⯑perb picture by Rubens, repreſenting the Fall of the Giants; a Saturn de⯑vouring a Child, by the ſame. A fine compoſition, by Nicholas Pouſſin, with an Amphitheatre, and many [123] figures, amongſt which are four Ele⯑phants; and ſeveral other pictures, which I forbear to enumerate.
In one of the private chapels there is a fine Altar-piece by Vaſari, with the Holy Family at full-length, admirably executed; other pictures by Luca Jordano and the Spaniſh maſters.
In the paſſage to this chapel hangs an original drawing, by Raphael, of his famous Battle-piece of Conſtan⯑tine and Maxentius, now in the Va⯑tican; an exquiſite Parmegiano of the Eſpouſals of Chriſt with Saint Catherine; the Centurion at the Feet of our Saviour, a fine picture by Paul Veroneſe; a grand Head of Saint Jerom, by Guido; the four Evangeliſts, by Rubens; and ſketches [124] of the famous pictures he made for the Convent of Loeches, by com⯑miſſion from Olivarez; ſome heads of Martyrs by Spagnolet; ſeveral pictures by Corrado, and a very fine compoſition by Marc. All theſe va⯑luable pieces are buried in a dark lobby, and every ſpectator, who has a feeling for merit in obſcurity, will regard them with a mixture of ad⯑miration and regret.
In the apartments of the Infants we again meet with ſeveral very fine Scriptural Hiſtories, by Baſſan, in a ſtile ſuperior to any thing I have elſewhere ſeen of that maſter; ſome landſcapes by Claud Lorrain, ſeveral large compoſitions by Sneyder, and a variety of pictures of the Spaniſh School.
[125] In the paſſage to this apartment many curious pieces will be found; amongſt them a Saint J [...]es, by Paul Veroneſe, very fine; a beautiful Ver⯑tumnus and Pomona, by Rubens; a half-length of a Woman with a baſket on her arm, by Spagnolet; a Saint Francis, by the ſame; ſome excellent pourtraits by Leonardo de Vinci, and other old maſters; a Boy and an old Woman, a candle-light, very capital, by Rembrandt; Pilate waſhing his Hands, by Guercino, a noble picture; and a Sacrifice to Po⯑mona, exquiſitely finiſhed, by Jacobo Jordaeno.
In a room adjoining there is a great collection of Sneyders, Baſſan, Golze, Boſco, Dominichino, Franciſco Perez, Luca Jordano, and others.
[126] A Lucretia by Guido, full length, of the ſize of life, in the act of ſelf-deſtruction; a matchleſs picture, that would dignify the firſt collection in Europe.
In this deſerted palace are to be ſeen the celebrated freſcos of Luca Jordano, ſuppoſed to be the very beſt of the maſter: The climate at leaſt has been favourable to them, for they are in freſh and perfect pre⯑ſervation.
In the queen's chamber are ſome incomparable performances of Gaſ⯑par Pouſſin; a Firework in the Spa⯑niſh Square at Rome, finely painted by Sebaſtian Conca; an Herodias, by Caravagio; a Hercules, by Caeſar Tracarzane, and many others worth attention.
[127] There is a grand ſketch of Tinio⯑rett's famous Laſt Supper, in the quarter of the late Infant Don Luis; ſome fine Spagnolets, and two very curious Hiſtories of Adam and Eve, the ſize of life, ſigned as fol⯑lows, Albertus Durerus Almanus fa⯑ciebat poſt Virginis partum 1507.
The Theatre, though now in diſ⯑uſe, is extremely fine, and ſo con⯑trived as to admit of the whole back ſcene to be occaſionally drawn off, and laid open to the garden: The paintings are by Amiconi.
From this imperfect account of the paintings in this deſerted palace, it will readily be acknowledged, that it ſtill contains a very reſpect⯑able collection, and that a ſuperb gallery might be furniſhed by [128] draughts of the capital pictures ſtill remaining in it.
In the little ſuburban palace, called The Caſo del Càmpo, are ſome curious Caprichios of the noted Ja⯑cobo Calot, repreſenting the Temp⯑tations of St. Anthony, and an alle⯑gorical invention of Geronimo Boſch, which in wildneſs of idea exceeds every thing that ever fell from the pencil of an artiſt: The deſign is the Creation of Man, and the ſtate to which his nature may be reduced by vice, the painter having deſcribed the human paſſions by a vaſt multi⯑tude of ſymbolical figures of Birds, Beaſts, and monſtrous compounds. The conceits of this moral and ſa⯑tyrical humouriſt are infinite; a man of curioſity may amuſe a leiſure hour [129] in the examination of them, but I am perſuaded the reader will readily excuſe me from attempting to de⯑ſcribe them.
The churches and convents of Madrid are poſſeſſed of very many fine paintings, and it is in them the works of the Spaniſh maſters will be found in the greateſt number and perfection: Several of them, how⯑ever, contain very capital produc⯑tions of the beſt Italian painters, and in particular the Convent of San Paſqual on the Prado, to which Cabrera, great admiral of Caſtile, bequeathed his whole valuable col⯑lection. There is a large Altar-piece by Guercino, ſuperlatively fine, and ſeveral capital paintings on the [130] altars and in the ſacriſty, by Jacobo Palma, Leonardo de Vinci, Titian, Andrea Schiavone, Paul Veroneſe, Guercino, Vandyke, Baſſan, Luca Jor⯑dano and Spagnolet. A lover of the art muſt not omit to viſit the Con⯑vent of San Placido, if it were only for the purpoſe of contemplating that wonderful picture of the Dead Chriſt on the Croſs, painted by Ve⯑laſquez in the year 1638; though he will find further gratification for his curioſity in the ſame convent, which poſſeſſes two of the very beſt pictures which Claudio Coello ever compoſed.
As theſe churches and convents are very numerous, the reſearch would be much too intricate and la⯑borious without a clue; but this will [131] be ſo readily had in the Viage de Eſpana before mentioned, that a tra⯑veller has only to provide himſelf with thoſe volumes, and he will there find an excellent guide for his curioſity.
- Citation Suggestion for this Object
- TextGrid Repository (2020). TEI. 5012 An accurate and descriptive catalogue of the several paintings in the King of Spain s palace at Madrid with some account of the pictures in the Buen Retiro By Richard Cumberland. University of Oxford Text Archive. . https://hdl.handle.net/21.T11991/0000-001A-5BEC-5