When that event did occur, it was fortunately accom panied by a reviving taste for the remnants of ancient art, of which Rome, being the great storehouse, soon attracted to its school all those who felt the charms of Grecian ex cellence, and Were prepared, by their collision, to excite that fire of emulation which soon blazed forth in splen dour. It was the study of the antique which stamped the peculiar features of the Roman school. The genius that hovers over these venerable relics, may be called the father of modern art ;" and from such a source, the per fection of grace and elegance was naturally to be looked for. We may accordingly characterize the style as lux uriant, in the admirable skill, simplicity, and elegance of composition, grace and dexterity of grouping, correct de sign, with a noble and pathetic dignity of expression, ac companied, in the females, by the most engaging air of modesty. It. wants the luilliant colouring of the Venetian or Flemish masters, but this is a defect common to all those who have made correct design the leading aim of their art. It is humiliating to the pride of human talent, to find that there is always at least some one qualifying defect to subtract fro the sum of our highest attainments —that, in the exercise of an art demanding various qua lities for its perfection, the limited scope of genius is, in general, so strongly impressed with the importance of one essential requisite, as to pursue the attainment of it with an ardour to the prejudice of others perhaps equally necessary—to become so dazzled as scarcely to see be yond the circle of its influence. Unqualified perfection has never yet been reached, and perhaps never will. In Michael Angelo, for instance, the greatest and most pow erful genius that ever was directed to the pursuit of the fine arts, we see him entirely run away with by the strong impression he had taken of the Importance of anatomy, and accordingly discover in his works that there is an ultra unattained, depending upon some other quality which he has overlooked.
The clerical sovereigns of Rome, reaching that emi nence at a late period of life, holding it in general but for a few years of frailty, leaving no heirs to carry on then.
dynasty, might be presumed but little disposed towards the arts of embellishment; but the very eircunista ce of their leaving no family to succeed them has almost inva riably excited a desire to leave some monument of taste to preserve their memory. With a few exceptions, the papal power has been the great means of furnishing sub jects, and assembling competitors, for the great prizes of painting; and, while their authority was predominant in we find the brilliant xra of the arts and Rome the theatre on which it was displayed.
Pietro Perugino. a Florentine, and pupil of the same Veracchio who instructed Leonardo du Vinci in the mys teries of the pencil, practised his rude and dry style of painting at Rome, and derived inure honour from the ac eident of having been Raphael's master than any merit of his own. He took a narrow contracted view of nature, pinching his figures and draperies in a manner that is jar agreeable, although his youthful and female heads often possess a degree of grace. The modest and docile disposition of R phael led him to value the works of his master, and for sonic time to adhere to his style, which is even discoverable in a few of his greater works, particu larly in the deep azure of his skies, and that sort of irides cent colouring of the landscape. which gives so peculiar
a tone to the simple, elegant, and graceful composure of his figures, as it it was the representation of some more ethereal nature than that of this world. Pietro had a very numerous school, in which the pupils, in their future practice, w ere so strictly observant of the style of their master, that collections are filled with pictures, as of Pie tro Perugino, which were the performances of his scholars. Except at Perugia and Florence, there are few originals of this master.
Raphael arrived at Rome about the same time with Mi chael Angelo. He had been invited by Pope Julius II. at the recommendation of his relative, Bramanti the archi tect, ill the year 1508, when he was still a young man. He had already gone to Florence, to study the works of Leonardo and Michael Angelo, and had at different pe riods of his life three distinct styles of painting ; the first dry and meagre, in imitation of Pietro Perugino; the se cond, acquired in Florence, was characterized by gran deur; and the third, proceeding from the study of nature and the antique, formed, in his Roman manner, the near est approach to perfection in painting which the history of the art can furnish. His first great works were in the frescos of the Vatican chambers, consisting of the com prehensive subjects of theology (erroneously called the dispute on the sacraments.) philosophy, poetry, and juris prudence. These complex and embarrassing subjects are executed in a manner which shows a powerful stretch of mind admirable execution, and boldness of fancy, which is quite surprising, when we consider the very arduous nature of the undertaking In the first, we have the re presentation of both heaven and earth, and that on a very large scale. The Almighty, whose radiance illuminates the whole, surrounded by all the host of heaven. and sup porting the earth. In a lower sphere is the Saviour, pre paring to assume the fearful task of redemption, and en compassed by the righteous already in possession of hea ven Various offices of adoration employ the multitude who occupy the earth below, (ill ided into groups, indica tive of the religious ceremonies they are engaged in. This is a wonderful performance, solemn and simple, but partaking somewhat of the formality of the age in which it was painted, which, however, harmonizes not unaptly 'with such a subject, as in it the slightest appearance of affectation would be quite insufferable. The second sub ject, philosophy, is what is so well known under the name of the school of Athens. Poetry, the third subject, is of course the peopling of Mount Parnassus. where Raphael has represented himself as crowned by Virgil. Jurispru dence is depicted by a conclave of the Pope and his Car dinals on one side of a window. and Justinian promulgat ing the civil law on the other, by which is meant to be re presented the establishment of the civil and canon laws. The painter shows great ingenuity in the arrangement of this picture which is so awkwardly cut through by a win dow, as he unites the two subjects by the figures of pru dence, temperance, and fortitude, above the window, as if dispensing their influence over both. and forming the link of connection between their respective provinces. A va riety of smaller emblematical subjects accompany these majestic works, which the artist intended to constitute the complete code of human science.