tropolitan; but is there not too horizontal a continuity of the same ornament in the elevation?

The church of St. Geneviève exhibits an interior of extreme elegance and columnar richness. The external peristyle of the dome (in the superior charm of its uninterrupted entablature) compliments Sir C. Wren, and corrects Buonarotti; but the attic above is meagre, and the dome wanting in amplitude. It will also be allowed that the portico (though imposing) has the double fault of a confused plan and scanty elevation. The " front rank" of columns should "take close order," and some of the unnecessary and badly placed "rear-forwardmarch!"

Here are, obviously, too many treys and deuces: one longs for a throw of double six to thin the board: or, if we may not "thin," may we rearrange as thus ?—

The Dome of the Invalides is of noble magnitude, and more ample profile than that of St. Geneviève. The external architecture of its tambour (though in far better proportion) has the fault of St. Peter's;the columns start forward in detached couples. With this exception there is little to be desired, so far as applies to the dome merely, which, considered with reference to the elevation of the substructure, is certainly too domineering.

The façade of St. Eustache bears a family resemblance to the more costly Portail de St. Sulpice; which is, unquestionably, a felicitous adaptation of Italian detail to the outline of a style more congenial with the aspirings of the Christian church.

St. Sulpice-to say the least of it-looks its purpose; and is of choice proportion, both as a whole, and in regard to the relations of its several features. It is sufficiently chaste, and more than usually picturesque. In short, it is a monument of singular splendour, in which I am content

to bury all the denunciations that are due to several of its unmentioned fellow-churches.

Of the Parisian Palaces we dare not speak ill, were it only in fear of recriminatory allusions to things at home. The old Tuilleries is neither chaste nor beautiful: but it undeniably wears a right royal look; in which consideration we must look over its tea-caddy character, and turn to its more lovely vis-à-vis, the Louvre; which, however, like our friend Mathews, "has many faces, and none alike." The colonnade and river fronts are, with reason, most in favour; nor can we withhold our candid approval of their general aspect, and a high eulogy upon their beauty of detail. The French critics do not hesitate to allow the unhappy interruption of the basement blocking course by an arched opening in the centre of the colonnade front; and I may venture to question the sufficient altitude of the order compared with the basement, as well as that of the crowning balustrade compared with the order. The whole is, nevertheless, worthy of the "great nation;" nor shall I oppose the saying of the Parisian critic,-" ce morceau restera toujours comme un des plus beaux produits de l'architecture moderne."

The Luxembourg frowns upon us with all the severity of an entirely rusticated surface; and suggests the idea of an inability to get out, not less than the wish to get in. But its masses come nobly forward, and the individual worth of its parts is well seconded by the harmony of their combination.

It would be ungenerous to deny the imposing effect of a lofty pediment and extended entablature, supported by a single range of twelve Corinthian columns; but there is a degree of horizontal extent which speaks rather of flank than front; and the tie-beam and rafters of a roof are invariably placed transversely, and not longitudinally. If the Chamber of Deputies had been a cow- (instead of a senate-) house, and its portail composed of rough-hewn wood instead of carved free-stone, we should, undoubtedly, have had a "lean-to" roof, where we now see an erect gable. The interspaces are of admirable proportion, but they are certainly too many; and, as in the case of St. Geneviève, I ventured to command the "forward march" of the "rear rank,"-I would here reverse the order, and make the two columns of each extremity retire ;of course, to give room for this manœuvre, the intermediate ten must come forward, and this would give that superior depth which a portico of such extent and altitude peremptorily requires. The vaulted Doric hall of the Palais de Justice echoed to my exclamation,-"If we cannot have the clustered pillars and aspiring ramifications of the pointed architecture, let us at least employ, in such a case, that accommodating neutral style

which Soane has had the skill to invent, and the daring to practise!"

Palais de la Bourse.-The French architects seem to have made a stand at twelve columns, and to have acknowledged that a range of fourteen admits no pediment. The exterior of this magnificent edifice vaunts the triumph of simplicity, and leaves nothing to be wished, except that the colonnades of the lateral and postern façades should have coequal depth with that of the principal front.

The Palais de l'Institut, with the Palais Royal, the Hotel des Invalides, and the Places Vendome, Royale, and des Victoires, belong rather to the scenic, than the strictly architectural class of design. Though they exhibit no superabundance of inventive power or refined taste, they are yet imposing in their extent and richness, and liberally contribute to the general sum of Parisian splendour. The twin ranges of the Place Louis XV. merit, however, more than so slight an allusion; nor can I accede to the opinion, that their designer, Gabriel, has failed to rival Perrault, the author of the Louvre Colonnades. The military trophies might be removed with advantage; but there is otherwise little room for improve

ment.

In the gate-entrance to the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur, we have massive piers supporting an arched superstructure of proportions offensively meagre, while the Corinthian portico of the court is loaded with a heavy dado. Both this building and L'Ecole de Chirurgie are Palladian in general character; the latter being in most respects preferable, although we sigh for the oppressed condition of the Ionic columns in the entrance façade. The Hópital Beaujon wears a truly Florentine aspect, as more especially marked by its block cornice and spacious rusticated archway. The Ecole Militaire has an imposing elevation and well-ordered Corinthian centre-piece; but the range of windows in the frieze is sorely injurious. The Fountains, Vendome Column, and public Arches of Paris display not less ostentation than good taste. The Theatres have no particular claim to be noticed as works of art: the Halle aux Blés is certainly among the foremost efforts of science.-Only to one building more shall I allude (with a due apology to several others of merit, and a charitable forbearance towards as many of none), viz. the Hotel des Monnais. The river-front of this noble structure, like Garrick's acting, is of such simple and apparently obvious development, that our intuitive capability of appreciating its beauties becomes merged in the idea of co-equal executive power. Who would wish to alter the relative proportions of the basement and superstructure-of the centre and wings-of solid and void-of plain work and decoration?—Then, VOL. III.-No. 13.

U

how felicitous the block cornice, as a crowning member to the whole! instead of the usually employed common entablature, which, adapted to the order alone, is insufficient for the additional elevation given by a basement story.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF PAINTINGS.

[Continued from vol. ii. page 296.]

In pursuing our remarks on the Pictures in the National Gallery, we disclaim any pretension to order or classification of Schools, and therefore protest at once against being charged with the want of either. At the same time, the scale and quality of the magnificent work of Piombo inevitably commands, and has received, our earliest homage. The Parmegianos, Correggios, and Titians, would perhaps, were we about to put forth a Catalogue Raisonnée in due form, with "title" and "Conclusion," come next in order; but "we are nothing if not critical," and not that, but in our own way; and therefore we shall next claim attention to one of the finest of the Beaumont pictures, by Rembrandt;-and is there a more powerful master of the Art of painting?—It is the Portrait of a Jewish merchant, or 'A Jew', as the Catalogue unceremoniously has it, by Rembrandt; and a picture more rich in tone and colour can perhaps scarcely be remembered. Its similarity in style and subject to The Soldier' in the Fitzwilliam collection, by the same master, will immediately occur to the observant eye; and there is strong evidence of the two pictures having been produced about the same time, and not improbably painted as companions. The latter picture has more splendour of colour, but for grandeur and solemnity of effect, the specimen before us is far superior, and more justly celebrated. It is nothing but a Portrait; and some there are who say, that an exhibition of nothing but Portraits is not worth seeing. But could we see a few more such as this! Alas! where shall we find them? In the fine deep-toned Portraits of Velasquez, Vandyke, our own Reynolds, and in a few of the best works of that powerful but ill-fated artist, Owen, we have seen achieved great depth of character with high qualities of colour and effect; but in the study of this masterly production we see a degree of power which they could never reach. The merchant is sitting as if just returned from the Exchange, with stick in hand, his furred hat and cloak not yet laid aside,-his thoughts too much occupied by his calculations of the transactions of the day for him to be yet mindful of them. It has the appearance of being alto

gether unstudied in respect to attitude; and the countenance is directed out of the picture and towards the beholder, in such a manner and with such an expression, as at once to seize upon his feelings and rivet his attention. The right arm, which is prominent in the picture and uncovered by the cloak, exhibits a rich under-coat of black striped satin, most beautifully painted, and shining brilliantly from out the deep and sober yet rich tones of the back-ground, which is of genuine Rembrandt brown, for by that term alone can his magic tones and mysterious shadows be described.

The singleness of object, too, adds in an eminent degree to the powerful effect of this noble picture; and we think that our painters may receive impressions from the study of this work alone that cannot be easily defined, but which will, we trust, be felt in their future productions. But we are not a painter.

We are happily rich in pictures from the hand of this profound master of the mysteries of light and shade in our National Collection, and perhaps a richer variety of subjects is rarely to be met with ;-some of the beauties of which we shall endeavour to point out hereafter.

[To be continued.]

MEMOIR OF THE LATE HENRY LIVERSEEGE.

WITHIN Comparatively but a few years, death has deprived the English School of Art of four of her most promising students; men who bade fair by the individual originality and power of their genius to rival the great and illustrious masters of old; and, with one or two exceptions, to surpass even all who had preceded them, or who were their contemporaries, of their own country.

At the close of 1802, England had to lament the loss of Girtin, the fellow-labourer in Art with Turner, to whose united intellectual prowess we are indebted for the new and now universal principles of water-colour painting. In 1819, the anxious expectations of the country were disappointed by the death of him who had awakened them; and who, had he survived, would have severely contested with Lawrence the honours of the Art and patronage of the country. As it is even now, the works of Harlow can bear the most close scrutiny with those of Lawrence's, and it is reserved for posterity to decide to which of these two the palm of excellence shall be adjudged.—In 1826 rose another,-Bonington, whose ge