CONTENTS OF NO. CXXXII. FOR SEPTEMBER, 184 0. ART. 1.-Le Opere di Giorgio Vasari, Pittore e Architetto, Aretino. 2. Storie dei Municipii Italiani illustrate con documenti inediti, da Carlo 3. Stora delle Famiglie celebri Italiane, del Conte Pompeo Litta. III.-1. The Dream and other Poems. The Undying One, and other Poems. By the Hon. Mrs. Norton. The Romaunt of the Page. 3. Zophiel, or the Bride of Seven. By Maria del Occidente. 4. Irene, a Poem in Six Cantos. Miscellaneous Poems. (Not published) 5. Poems. By Lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley. The Knight and the Enchantress, with other Poems. The Village Churchyard, and other Poems. Fragments and Fancies. Hours at Naples, and other Poems. Impressions of Italy, and other Poems. 6. Solitary hours. By Caroline Southey. The Widow's Tale, and other Poems. Ellen Fitzarthur. 7. Poems, chiefly dramatic, Edited by Thomas Hill Lowe, Dean of 8. IX Poems, By V. 9. Phantasmion. By Sara Coleridge. IV.-Narrative of an Expedition to the Polar Sea, in the Years 1820-21-2223. Commanded by Lieutenant, now Admiral, Ferdinand von Wran. gell, of the Russian Imperial Navy. Edited by Major Edward Sabine, R.A., F.R.S. V.-1. Critical and Miscellaneous Essays. By Thomas Carlyle, 2. The French Revolution, a History. 3. Sartor Resartus. 4. Chartism. By Thomas Carlyle. PAGE 167 189 199 218 233 VI.-Ideen und Betrachtungen über die Eigenschaften der Musik (Ideas and VII.-Lebensnachrichten über Barthold Georg Niebuhr, aus Briefen dessel- VIII.-Memoirs of the Life of Sir Samuel Romilly, written by himself, with a selection of his Correspondence. Edited by his Sons. INDEX. 263 269 294 327 THE LONDON QUARTERLY REVIEW, NO. CXXXI. FOR JULY, 1840. ART. 1.-Rafael von Urbino und sein Vater Giovanni Santi. Von J. D. Passavant: in zwey Theilen, mit vierzehn Abbildungen. Leipzig. 1839. FOR more than two centuries every ac count of the life and labours of Raphael may be said to have been derived, with little material alteration, from Vasari. It would be unjust to so pleasing a narrator to attri. bute this solely to the indolence of the writers who succeeded him; indeed modern critics, without excusing the occasional inaccuracies of the Florentine Biographer, have acknowledged that his just and artist-like criticisms, and the naïveté and interest of his details, as far as they go, could scarcely be improved. It was, in short, chiefly ow. ing to Vasari's well-earned reputation that the task of revising, and, what was far more difficult, of completing the valuable outlines he had left, was so long-unfortunately too long-deferred. Of the more voluminous accounts of the Italian painters which have appeared within the present century, the greater part, however embellished by the lively description of works of art, or illustrated by the connection with general history, can scarcely be said to have contributed any additional facts. To this class belong the lives of Raphael by Duppy, Braun, and Quatremère de Quincy;-the Italian translation of the last, overwhelmed as it is with notes, not always remarkable for their importance or correctness, may nevertheless be considered the fullest memoir that had appeared prior to the far superior work of Passavant. The credit of instituting a new kind of | research in the history of art, as opposed to the habit of copying Vasari, is perhaps due in the first instance to Pungileoni. The first volume of his Life of Correggio, published in 1817, proved that it was still possible to wrest from the mouldering records of convents and similar archives a few important facts and chronological data, with which, as safe links, other materials might be connected. The same writer was equally fortunate in his patient researches at Urbino respecting Giovanni Santi, the father of Raphael, and respecting the great painter himself; but conscious, perhaps, that his Life of Correggio had failed to unite a comprehensive spirit of criticism with mere historic accuracy, he contented himself with giving the latter results of his investigations in two small pamphlets, as materials for future historians. Of the writers on art on this side the Alps, the first who followed the example of Pongileoni in original research, while he far surpassed the Italian in philosophic criticism, was Von Rumohr. In the two first volumes of his 'Italienische Forschungen,' after briefly tracing the vicissitudes of art in the dark ages, this writer gives the history of several painters of the Florentine, Sienese, and Umbrian schools. His sources were original documents and the testimonies of early writers employed to verify or correct the accounts of Vasari; his descriptions and criticisms were fresh from the works themselves in every case where this was possible. Thus a scrupulous spirit of investigation, combined with the views of an enlightened historian and not unskilful connoisseur at once distinguished Rumohr from most of the writers on these subjects who appeared about the same time; of the two opposite | valuable portion is that relating to the earqualifications of patient research and a gene- lier history and productions of Raphael, a ralising, philosophic treatment of materials subject on which conjecture had too long thus acquired, it must, however, be admitted usurped the place of any attempt at chronothat the latter is ever active-with or with- logical accuracy. out sufficient data. The third volume was A circumstance that at once forces itself devoted to Raphael and his contemporaries, on our notice, and which we here find treatbut the account is brief, and the method this ed with the attention. it deserves for the first author had followed with such pains in his time, is the importance of Urbino, both in a former volumes, he wanted either leisure or political and social point of view, at the peinclination to pursue. We shall have occa- riod when Raphael began his career. The sion, however, to show, that even in this resources and renown of this little dukedom, portion he still appears to advantage in his improved and upheld by Federigo da Monteoccasional enlightened remarks on the works feltro, remained ultimately unimpaired in of Raphael. the hands of his successor Guidubaldo: the The same spirit of accurate research, the state, in short, was represented, and its warsame conscientious principle as to actual in-like population led to the field by hereditary spection, a still more practised eye, and a sovereigns, before Florence had learned to still more artist-like feeling, are united in yield even to temporary sway. That a Passavant with a more cautious indulgence Tuscan writer on art should be silent on the of particular opinions and impressions. In past glories of a neighbouring state is quite philosophic criticism he is, perhaps, inferior natural; but it seems unaccountable that so to Rumohr; his laborious and well-arranged many biographers, in following Vasari, book might be rendered still more complete should have overlooked the remarkable cirand accurate even in its facts, but on the cumstances by which Raphael was surroundwhole it may safely be said that no produced in his youth-circumstances which must tion of the kind has approached it for co- not only have had an influence on his taste, piousness and originality of information. but which brought him in contact with the The second volume will be found eminently most celebrated men of his age, many of useful, and, with very little correction, may whom afterwards served him, at least with serve as a model for future compilations of the communication of their learning, when the kind; it consists of a catalogue of all he was employed at the court of Rome. Raphael's works, first arranged chronologi- This inattention is the more surprising cally with reference to the periods of their since we find that, in speaking of other production. The description of each work, painters, natives of Urbino, the glories of with an indication of the gallery or collec- the Athens of Umbria, as it was called, were tion, if known, where it exists, is followed not forgotten. Thus Bellori, in his Life of by a list of the drawings or preparatory Baroccio, whose descent he traces from a studies for the composition; these are de- sculptor of that name at the court of Fedescribed in like manner: then follows an rigo, opens his narrative as follows:-' Fed enumeration of all the engravings and known erigo Feltrio, Duke of Urbino, who in his copies. A second catalogue contains a list days was the light of Italy in the arts of peace of such works as are known only from de- and in arms, among his other noble works, scripuon, and of others falsely ascribed to built a most magnificent palace on the rug Raphael, or which were only executed by ged situation in which Urbino is placed. his scholars and imitators from his designs. This structure had the reputation of being The justness of the grounds on which the the finest that Italy had seen up to that time. author inserts many a highly.prized posses. Not only did the duke enrich it with tasteful sion in this category will naturally be chal. and appropriate ornaments, but enhanced its lenged by those interested in the decision. splendour by a collection of antique marble A third catalogue is devoted to the drawings and bronze statues, and choice pictures, and alone, arranged according to the countries with vast expense got together a great num where the various collections exist. The ber of most excellent and rare books,' &c. old engravings after Raphael are also enu- This description is evidently copied from the merated together; and lastly, all the works opening of Castiglione's 'Cortegiano,' where attributed to the master are classed accord- the expression respecting the collection of ing to their subjects, as an index to both statues (un infinità di statue antiche di marvolumes. The biography itself, which is mo e di bronzo) is still stronger. Among thus comparatively a small part of the work, the omissions with which Passavant must be occupies about half the first volume, the rest charged, we must reckon his not having en being composed of incidental memoirs, do- deavoured to trace these specimens of ancuments, and extracts. By far the most tique sculpture, which probably in the end |