Bologna.
The university of Bologna is one of the most ancient and most celebrated
seats of literature in Europe; and the academy for the arts and sciences,
founded by the Count Marsigli at the beginning of the present century,
is sufficient, of itself, to engage strangers to visit this city, if
there was nothing else worthy of their curiosity. Over the gate of this
magnificent edifice is the following liberal inscription:
BONONIENSE SCIENTIARUM ATQUE ARTIUM
INSTITUTUM AD PUBLICUM TOTIUS
ORBIS USUM.
Here is a most valuable library, in three spacious rooms, where any
person may study, and have the use of the books, four hours every day;
also apartments for the students of sculpture, painting, architecture,
chemistry, anatomy, astronomy, and every branch of natural philosophy.
They are all ornamented with designs, models, instruments, and every
kind of apparatus requisite for illustrating those sciences. There are
also Professors, who regularly read lectures, and instruct the students
in those various parts of knowledge. There is a hall, full of models in
architecture and fortification, a valuable collection of medals, and
another of natural curiosities, as animals, earths, ores, minerals,
and a complete collection of specimens, to assist the study of the
Materia Medica, and every part of Natural History. A gallery of statues,
consisting of a few originals, and very fine casts of the best statues
in Italy. I went one evening to the academy of painting and sculpture;
two men stood in different attitudes on a table, in the middle of the
room; about fifty students sat in the amphitheatre around them, some
drawing their figures in chalks, others modelling them in wax, or clay.
As each student viewed the two men from different points, the variety
of manner in the different students, together with the alteration in the
Chiaro Scuro under each point of view, gave every drawing the appearance
of being done from a different figure. Nothing can be so advantageous to
the young student as this kind of exercise, which is sometimes practised
by daylight, and sometimes by the light of lamps, and must give a fuller
idea of the effect of light and shade than any other method.
Honorary premiums are distributed every year among the artists, for the
best designs in painting, sculpture, and architecture.
The Anatomical Theatre is adorned with statues of celebrated physicians;
and in the Museum, which belongs to it, there are abundance of anatomical
preparations; also a complete suite of anatomical figures in wax. A man
and woman in the natural state; the same with the skin and cellular
membrane removed, the external muscles of the whole body and limbs
appearing. In the subsequent figures the more external muscles are
gradually removed, till nothing but the simple skeleton remains. These
figures are very well rendered, preserving the natural appearance and
situation of the muscles and blood-vessels, with as much exactness as
could be expected in a work of this nature. There are also models in wax,
of particular parts, and of several of the viscera of the human body
separately; yet those waxen models could not stand in comparison with the
preparations of the real parts in Dr. Hunter’s museum. If brought to that
test, the Bologna waxworks, though admirable in their kind, would appear
as their best casts of the Vatican Apollo and Laocoon would, if placed
beside the originals. Indeed, the real preparations to be seen here,
are far inferior to those of that great anatomist; who is now possessed
of the most complete, and most accurate collection of anatomical
preparations, that ever was made by human skill and industry. We have
faithfully performed our duty in visiting all the churches and palaces of
this city, which contain some of the highest specimens of art; yet, as
the recital might be less amusing than the tour itself, I shall exercise
your patience with great moderation on that subject.
The church of St. Petronius forms part of that large, irregular square,
in which the fountain, formerly mentioned, stands; it is the largest
in Bologna. In the pavement of this church, Cassini drew his meridian
line; and within the walls of this same edifice the Emperor Charles the
Fifth was crowned. Those circumstances may interest the astronomer, and
the historian; but the statue of a soldier, which stands in one of the
chapels, engages the attention of the pious Catholic. This man, being at
play, and in danger of losing all his money, offered up a very fervent
prayer to the Virgin Mary, for a little better luck; to which she, who
never shewed any favour to gamesters, turned a deaf ear. When he found
that his bad fortune continued, this furious wretch drew his sword, and
wounded both the Virgin, and the Infant in her arms. He instantly, as
you may suppose, fell to the ground, deprived of motion; he was carried
to prison, and condemned to an ignominious and painful death. While he
remained under confinement, he came to a proper sense of his wickedness;
and the blessed Virgin was so much softened by his repentance, that she
restored him to the life of his limbs; and the Judges, taking the hint,
gave him a full pardon. As a _satisfactory_ proof of this memorable
event, they shew the identical sword with which the assault was made.
A Dominican convent, situated on the top of a hill, about three miles
from this city, is in possession of a portrait of the Virgin, by St.
Luke. It is not perfectly known how it came there; any enquiry of
that nature savours of heresy, and might give offence. The people in
general are persuaded of its originality, and happy in the honour of
such a neighbour. This portrait has wrought many miracles in favour of
the inhabitants of Bologna. A curious gallery, open to the south, and
closed by a wall to the north, is built all the way from this city to
the convent. On the open side it is supported by a long row of pillars,
and was erected by voluntary contribution, in honour of the Virgin, and
for the conveniency of pilgrims. This long colonade is about twelve feet
in breadth, from the pillars to the wall, and of a convenient height;
all the communities of the town walk once a year, in solemn procession,
to the convent, and bring the holy picture to visit the city. It is
carried through the principal streets, attended by every inhabitant
who can afford to purchase a wax taper. During this procession, the
bells continue ringing, the cannon are fired; and the troops under arms
observe the same ceremonies, when the picture passes, as if it were
Commander in Chief of the forces. The common people imagine, the picture
is extremely fond of this annual visit to the town of Bologna; they even
are convinced, that, if it were not carried, it would descend from the
frame, and walk the whole way on foot; but they do not desire to see the
experiment made, both because it might disoblige the Virgin, and because,
if the picture were once set a walking, there is no knowing where it
would stop.
Though the nobility of Bologna are not now very rich, many of their
palaces are furnished in a magnificent taste, and contain paintings of
great value. The palaces were built, and ornamented, when the proprietors
were richer, and when the finest works of architecture and painting
could be procured on easier terms than at present. The galleries, and
apartments, are spacious and magnificent; yet there are circumstances in
the most splendid, that must hurt the eye of those who are accustomed to
that perfect exactness in finishing which prevails in English houses. The
glass of the windows of some palaces is divided into little square panes,
which are joined together by lead; and the floors of all are so very
indifferently laid, that you often feel a loose brick shaking under your
feet as you walk through the finest apartments.
The most precious ornaments of the palaces are the paintings,
particularly those of the celebrated masters which this city had the
honour of producing. Raphael is generally allowed to have excelled all
painters in the sublimity of his ideas, the grouping of his figures, the
beauty of his heads, the elegance of his forms, and the correctness of
his outlines; yet, in the opinion of some, he has oftener imitated those
noble ideas of beauty, transmitted to us by the Greek sculptors, than
what he saw, or could observe, in nature. Those who hold this opinion
assert, that the best masters of the Lombard School studied, with equal
assiduity, the elegance of the antique statues, and the simplicity of
nature; and from this combined attention to both, with geniuses less
sublime, and not so universal, as that of the Roman painter, they have
produced works equal, if not superior in some respects, to his. In all
this, I beg you may keep in your remembrance, that I am not affecting to
give any opinion of my own, but merely repeating the sentiments of others.
Next to Rome itself, there is, perhaps, no town in the world so rich in
paintings as Bologna. The churches and palaces, besides many admired
pieces by other masters, are full of the works of the great masters who
were natives of this city. I must not lead you among those masterpieces;
it is not for so poor a judge as I am to point the peculiar excellencies
of the Caraccis, Dominichino, Albano, or compare the energy of Guercino’s
pencil with the grace of Guido’s. With regard to the last, I shall
venture to say, that the graceful air of his young men, the elegant
forms, and mild persuasive devotion, of his Madonas; the art with which,
to all the inviting loveliness of female features, he joins all the
gentleness and modesty which belong to the female character, are the
peculiar excellencies of this charming painter.
It requires no knowledge in the art of painting, no connoisseurship, to
discover those beauties in the works of Guido; all who have eyes, and
a heart, must see and feel them. But the picture more admired than all
the rest, and considered, by the judges, as his master-piece, owes its
eminence to a different kind of merit; it can claim none from any of the
circumstances above enumerated. The piece I mean is in the Sampieri
palace, and distinguished by a silk curtain, which hangs before it. The
subject is, the Repentance of St. Peter, and consists of two figures,
that of the Saint who weeps, and a young apostle who endeavours to
comfort him. The only picture at Bologna, which can dispute celebrity
with this, is that of St. Cecilia, in the church of St. Georgio in Monte.
This picture is greatly praised by Mr. Addison, and is reckoned one of
Raphael’s capital pieces. If I had nothing else to convince me that I had
no judgment in painting, this would be sufficient. I have examined it
over and over with great attention, and a real desire of discovering its
superlative merit; and I have the mortification to find, that I cannot
perceive it.—After this confession, I presume you will not desire to hear
any thing farther from me on the subject of painting.