Corinne to her gallery of
pictures, without uttering a word. She soon divined the impression she
had produced on him, but knowing his pride, she durst not impart to him
her observations; however, in showing him her pictures and discussing
general topics, she felt a vague hope of softening him, which gave to
her voice a more moving charm, even when uttering the most indifferent
words.

Her gallery was composed of historical pictures, paintings on poetical
and religious subjects, and landscapes. None of them was composed of a
very large number of figures. That style of painting undoubtedly
presents greater difficulties, but affords less pleasure. Its beauties
are too confused, or too minute. That unity of interest, which is the
vital principle of the arts, as well as anything else, is necessarily
divided and scattered. The first of the historical pictures represented
Brutus, in profound meditation, seated at the foot of the statue of
Rome. In the back ground, the slaves are carrying the lifeless bodies of
his two sons, whom he had condemned to death; and on the other side of
the picture, the mother and sisters appear plunged into an agony of
grief: women are, happily, divested of that courage, which can triumph
over the affections of the heart. The statue of Rome, placed by the
side of Brutus, is a beautiful idea; it speaks eloquently. Yet how can
any body know without an explanation, that it is the elder Brutus who
has just sent his sons to execution? Nevertheless, it is impossible to
characterise this event better than it is done in this picture. At a
distance the city of Rome is perceived in its ancient simplicity,
without edifices or ornaments, but full of patriotic grandeur, since it
could inspire such a sacrifice.--"Undoubtedly," said Corinne, "when I
have named Brutus, your whole soul will become fixed to this picture;
but still it would be possible to behold it without divining the subject
it represented. And does not this uncertainty, which almost always
exists in historical pictures, mingle the torment of an enigma with the
enjoyment of the fine arts, which ought to be so easy and so clear?

"I have chosen this subject because it recalls the most terrible action
that love of country has inspired. The companion to this picture is
Marius, spared by the Cimbrian, who cannot bring himself to kill this
great man; the figure of Marius is imposing; the costume of the Cimbrian
and the expression of his physiognomy, are