Holy Family, the flight into Egypt, the youth of St
John, the penitence of the Magdalene. While, in common with all their
brethren, they have aimed at the expression of emotion, it was an
emotion of a softer kind than that which arose from the energy of
passion, or the violence of suffering; it was the emotion produced by
more permanent feelings; and less turbulent affections; and from the
character of this emotion, their execution has assumed a peculiar cast,
and their composition been governed by a peculiar principle. Their
colouring is seldom brilliant; there is a subdued tone pervading the
greater part of their pictures; and they have limited themselves, in
general, to the delineation of a single figure, or a small group, in
which a single character of mind is prevalent.

Of the numerous and splendid collection of _Titian's_ which are here
preserved, it is not necessary to give any description, because they
consist for the most part of portraits, and our object is not to dwell
on the richness of colouring, or powers of execution, but on the
principles of composition by which the different schools of painting
are distinguished.

There are only six paintings by Salvator Rosa in this collection, but
they bear that wild and original character which is proverbially known
to belong to the works of this great artist. One of his pieces is
particularly striking, a skirmish of horse, accompanied by all the
scenery in which he so peculiarly delighted. In the foreground is the
ruins of an old temple, with its lofty pillars finely displayed in
shadow above the summits of the horizon;--in the middle distance the
battle is dimly discerned through the driving rain, which obscures the
view; while the back ground is closed by a vast ridge of gloomy rocks,
rising into a dark and tempestuous sky. The character of the whole is
that of sullen magnificence; and it affords a striking instance of the
power of great genius, to mould the most varied objects in nature into
the expression of one uniform poetical feeling.

Very different is the expression which belongs to the softer pictures of
Correggio--of that great master, whose name is associated in every one's
mind with all that is gentle or delicate in the imitation of nature.
Perhaps it was from the force of this impression that his works did not
completely come up to the expectations which we had been led to form.
They are but eight in number, and do not comprehend the finest of his