martial dance, while others are moving along a rainbow to enter temples
just dedicated to them--Eros leading with the Graces, and Apollo, with
the Muses, following. A temple, in process of erection, and distant
mountains, occupy the background. It will be noticed that the artist has
omitted many very important elements of Greek history and culture from
this composition. It contains no hint of Thermopylae or Marathon, nor any
allusion to Plato or Pericles. No doubt the learned artist has
designedly avoided making his work too exact and didactic, but it
certainly would seem that these were too prominent in themselves not to
be wholly overlooked. It will also be observed that there is no action
and no dramatic effect in the whole; but those who have seen the cartoon
lack words to describe the noble beauty of the figures. Nearly all are
men, but such majesty and harmony of form and feature, of outline and
movement, well befit an age and people that produced the very ideal of
manly beauty. The nymphs in the foreground are also said to be
unspeakably lovely, and endowed with the most intimate charm of maidenly
innocence. Of course it is impossible to appreciate the full effect of
the picture, until it is executed in colors; but in that respect
Kaulbach is certain of a perfection in nowise behind the other
departments of his work.

* * * * *

A picture by the Belgian artist, Gallait, has produced a great
excitement at Vienna, where it formed the most prominent feature in the
January exhibition of the Art Union. The subject is the Last Moments of
Egmont. The Count is represented in prison, standing upon a bench to
look out of the grated window upon the place where his own execution is
about to happen. On the bench beside him sits a priest, who seeks to
recall him from earthly contemplations.

* * * * *

The Emperor of Austria has ordered a monument of Metastasio to be
erected in Vienna,--where the poet passed the greatest part of his life,
and composed all his works. Metastasio, it will be remembered, was
attached to the court of Austria in quality of Imperial poet. The
monument is to be executed by Lucciardi, a young German.

* * * * *

The _Bulletin of the New-England Art Union_ contains an etching of
Allston's _Witch of Endor_, in anticipation of the large engraving of
it, which is to be distributed among the subscribers. This