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,[302] 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[303] 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[304] 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[305] 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;[306] 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[307] 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,[308] 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[309] 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[310] 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;[311] 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[312] 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.
