which determined his place in the first ranks of his profession, and made his name familiar in the Italian capital. Thither, invited by Julius II., he himself proceeded in the year 1508, and was immediately employed to paint one of the chambers in the Vatican palace, which that magnificent pontiff was ambitious to adorn with the utmost taste and splendour.

From this period commenced the execution of those works of "the divine Raffaelle" which have engaged the admiration and exalted the minds of every subsequent generation. The apartments assigned for his labours in the pontifical residence, now called the stanze (chambers) of Raffaelle, are four in number; and the magnificent design of the artist was, to represent, in a grand series, upon the compartments of those chambers, the universal triumph of Christianity-its divine authority, its connection with science and learning, and the supremacy of its dominion over the mind of man and external nature.

Raffaelle was occupied on the paintings in the second stanza when Pope Julius died, and was succeeded by Leo X. As might have been anticipated, the favour and esteem in which the prince of painters was held

in the court and capital of Rome were increased, rather than diminished, by the accession of a pontiff whose enlightened patronage of the fine arts has, notwithstanding the corrupt methods in which it was exercised, secured for his name an honourable place in history. Raffaelle continued to devote his chief attention to the completion of his great labour; but in the meantime he found leisure for the execution of a variety of other works. Besides the Cartoons, which are among the maturest fruits of his genius, he painted, in another room of the Vatican, twelve whole-length figures of the apostles, and made designs for the pictures and ornaments in the loggie

The pope did not, how

(or arcades) of that palace. ever, wholly monopolize his wonderful abilities. He painted, at intervals, the fable of Galatea, and the story of Cupid and Psyche, for the Chigi Palace; the frescoes of the Prophets and Sybils in the Church della Pace; and also many altar-pieces, and pictures of Holy Families, which now enrich a multitude of collections throughout Europe. Among the latest, if not the last of all the productions of his pencil, was the sublime picture of the Transfiguration, so well known from the numerous engravings which have been made from it.

Like the immortal artists of Greece, the painters of that unrivalled era were accustomed to unite with their more peculiar pursuit the practice of the kindred arts. On the death of Bramante, his relation, one of those architects under whom the building of St. Peter's had successively been carried on, Raffaelle was appointed to that office. What parts of this superb edifice were erected by him cannot now be ascertained: acknowledged specimens, however, of his architectural talents still exist, both at Rome and at Florence. He likewise left proofs of the greatness and universality of his genius in the sister art of sculpture.

It was in the unabated (and, judging from his age, though not from the perfection of the results, we might believe the scarcely matured) vigour of those extraordinary faculties which enabled him to distinguish himself in all these branches of inventive art, and in painting in particular, to reach a height of excellence unattained by any other individual of modern, or, probably, of ancient times; and while enjoying the universal love and respect of the gifted and the great among his contemporaries, both of his own and foreign countries, not as an artist merely, but for his

many amiable dispositions and general accomplishments, that death removed Raffaelle from the sphere of his triumphs. He expired in 1520, just as he had completed his thirty-seventh year.

Among other ingenious pursuits connected with the Fine Arts, the weaving of tapestry had at this period been brought to great perfection. One of the latest and maturest productions of Raffaelle's pencil was a series of designs, on which he was employed by Leo X., representing the principal events recorded in the New Testament, and intended to be executed in the best style of that brilliant manufacture, as a farther decoration of the hall of Constantine, one of the chambers already adorned by his hand. These designs must have been made within the last two years of the great artist's brief but glorious career. Their number, long unknown, or matter of dispute, is now ascertained to have been no less than twenty-five.* The most celebrated

* The following, which is believed to be a correct list, is the result of the collation of two, given by the Rev. W. Gunn, in his "Cartonensia," (to which work the compiler of the present summary notice is likewise indebted for many other particulars ;) one from the publication entitled "Descrizione delle Capelle," &c. containing an account of the ceremonies of the Church

tapestry works then in existence were at Brussels. Thither the Cartoons (as they are called, from being executed on paper or pasteboard, cartone) were sent, as soon as finished, to be woven under the direction of Bernard Van Orlay and Michael Coxis, both of them skilful artists, who, with many others, had been employed under Raffaelle, at Rome.

of Rome; the other, from the "Descrizione di Roma e suoi contorni," &c. by Carlo Fea.

1. The Nativity of Christ.

2. The Adoration of the Magi.

3, 4, 5. The Slaughter of the Innocents.

6. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

7. The Miraculous Draught of Fishes.

8. The Charge to Peter.

9. Christ's Descent into Hell.

10. The Resurrection.

11. Our Lord's Appearance to Mary.

12. The Supper at Emmaus.

13. The Ascension.

14. The Descent of the Holy Ghost

15. The Martyrdom of St. Stephen.

16. The Conversion of St. Paul.

17. Paul and Barnabas at Lystra.

18. Paul preaching at Athens.

19. The Death of Ananias.

20. Elymas the Sorcerer struck blind.

21. The Earthquake.

22. St. Peter healing the Cripple.

23, 24. Symbolical subjects relating to Leo X.

25. Justice.