ness and tough hardness ; on either hand smaller server, and Siva, the destroyer; the idea being, halls, like chapels, and numerous passage-ways, perhaps, not so much that of a trinity of persons branch out from the main caves; some of the pas- as a triad of powers and principles. To a Chrissage-ways lead to cham

tian beholder, this extenbers with little light, and

sive temple of a false reothers conduct us to the

ligion, with its myriads open air. The walls of

of sculptured or carved most of the chambers and

representations of false halls are profusely orna

gods, is vocal with many mented with sculptured

and varied suggestions, figures and groups, in

one of which only will strong alto relievo, mostly

we venture to transcribe: of more than life size,

Those who hewed out some colossal, those of

this great temple, and the main hall being well

consecrated it to the purnigh covered with sculp

poses of worship, were tures of great richness;

worshippers of false gods, though the execution is

and of the works of their rough and ungainly in a

own hands; but they degree, and many of the

evinced their sincerity groups and figures abso

and their zeal in thus lutely repulsive, the con

devoting time and labor crete effect is grandly im.

ard means to those gods. pressive. The groups and

How many are there figures represent scenes

among us who, according in the life of the idol

to the better light we gods; the largest, at the

have, are equally sincere end of the great hall, in

and zealous, and prepared the adytum, is a colossal

to show it by a cortes: representation of the Hin

ponding devotion of self doo Triad, Brahma, the

and all to the God of the creator, Vishnu, the pre- IDOLS IN THE CAV2-TEMPLE OF ELEPHANTA. Scriptures ?

One of the most remarkable collectors of paint- | he had stored away nearly two thousand. Not ings in the annals of the Fine Arts was Thomas only or chiefly, however, was his collection reThompson, of Boston. For some, perhaps ten or markable for its extent, its heterogeneous character twelve, years he applied himself, devoting almost was, I presume, without parallel ; I do not refer his entire time, to seeking, and making heavy to the dissimilitude of subjects, but to the wonderdrasts upon a considerable fortune in purchasing, ful disparity in point of merit. There were choice Paintings, until after his decease it was found that and precious masterpieces of recognized masters

were

common

un

there

Thompson was scarcely the sightly daubs which no tyro

man to conceive and plan so would mistake for works of

noble and magnificent an enart—and there were speci

terprise. I cannot, however, mens of every grade between

advance a counter-theory, exthe highest and the lowest.

cept it be that he was under A careless or impulsive critic

the influence of a miser-like would be very apt to conclude,

mania for collecting and and not without reason, that

hoarding what gratified his the maker of such a collec

taste, just as the miser gathers tion was simply a monoma

and hoards the gold which is niac without judgment or dis

the chief good in life in his crimination; but Mr. Thomp

estimation. son was unquestionably an

Mr. Thompson occupied intelligent connoisseur, as the

three floors of the building on perfect and critically exact

Fulton Street, shown in the taste evinced in his separation

engraving herewith; in the of the Paintings into groups

second floor, where the light of varying excellence amply

was the best, were stored the attests; not one in the least

grand masterpieces, and the unworthy was placed with the

better Paintings not of that masterpieces, nor one in the

class ; on the third floor were least worthy with the worth

those of less merit, while on less—and the same nice dis

the first were the inferior and crimination was evident in

worthless; the manner of each intermediate grade; of

storing is shown in the en. course, in each grade, there

graving on page 139. were subgrades, but the Paint

I shall not essay a list of ings in each division, as ar

Mr. Thompson's pictures, or ranged by him, were readily

even of the works of the masrecognized as of about equal

ters embraced therein, beyond merit. Why one who cerTHE HOUSE ON FULTON STREET.

the mention of a few as intainly was aware of their character purchased so : dicative of the collector's taste. many inferior and not a few worthless pictures, is "The Triumph of Galatea," by Bartolomeo a puzzle that I shall not attempt to solve.

Schidone, is unsurpassed by anything I have But by far the most remarkable fact in connec. ever seen, and cannot but be regarded as one of tion with this remarkable collection, was the the noblest triumphs of Italian Painting in its best strange manner in which Mr. Thompson stored period; the artist has been called “one of the them away where they could serve no conceivable best imitators of Corregio," but this piece is emipurpose, except it were to gratify a miser's passion nently and superbly original, and in design and for hoarding; a newspaper correspondent shortly finish, drawing and color, will bear the most criti. after Mr. Thompson's death, said: “In our cal analysis. “The Discovery of Calistro," opinion, it had been originally his intention to requires no comment beyond the mention of Peter organize a large and perpetual Art Gallery for the Paul Rubens as the artist ; there was another by benefit of our sister city.” This theory is barely him, but the name has passed from my mind. plausible, not probable, as Mr. Thompson, so far as Then there were several Reynoldses, two Ettys, I know, never gave a hint during life of such a a number of Bierstadts, an Earl, two Angelia thought, nor did he leave a pen-word to indicate Kauffmanns, a Lawrence, a Sully copy from Titian, such a purpose; the very low class of some of the a Delaroche, a Xavery, two Jordaenses, a Le Brun, Paintings seems to make the supposition untenable; a grand Ludovici Caracci, a head attributed to besides, though a kindly, agreeable gentleman, Mr. and worthy of Grenze, a curious history-portrait

ex

no

by Jacques Stella of Louis

pelled him

to erect an XIV. and Richelieu, and 18

tensive building expressly many more unquestionably

for the purpose.

The fact entitled to rank with these,

that he gave

intimawhich I have not space to

tion during life, and left note. There were a large

none at death, of such a purnumber of capital Paintings

pose, proves nothing to the by Americans of high repute,

contrary; nor does the fact though the coilector seems to

that he bought so many pichave been entirely indepen

tures unworthy of a place in dent of local considerations

a public gallery; indeed, the in his selections, as some of

last-mentioned fact rather fathe best and worst were for

vors the theory, as, with such eign, and some of the best

a grand purpose in view, he and worst American.

would be much more likely After Mr. Thompson's de

to purchase, without previous cease, his widow had the vast

inspection, at auction sales collection carefully cata

and elsewhere, all that might logued and sold—and thus

be offered at low prices, inthe work, which had cost him

tending at his leisure to exmuch thought, labor and

amine his pictures more critimoney, was lost in the scat

cally and retain only those tering of its fruits.

adapted to his purpose. BeHow THE PAINTINGS WERE STORED.

sides, the additional fact, REMARKS.-We cannot but think that the which so perplexes our correspondent, that he stored theory that Mr. Thompson had conceived the away his pictures in so unheard of a manner, begrand scheme of establishing a public gallery at comes much less perplexing if we suppose that he least very plausible. No other supposition seems , was simply accumulating for a noble ulterior use; to us to account for the extent of the collection. then, too, this storing away harmonizes with his proHad he weeded out all the inferior Paintings, so longed silence as to his design. This theory, morelarge a number would still have remained that to over, relieves Mr. Thompson of the suspicion that place them in fitting positions would have com- I he was a miser or a monomaniac in art.

MISS VINNIE REAM.

Ox page 95 of this Number of the Monthly, | National Capital, where Mr. Ream was appointed we give an engraving from the Statue of Abraham to a position in the Treasury Department; and Lincoln, executed by this talented lady, by order Vinnie was likewise given a clerkship by the Postof the Congress, for the Rotunda of the Capitol, master General. During all these years, the young wherein it stands.

artist knew not herself the genius for sculpture Vinnie was born some twenty-six years ago, in that slumbered within her. This was aroused a log cabin, in the Territory of Wisconsin; her into exercise at length, as it were by accident; father being Treasurer of that Territory. Shortly in the studio of the elder Mills, on a brief visit, after the admission of Wisconsin as a State, her she saw him in the act of modeling, and, it is said, father removed with his family to Washington, exclaimed, “Why, I can do that!" The old but did not remain long in that city, removing artist gave her some clay, doubtless without a thence to Missouri, where Vinnie received most thought of the possible something she might work of hier school education. After a time, Mr. Ream out of it. He was surprised, we are told, when, changed his abode once more into Arkansas. a few days later, she returned to his studio with Here they remained until the Civil War drove her model of "The Dying Standard-Bearer." thein hence, and they went once more to the Though not a gem of art, this was a wonderful

production for so young a girl, and one who had her best work. Her “Abraham Lincoln,” is well received no instruction whatever, beyond a few conceived, and its execution is creditable. It has minutes' study of Mr. Mills's manipulations. been pronounced by a more competent judge than

From this time, Miss Ream applied all her we claim to be, "worthy of a master hand." leisure moments to modeling, and soon resigned Miss Vinnie is a pretty little woman, with her position in the Postal Department, resolved to bright black eyes, and a fine head well adorned devote herself henceforward to the art which had with raven ringlets, while her conversational obtained such complete mastery of her that, powers are rare, being marked by sprightly wit though some wealthy relatives offered strong in- and intelligence, without affectation or any appaducements, her resolution was inflexible.

rent effort to show her superior mental gifts and She has produced many excellent portrait-busts culture. Still young, and a devotee to the Plastic of noted men, besides a number of good ideal Art, we shall not be surprised to see her attain a groups; but her “America, or the Four Sisters" high rank among the eminent sculptors of our (the North, East, South and West), is said to be country.