Were only the head and neck of Leda exposed, all mankind would allow her to be the finest piece of sculpture ever produced: but, whilst we give the Sculptor every credit for his execution, we are provoked at finding him guilty of many inconsistencies.
I should not have said so much of this statue, but that you, like myself, might have been deceived by the good nature of those well-meaning, but shallow writers, who, struck with its first appearance, did not examine farther.
Ganymede is, indeed, an admirable statue; and his Eagle is much superior to Leda's Swan.
Pomona seems really walking, and with a lightness equal to the ease of her person.
As there is no superlative difficulty in forming a figure where no passion is particularly expressed, I will not dwell on Minerva, Bacchus, Apollo, Narcissus, &c. &c. &c. notwithstanding the pleasure I enjoy in admiring them.
The busts contain the heads of all the Roman Emperors, and of some of their wives. The whole is closed by a famous wild boar, and the group of Laocoon.
Parallel to each of the two long sides of the Gallery, there is a set of apartments, included in what is commonly called the Gallery of Florence.
The first on the east side, contains a most admirable Ganymede, a country God, and a few more beautiful statues and basso relievos. The principal subjects of the latter, are, the Rape of Europa, and Mark Anthony's Oration on opening Cæsar's Will.
The next, called the Cabinet of Coins and Medals, contains, as well as those articles and some few busts, two basso-relievo figures of Mars and Venus, in paste exactly like porphyry; and also seven pictures, three of which are Mosaic: those of St. Peter and St. Paul are reckoned remarkably fine.
The third is called the Cabinet of Love, from a little Cupid sleeping on a table, universally allowed to be a masterpiece of sculpture. It also contains a few busts, and the walls are ornamented with twenty-seven paintings; among which is a Venus, by Titian, universally admired: but it has been observed, that she labours under a disadvantage, in being so near the incomparable one in the Tribuna.