My next visit was to the Capitol in order to inspect the Museum
Capitolinum.
This time I ascended the magnificent escalier of Michel
Angelo, having the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius in front. On
arriving at the courtyard, I entered the building on my left (which is on
the right of the facade). Under the colonnaded portico of this wing are the
statues of Caesar and Augustus; here too is the naval column of the consul
Duilius, in commemoration of the first naval victory gained over the
Carthaginians; also a colossal statue of the Rhine called Marforio. In one
of the halls two large statues of the Egyptian Goddess Isis and various
other Egyptian divinities. In this Museum among other things is an altar
representing Claudia drawing to the land the Ship of Cybele; a magnificent
sarcophagus with a bas relief on its side representing the progress of
life; Amalthea giving suck to Jupiter; the God Anubis found among the ruins
of Adrian's palace at Tivoli. On ascending the staircase, I observed on the
right hand fixed in the wall a tablet with a plan of ancient Rome carved on
it. In one of the halls above stairs the most remarkable statue is that of
the dying gladiator (brought back from Paris); this is certainly a noble
piece of sculpture; the bodily pain and mental anguish are singularly well
expressed in the countenance; a superb bronze statue of Hercules; a Centaur
in black marble; a Faun in rosso antico; a group of Cupid and Psyche; a
Venus in Parian marble rather larger than the common size.
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