Art in Dresden

Our ride from Leipzig on the Rail Road was of about four hours, to Dresden, the capital of Saxony and considered beautiful, principally [72] from its environs.  It is very pleasantly situated on the Elbe, which [is] nice somewhat farther to the South—but initially, it has little or no beauty at all, the Palace perhaps the largest in Extent in Europe, and its other publick buildings, being not handsome, not to say remarkably plain.  It is however much visited by Strangers, on a/c of its galleries &c. and per the fact of the German spoken here more purely than in any other city.  Miserable weather still, which has followed us all the way from Russia. 

I think I recognize these guys...

Saint Mary Magdalen
by Pompeo Batoni
(destroyed during WWII)

Found Williams and  [Astor?] here both studying German.  Visited firstly the Gallery of Pictures considered on the whole the finest out of Italy, and really in viewing it I could almost imagine myself again in Rome or Florence.  The pictures here the most celebrated, and really magnificent, are Raphael’s “Madonna del Sisto” and Correggio’s Recumbent Magdalene.  (I never attempt describing a picture [73] from inability but there are some that I can never forget).  There was another Magdalene hanging near to Correggio’s which I must say pleased me nearly if not quite as much as his—by Pompejo Geronimeo [Girolamo] Battone [Batoni].). There were several fine Titian’s, & Spagnolettos, and the Dutch and Flemish school very well represented.  In one of the first rooms was a small painting of Hagar going into the desert, most beautiful—by whom I know not, as soft as a miniature and one other that particularly pleased me, of Eve presenting the apple to Adam.