JOSEPH MARIE, a distinguished French painter, was born at Montpellier on the 18th of June 1716. After spending a very sickly youth, he ultimately emerged from his retirement in 1743 as first prizeman for the French Academy's picture, and as exhibitioner on the government pension to Rome. Next year he departed for Rome, where he remained for six years, and returned to Paris with many excellent pictures. These were succeeded by many others, which in style and technical skill resembled closely the pupils of the Caracci. As Vien's fame extended, it had to contend with the envy of the insipid artists, Vanloo, Boucher, and even Natoire his old master. His "St Denis preaching to the Gauls" justifies the admiration of his contemporaries, who saw in him the regenerator of the French school. After being decorated with the order of St Michael in 1775, and having been appointed one of the rectors and directors of the French Academy, where he had previously been professor, he was chosen chief painter to the king in 1789. Napoleon on his accession to power, made him a member of the senate, a count of the empire, and a commander of the Legion of Honour. Vien died at Paris on the 27th The palaces and mansions of the nobility are among the most interesting buildings in Vienna, while those devoted to public purposes are seldom worthy of the smallest notice. Among the former may be noticed the palace of the Archduke Charles, and the gorgeous palace of the Prince of Liechtenstein. The ancient palace of Prince Eugene, called the Belvedere, was converted into a museum by Joseph II., to whose munificence and taste Vienna is indebted for one of the best collections of paintings in Europe, one particularly rich in the works of the Flemish and the German schools. The palace consists of two parts, an upper and a lower, separated by a garden. The upper contains the picture gallery; and the lower has a fine collection of ancient armour, and of portraits of the most distinguished persons connected with the house of Hapsburg. The imperial arsenal contains collections of weapons of war ingeniously arranged; and, in the city arsenal, besides sufficient arms for 30,000 men, and a proportional artillery, there is a large collection of Turkish trophies, including the head of the grand vizier, Kara Mustapha, who commanded the Turks at the siege of Vienna in 1683. A new arsenal was completed in 1855, to which these historical collections are to be removed. Vienna is indeed well calculated to afford gratification to the antiquary and the admirer of the fine arts; for, besides the imperial and public collections, many noblemen have their separate galleries and museums, and all are of easy access.