Architect of the Republic (Exhibit) (Thomas Jefferson and Andrea Palladio)

THERE's ONLY ONE disappointment in the exceptional new show of 31 original Palladio drawings at the Morgan Library, only seen once before in the United States. It's the disappointment that comes with all architectural drawings: not being able to see the actual buildings. If it's any consolation, the greatest American Palladian of them all, Thomas Jefferson, never saw a single Palladio building either. In 1787, he did a grand tour of northern Italy, visiting Turin, Milan, and Genoa, but he was recalled to his ambassador's job in Paris before he could get to Palladio's heartland, Venice, Vicenza, and the Veneto.