12 FEBRUARY 1831, Page 18

FINE ARTS. BRITISH INSTITUTION.

IN returning to this subject, we cannot help remarking upon the ar- rangement of the pictures ; which is manifestly to the disadvantage, in a

few cases, of some of the best works in the exhibition. The circum-

stance that places Mr. BOXALL'S beautiful little picture (151) almost on the ground, may be fortuitous, but it is at least " an untoward event,"

and one which might easily have been obviated, and we will go so far as to

say, ought to have been remedied. We were obliged to bend the knee to get a view of the fair creature portrayed ; and though we do not grudge

homage to beauty, and willingly stooped to such loveliness of form and sweetness of expression, we could not avoid making invidious compari. sons between it and many more fortunate works of larger size which oc-

cupied places in the line of vision. Nor is this a solitary instance, though it is one of the most glaring and provoking. Mr. HENNING'S admirable "Scene from Henry the Fourth" (323), is too far below the eye. Mr. S. M. Snuff's "Domestic Friends" (131), also deserves a better place; as does "The Spae Wife," T. IVARRINGTON (476) ; and many others that we could name. We can conceive the difficulty of ar-

ranging five or six hundred pictures in a gallery so as to do justice to works of merit by placing them in proper positions ; and we can easily believe that it is not in the power of the most impartial and judicious members of the" hanging committee" to satisfy even themselves, much less every candidate for admission ; but when small works of great merit are placed in bad situations, and large productions of secondary ability occupy good ones, we are justified in going out of our way to notice the evil. We impute no blame, much less imply wilful neglect or favour- itism to the parties concerned ; we only beg to call the attention of the patrons of the institution to the circumstance, with a view to its being avoided in future.

Mr. HANCOCK'S clever picture, "The Widow" (183), has good feeling, but it is too high for us to speak more particularly to its merit. This artist emulates E. LANDSEER in his dogs, and displays good knowledge of his subject, and elaborate finish ; but his animals, while they remind one of his prototype as well as of nature, are by no means equal in living character to those of E. LANDSEER ; they are well painted, but those of the latter are real. His pictures (335, 394, and 534) are nevertheless beautiful delineations of canine nature. The vividness of Mr. LINNELL'S strikingly natural effects, which are particularly evident in "Milking" (249), and "The Mill" (348), while they excite our admiration, also compel us to protest against his manner of handling, which is peculiar, and interferes with the truth of his style : the force of his "Two Kittens" (395), is excellent, but in his "Farmer's Boy" (75), it degenerates into bad mannerism ; the colouring is muddy and the texture hard : the boy's frock is like the trunk of a tree. Mr. LINNaLL understands his subjects so well, and evinces so much feeling for nature, that we the more regret his insisting on what we must call a defect. Mr. COLLINS'S "Old Boat Builder" (5), is a pretty little picture; his "Nutting Party" (29), is sketchy, and the children's faces are laboured, but by no means successfully. Mr. WITHERINGTON'S " Gleaners "(23), is a very clever and pleasing pic- ture of a rural scene ; the corn is extremely well painted. Mrs. W. CARPENTER'S " Spring Nosegay" (101), is a fine study of rustic infancy; the expression and character of the child are excellent, and the subject is treated in a bold and masterly style, evincing both feeling and under- standing. Mr. TENNANT'S "Unlucky Crab" (8), is a clever, brilliant, and pleasing picture. Mr. WOODWARD'S "Cottage Children and their Pets" (94), merits similar praise : it is an admirable production, and • deserves a better place, and-what we hope it will get-a purchaser. "A Study," C. STEEDMAN, is clever and full of character, without being vul- gar: success in this class of humble subjects is a merit which is not lessened by being generally appreciated ; and, where truth of character and feeling for nature are displayed, the mere imitation of actual scenes becomes valuable.

Mr. NASMY TH'S pretty miniature fac-similes of the particular characteristics of English landscape bring the hedgerow views and simple verdurous prospects of our own country actually before us, and attract in spite of their literal minuteness : see Nos. 6, 26, 130, 528. Mr. STARK'S style is similar: his "Jaques" (87), is a wood-scene, with a brook, of course, and very truly and carefully painted, with good effect of nature. Though deficient in force, breadth, and atmo- sphere, it wants but a little of being a first-rate picture, and in that little we would include the omission of the figures. Mr. LEE is a rising artist of great promise ; the trees in his "Windmill "64), and "Highland Scene" (128), are beautiful, but the rest is mere sketch; his "Wood Scene, Bromley Hill" (120), is true but literal and fiat, wanting atmosphere and relief-there is no light and shade. We should not state these difficulties if we did not feel convinced of the artist's ability to overcome them. Mr. BARKER'S "Landscape, Evening," and "Cattle" (150 and 152), are excellent, but too much resemble imitations of old paintings. Nature is fresh and bright ; and Mr. J. CHALost seems to think so, for his "Welsh Coast" (74), is clear and brilliant notwith- standing the black in the foreground and the too hard distance. Will Mr. O'Cosmon never give us any thing but rocky glens and threatening clouds ? We have seen the effects of 224 in various shapes before : stature has more than one aspect. Mr. LANE'S "View at Finchhamp- atead " is a pretty English hamlet-scene literally transferred to canvass. Mr. Rooans's "Landscape Composition" (166), is flat, hard, and artifi- cial. Mr. Wiens's " Winchester " (55), is clever ; so is J. Wu.- sost's "Coast Scene" (22), though the figures are bad. "Sun-rise in Frost" (33), 0. R. LEWIS, is novel and true in effect. ALBERT BROND. Gaza has some truly Dutch pictures as regards manner ; but we pro- test against their meagre, flat, literal minuteness. 185, 414 are la- boured facsimiles, but there their merit ends : 238 and 545 are minute, but not so objectionable. Mr. STANLEY'S "Effect of Wind" (263), and (480), "Storm coming on," are beautifully fresh and natural. "IJlIs- water" (366), T. C. HOFLAND, is rather feeble. "Landscape with Fi- gures and .attle," 4B. Vart Wonama. (381), is elaborate, but hard. " A Land Storm " (475), S. W. REYNOLDS, is true as regards effect, but is too much like scene-painting. Among other pictures we had marked are, " Landscape," G. Sias, (334). "-Travelling Tinker" (468), and "Lane Scene" (423), G. VINCENT. " Margate Sands : Twilight " (205), G. P. REINAGLE. " Scotch Firs " (222), H. W. BURGESS. " Caen" (12), D. ROBERTS. "Boy with Whitings " (21), Miss E. JONES. " light " (34), G. BARRETT. " Greenwich Hospital " (200), J. HOLLAND. " Una Paya, or Countrywoman of Mexico" (228), J. &ADEN. " A Highland Piper" and " Life Guardsman," W. DERBY (349 and 350). " Chapeau Noir," by B. R. FAufaciana (457). " Good Advice," 111As soar (469). " Female Head " (483), F. C. HAKEWILL, &c. There are three Interiors of Picture Galleries : (153), " Greenwich Hall," by J. SCARLETT DAVIS, is a clever picture, and the effect is complete, though feeble; for it is very sketchy : Mr. WONDER'S (345) is elaborate, but dull, and the peculiar style of his handling is too evident-it wants entireness of effect that by Mr. NOVICE is laboured and heavy :

all three are productions of great merit, though not so perfect as

we expect this class of works to be. Mr. CLATSR'S brilliant colours and effects " o'erstep the modesty of Nature ;" and we are impatient of

these tricks of art, clever as they may be. His " Advertisement" (129), is not so objectionable, being a candle-light effect ; nor his " Saturday Night" (66), for a similar reason ; but " Preparing for the Portrait" (319), and the " Romps" (518), are not only forced in effect, but in the treatment. The " Fox Detected" (437), and " Dairy Maid" (463), have likewise these drawbacks on their merit. The industry as well as

talent of Mr. CLATER deserve praise, but we are apt to undervalue bril- liancy of execution when indiscriminately applied. Mr. LIVERSEEGE'S " Captain Macheath" (80), is a good study of character, and a very clever picture. Mr. MORTON'S " Sleeper" is a masterly study of an

Italian boy, but the brick-wall is too prominent an object in the picture. Mr. WooD's "Reflection" is a name given to the portrait of a young lady whose gay dress puts to flight the carnation of her cheek ; it is like a nosegay. We wish Mr. "WooD would rely more on the expression and less on the colour of his pictures ; the success of his "Orphans" ought to satisfy him that colour is not all in all. Mr. HowAnD's "Servant Girl at Antwerp" is a pleasing picture, clear and bright, but somewhat fiat and hard : his poetical piece (3), is a pretty feeble conceit. Mr. Cr.nzr's "Falstaff and Mrs. Ford" (95), is theatrical, not Shakspearian; and Mr.

STUMP'S" Sir Edward Mortimer" is neither the character nor KEAN, though a well-painted head. Mr. PARTRIDGE'S "Midsummer Night's

Dream" (59), is a clever picture, but not sufficiently poetical in feeling.

F. HOWARD'S " Numidian Lion Hunt" (206), is tame ; his "Study of a Lion" (306), is good ; but his "Flight of Fancy" (109), is too much like his father's designs. "The Pedlar" (215), J. P. Rourrr, is clever,

but sketchy, crude in colour, and spotty in effect. It is, however, an amusing picture, and successful as regards character. Mr. OLrvares"Fruit" (161, 164, 195, and 397), requires almost the test of touch to prove it only

an imitation of nature. HAanylVD.soN's effects are brilliant, but there is a little too much of trick in his manner : affectation is not style, nor clever imitation originality ; witness 954, 230, 181, and 9, which last is h-la-BoNnroToN, as the former are a-la-Ronsars. Mr. VICKERS, we think, also had BONINGTON in his eye when he painted "The Young

Devotee" (81) : his "Oxford View "(86), is cold and almost uncoloured,

but clever : both pictures evince talent. Mr. CHALON'S " L'Allegro " is a stylish but crudely-coloured portrait of a lady. "Fair-day" (142), by Messrs. Wansraa and LEE, is a clever picture, and the principal figures

in the group are admirable for appropriate expression, though portrayed in a hard and literal manner ; the retiring figures and back-ground are not so satisfactory : the Picture is full of humorous incident, quaintly

described ; but as a whole, we do not greatly admire it. The " Signal," P. H. PARKER (286), has much force and character, and is boldly painted. "Venetian Conversation," H. LANE (218), seems like a copy from a Venetian picture; and Mr. SEVERN'S " Falconer " (461) is a plagiarism. from TITIAN; the expression of the faces tells no story. We grieve to

see this picture, for it shows how good ability may be neutralized by imitating the manner of the old masters, instead of emulating their ex- cellences. " Interior of Convent, with Peasants at Devotion" (331),

J. STEVENS, though peculiar in colour and texture, and flat and hard, deserves great praise for the character and expression of the heads, and is an extraordinary picture. Miss ALABASTER'S " Lucentio, Hortensia, and Bianca," is clever and bright, but hard. Mr. W.APPERS'S "Scenes from Faust" (378 and 501) are remarkable for feeling and expression ; but the character of Margaret is not poetical, and the drawing, though good, is hard, and the colouring cold. "Night Scene at a Police Station," by J. PAREZ (436), is a true and clever picture of low London life and character, wanting a little more force and clearness. "Rode. rick Random and Miss Sparkle," by W. Dananown (443), though badly coloured, possesses broad and appropriate character verging on caricature. "Sheepfold," J. DEARMAN .(512), has good effect, but the manner is singularly bad. The only new production of note among the few specimens of Sculpture, is "The Falconer," by Mr. CAREW, in marble. It is a work of the highest order, and claims particular notice. A fine figure of a man holds a hawk on his fist, and in the other hand a heron, which has just been killed. It is without drapery, except a cloth hanging at a girdle round the loins: the graceful symmetry of the limbs, and the manly form, placed in an easy and natural attitude, are beautifully modelled, and highly finished. The treatment of the dead bird is good. There is a simplicity, boldness, and elegance in this statue, which are admirable. The head wants dignity, and the face is deficient in expression, which diminish the effect of this noble work : the character is not heroic, it is true, but ardency, if not elevation, is required to aid the action of the figure. It is, nevertheless, an honour to the sculptor, and to the British school of art, of which it is one of the highest ornaments.