PICTURES AND ARTISTS.
NEW PORTRAITS.
MODERN portrait-painters rarely succeed in a likeness where the cha- racter of the face depends upon its expression and not on its features ; and this being the case with Lord BYRON, he has been somewhat fantasti- cally libelled by his limners. Not being able "to catch at once the Cynthia of the minute," they have endeavoured to supply the deficiency by an air of assumption, equally unnatural and unpleasing : a mistake which detracts front the value of the otherwise good likenesses of BYRON by l'ini.Lies and WI:sr. A It LOWE'S profile sketch has a supercilious, peevish look, belonging rather to the affectation of the painter than the character of the poet. The portrait of 13vtios: which is most free from these defects, is the miniature painted in ISIS, by Mr. BounEs; a highly-finished engraviug of which, by Ily.t Li., is just published. Like some of the others, however, it repiesents him in a fancy dress,— which is not in keeping with the unaffected character of the portrait. We have Lord BvitoN's own opinion, written in 1823, that he then pre- ferred it to all others ; and his sister, Mrs. LEIGII, declares that " no- thing ever was or will be E o like him." Any addition to such testi- mony would be superfluous. JOHN WOOD'S forcible and faithful likeness of Dr. JAstr.s JOHNSON, has been admirably engraved in mezzotint, by Punms ; and a very effective portrait-picture it makes.
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