23 MARCH 1861, Page 18

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FRENCH EXHIB]!ION.

Tiro French Exhibition is always a great treat. Second in interest only to that of the Royal Academy, it is deservedly popular with the public and the artists. To the latter, morenversit is full of instruc- tion. The French-painters. am profoundly. versed in the teohni- ealities.of the art, leaving, in this respect, little thbe desired. We fall short of them in drawing. an& composition, in both. of which they *awl tossmaivellons extent In. the subtler qualities of colour; we surpass the French, though they'are generally truer than we in tone. Our subjects are more aerial', and display greater reading and re-

search, nor do we indulge in those morbid and' repulsive themes which our neighbours so frequently love to depict on canvases of enormous. size. On the other hand, they seize the salient features. of their story with greater readiness, and. express: them with greater ease and felicity than our painters are in the habit of doing. Some of your readers may possibly think that I am giving a somewhat disparaging estimate of the artists of our own country, but I think they may verify my remarks in great measure blocking round'the present collection—a collection' which, with but one or two excep- tions, does not contain any work of the- greatest French masters. The wonder is not that we have not dbne more; but that we have done so much: Art is regarded by the-two nations from. such widely different points of view. lir Franceit is reasonably supposed.that a profession requiring' great skill of hand' and eye, and a reasonable amount of intelligence, should have at least as long, a time devoted to its acquirement as imgivento learning-the-mystery of ahoe-makims IiiEngland's much' shorter period is considered requisite. A French student grinds-for seven' or even ten years at drawing, painting, and perspective. The Englishman, after an academic course of a few months, considers- hunselr competent to paint pictures. Both systems have their merits and demerits : the former while it yields learned and shilfel workmanship, tenth to crash originality; the latter fosters independent thought andibeling, though its immediate results, in the- shape of crudely digested pictures, are painfully con- spicuous at our exhibitions. This is the eighth annual exhibition at the French Gallery. It is in every-respect much better than that of last year, and' is, perhaps, mom complete. in- its general excellenee than any of its predecessors: There are very few-pictures not de- serving of camfial inspection.

Of thelour works contributed by M. Gerome, the most important is "Diogenes at Athens." The' cynical philosopher sits in a large earthen' wine-tub, adjusting-his lantern, preparatory to setting' forth

o n his search for an' honest mass He is surrounded by a group. of half-fed dogs, one of whom- bears unmistakable evidence of mange. Beyond is an Athenian' street. L Gerome sternly rejects- all attempt at colour, and relies.for his effect solely on his strong-

feeling for indboduality and purity of form. The present figure is

remarkably well, drawn; though it has an- error-in proportion rather startling in an artist of M. Gerome's proficiency-. The head' is too., small for so massive and sinewy a frame. "'Collecting Alms" and a "Donkey' Driver at Cairo,' by the same painter; should be clbsely studied, not only for the contrast they present of two different types of The human race, but also for the masterly manner in which the eharacter of each figure is portrayed- in the features. M. Meissonier, marvellous as ever-in all the finesse of' pose and action, has only one picture. It is on a larger scale then usual. "In Confidence" shows. two men sitting over their wine; The younger is reading a letter- and bespeaks closer attention to- some particular passage by pressing' his hand on the arm of his companion. The attitude of the reader is anxious and restless—that of the listener careless and composed.; he leans easily back in his chair, resting-his chin on his thumb, the fingers partially concealing the face. The truth. of this attitude- will be recognizable by all. It is so simple and. natural that one wonders. it has never been painted before. It is scarcely- necessary to say that every fold of drapers; each wrinkle in a shoesis dwelt upon. with most roving care. The sowings with the exception of a large hand, is perfect throughout. The colour is more than usually. coppery; but even with this drawback I am inclined, to rank this as one of. the most perfect of M. Meissonier's later works. hL Ruiperezsm pupil of M. Meissonier, has acquired a considerable share of the excel- lences. of his teacher: if less delicately true,. he yet has great com- mand of expression both of face and limb—his attitudes are well chosen, easy an& charactmistic--he draws with- precision, and colours' pleasantly, if not well. By far the best of his three subjects. Is the one entitled "Soldiers playing at Cards." A group of soldiers, in the costume of the time of Louis Quinn, is engaged in watching' a game played between a comrade and, the landlord of the cabaret in. a room of which the. scene takes place. The puzzled faoe of the' host, who is doubtful as to what would be his best play, and the eager, already triumphant look of the soldier, are as good as need be Every face has its due share of just and appropriate expression. A door in the background. allowe the imagination, to wander out of the picture, and reveals a secondary. group Brilliant and forcible is the effect of this and of M. Rumerez's other picture, " The Guitar Player." Here, however, .a very pleasing arrangement of colour is marred by two hideous women. M. Ruiperez. should imitate his preceptor more closely by refraining from painting the fair sex. " The Housekeeper" has good. painting of pots and pans, but the housekeeper herself is the reverse of geod-looking: M._ Plassan gets more flimsy and meretricious. every year, " The Toilet," which hangs- in juxtaposition to. the strongly painted Card Players men- tioned above, suffers greatly by comparison. It has a washed-out look,. or seems to have a sheet of tissue paper stretched over its sur- face. Delicacy of tint is carried to excess, and truth to' nature utterly disregarded. Finger tips were never so.pointed as M. Plassan draws them,, andladies do not place their looking-glasses in such a position that nothing but a. violent contortion, of. the body would enable them to. view their features. The works of M. Chavet are almost microscopic. They are scarcely so large as the palm of the hand, but are, painted with. much refinement and delicacy. Li sub- ject they might be more interesting. A gentleman. dressed in black coat and knee-breeches, and engaged in. smoking, is not a thrilling object of contemplation, however admirable it may be as a feat of dexterous manipulation. The French. exhibition -would not be complete without M. Frere. He is liberal this year, and sends four pictures. Li one he departs from his usual. style both in size and subject. "The Asylum for Old People at Ecouen" presents a group of aged. paupers huddled around the china stove, and sitting by the window of a large bare- walledroom. A. Sister of Mercy enters atone side With refreshment, but her. coming causes neither look nor gesture from the listless and almost helpless objects of her care. This is the subject; little enough it seems in mere words, bat it is full of. sad, earnest meaning. So powerfully conveyed is. the impression of the close air and death-like stillness with which all who have visited a similar scene must be familiar,, that at the first glance the pic- ture almost repels. But this first impression is speedily dissi- ated. Truth so grand and real, enhanced as it is by art of very qualis must appeal to every beholder. This realization of sick, imbecile, and shiftless old age will cling to the memory when hundreds of other works depending, for their charm on romantic sub- ject or beauty of feature will be forgotten. M. Frkres other subjects are an "Infant School at Dieppe," a perfect contrast to the former picture, and. two domestic scenes—" Feeding, the Baby," in which the action of the little nurse is note,worthy, and the" Young,Mother," which is quite golden in. colour. M. Duverger paints similar inci- dents to those of M. Prase. Like him. he is a. great stickler for truth, but in the quality. of humour I think he excels the latter artist. As an instance of this take "The Naughty Boy"—an old cobbler lecturing h young rebel,, who. lolls. sulkily against the knee of his elder sister. Th.e expressions of the faces are very happy, and abound in. touches of humour of a quiet, unobtrusive kind. AL Daverger is eqiudly good ate pathetic subject. lathe "Fisherman's Cottage during a Storm," we see- the wife in prayer for the safe return of son and husband.; an old woman lights a candle to the Virgin,. while the children. look, out seaward, and the grandfather, with anxious face, rocks.to and. fro, his hands clasped. uponlis knees. Deeply touching is. this little poem, for such it really is. A. com- panion picture shows the interior of the cottage in fair weather. "The Kind. Sister" is scarcely, appropriate in its title. I do not see why the mere fact of a little girl cutting:her brother's,nails.should entitle her to that appellation. Mr. Knaus has done much better things than." The Comic Story." The relator is a. half-silly old man; his auditors are not pleasing speoimens.of humanity : one of. them looks a knave,,the other a. drenkard. A laughing, sturdy boy is the one redeeming touch. The executionas facile but flippant, and the picture leaves anything but a pleasant impression on the mind. Mille. Rosa Bonheur reigns supreme in the animal kingdom. The "Shetland' Ponies" standing together on a, common, in. a genuine Scotch mists are very truthfully painted. The wet. dank grass is capitally. imitated. Her" Scotch. Cattle" is more agreeable in. colour, but the blue sky. is.opaque and heavy, "The. Three Brothers" are donkeys, who wait, with commendable patience for the load of under- wood which-is being collected by their master. MS Troyon contri- butes a large canvas, entitled, "The Dairy, Farm," full of cleverness, but suggesting the studio rather than the fresh appearance of out-of- door nature. It is difficult to breathe in M. Troyon's. landscape. His atmosphere is clogged with paint, his clouds are motionless, and obligingly subdue their brilliancy lest it should. detract from the whiteness of the foreground cow. M Lambinetis more trustworthy in his atmospheric effects. His four pictures are characterized by great love and, reverent study of. nature. All are good, "Cattle watering near Became' being perhaps- the best. Other pictures deserving of special observation, are the sea pieces of IL Gudini,a large landscape by M. Achenbach,, M. Hebert's "Young Girl of Alvito," "The Wood Gatherers," by AL Decampsrandli. Tenkate's "Recruiting Party."

DRY POINT.

The Hanging Committee at the Royal Academy will consist this year of Messrs. Creswiak, Redgrave, and Hook.

The Exhibition of the Society of British Artists opens on Monday next.