PAINTINGS IN WATER COLOURS.
THE present exhibition of water colours is rather tasteful than powerful. Mr. COPLEY FIELDING, Mr. BARRET, and a few others, who are among the leaders of the profession, paint a great deal too quickly for the good of their reputation. Only think of one gentleman supplying the exhibition with re arly fifty specimens of his skill in one year ! Such a labour is more broad-shouldered than Sampson's greatest work or the most arduous labour of Hercules. The consequence is, that COPLEY FIELDING lives this year upon his former fame rather than on his present exertions : had he been contented with a more concentrated display of his talent, we should have had something to praise beyond his rapidity of execution.
PROUT is bold, and in his boldness happy. We wish that Mr. HUNT would study the manner in which PROUT arrives at his effect : there is a great deal of skill in the former, but he appears to be always fretting and fuming his paper, and his colours, and his style—and for what ?—to arrive at the result of an oil painting. Why, what a piece of work is this ! If he wants to have the effect of an oil painting, let him paint in oil colours, and the thing is done, without torturing eff'ects to produce a bad imitation.
The Miss SHARPES have done wonders this year. Give us "Juliet" for touch, and the " Unexpected Return" for story. The execution of the former is worked almost into the fineness of enamel. We may, however, hint, that when the skill of an artist has reached so far, there is great danger that by-and-by we should have to say, "some- thing too much of this f" A delicate effect is a pretty thing ; but let our fair friend remember, that after a certain point, every touch that heightens in this respect lowers in the nobler requisites of the art. GuIDO trembled on the edge of over-much exertion in this way, and CARLO DoLci fairly overstepped the limit. LEWIS appears to us to be every day promising greater things. The chief obstacle he now has to conquer is an over-precision in his pencilling.
RICHTER'S Illustration of Shakspeare is incomparably the best pic- ture in the exhibition: it is worth all Mr. COPLEY FIELDING'S fifty rapidities put together; and we should much envy Mr. Moos his pur- chase, if we did not entertain a hope that one of his objects in buying it is that he may circulate it in thousands amongst those who love to see the choice characters of the greatest poet that ever lived set out in their proper bearing and demeanour. Our admiration of the whole of this picture is so nicely balanced, that we cannot tell whether Falstaff is the best, or Bardolph better than he. To be sure, the self-satisfac- lion of the knight is perfection ; but, having used that word, what are we to say for the all-agog merriment of his jolly squire, or for the rich hue (more colour-full than Tuscan grape, whence it did borrow some- what) of his portly nose? It is miraculous. Though all around is night, they glitter and glare like the July sun, when he sets in a bed of streaky clouds ; and their two figures roll on towards their natural destination-Dame Quiekley's hostelry-like the same sun, whom nothing can pervert from his course ordained.
There are some other pictures which we ought to notice, but a con- siderate friend has " borrowed" our catalogue.
Previous page
