24 NOVEMBER 1849, Page 17

BRITISH INSTITUTION: 'firr.Astr'rs' COPIES.14 -

PICTURES exhibited last season in the collection or the OH Masters have -been detained and copied by students of both sexes, admitted to the gallery for the purpose; and now the copies are exhibited, with the :originals. This supplementary exhibition is not a pleasiiag'Onc, in aii,y refp44t. It does not so happen that among the number Of students any sulakiva genius has been there; and upon the average diet,: the effect Of ,imouded study, as shown in the results, is not felicitous. The selection of models is peculiar: the first thing that strikes you on *ending **Sits is along row of copies from one of Greuze's meretricious, young girli—fifteen is the: number, the largest in the collection. Grouse,. therefore,. ,is the -leading model among this young republic. The next master is Turner—whose admirers scarcely uphold him as a model: of his turbulent "Shipwreck" there are thirteen copies; eleven, we . -think,- of Cuyp's -Frost piece—not a mo- del so bad; but upon the- Whole; the Most 'elevating 'and instructive examples, especially in the figuretleparteneet,: arecisaglecteill and publics `tatite runs after the eccentric :oe'-th&,metntbl0ua t& eihei,derable pre- ponderance is also in favour of Whit we may, life—single figures in set postures, rather thit'designs witivtic.11bm 'As to the exects- tion;itis not satisfactory. While, translating *No a the old pictures, sombred by years; into brighter :tints, the stodedtaitaieforgotten that the tendency of ithe:dark.parte-is ,not to beconirdatieeri, at least not propor- tionately so; and them sober Igitiyie Or grave 'eltitcloivir are made to receive the harsh heavy brilliancies of the English palette. It will be observed

that the copies are universally heavier and more positive than the originals -the features more wooden, the flesh-tints more like solid inlaid work, the clouds less filmy. Among the best copies, we noticed one of Turner's large inland landscape, by F. Watts. Upon the whole, however, it seems to us that the young ladies claim the prize-catch more the spirit of their originals, and follow with a greater freedom and delicacy of apprehension.