26 MAY 1832, Page 20

EXHIBITION OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 450.) OF all descriptions of Portrait pictures, "family groups" have ever been the most difficult to manage, and have puzzled the greatest geniuses. That memorable one described in the Vicar of Wakefield is no caricature of many that we could mention. A wealthy City Knight, who prided himself on being the father of a score of boys, once applied to an eminent limner to paint them all in a " fitmily picture ;" and had saved the artist the trouble of any thought about the mode of arranging the numerous group, by determining upon having them represented 'sitting round a table after dinner, singing " God save the King." The Marquis of Westminster may, however, congratulate himself on the possession of a chef d'ruvre in a picture of himself and family by LESLIE (121). It is not a mere group of portraits, but an interesting scene, full of life and reality. The party are assembled in the picture- gallery, and are engaged in watching the steps of two of the little girls dancing a minuet. The Marchioness is playing on a grand pianoforte, and the Marquis is intently regarding the little dancers with an expres- sion of paternal pleasure. The look, air, and attitude, of every per- son, is unaffectedly familiar and easy ; and if the likenesses are all equal to that of the Marquis, they are admirable. The interior is well represented ; the arrangement of the figures is felicitous ; the costumes and accessories are gracefully treated; and the whole effect both of light and colour is in the highest degree skilful. We have almost always occasion to remark upon the rawness of tone, and a tendency to redness of colour, in LESLIE'S pictures, and the present work is no ex- ception. The painter reckons upon the effect of time in mellowing down this crudeness. He should give us an interior of the House of Lords, with the Peers robed ; there would be scope for the indulgence of his fondness for red.

J. HATTER'S group of portraits of the Fitzclarence Family (409), is a picture of great merit, especially in the likenesses and the ar- rangement of the gentlemen, who are looking at a bust of the King, their father. Of the females, Lady Kennedy Erskine is the most in- teresting. MORTON has a good portrait of this fair widow and her children (270). WILKIE'S portrait of the King (71), is painted in his now usual rich and powerful style; which offers a striking contrast to that of his Majesty by Sir WILLIAM REECHEY (197), on the opposite side of the room. We do not think the likeness of eithcr strikingly characteristic. Both represent the King in his robes; but in BEECHEY'S he wears be- neath them an Admiral's uniform, and in Wiracie's a full coronation costume. "WILK/E represents the King leaning on the sword of state, and in the act of walking ; the attitude is by no means felicitous, and the limbs look too statue-like. Sir WILLIAM BEECHEY'S best works are the two full-length portraits of Lord and Lady Hood (87 and 216), because his style is appropriate to the subjects.

Bamos's portrait of the Rajah Rammohun Roy (30), is not only his best, but the finest portrait in the exhibition. The Rajah is a noble-looking person, and a good subject for a painter, independent of his picturesque costume, which the artist has treated in .a masterly flaunter. His expression and air are at once natural, dignified, and characteristic ; and the picture is painted in the grandest style of per tmiture. Of the other portraits of this artist, we admired most those of Mr. T. F. Buxton (49), Lord Mulgrave (138), and Mrs. Siddons and Miss Kemble (343). They are all painted in a broad and power- ful style, and with that command of hand which we look for in a painter of .history,-which branch of his profession Mr. BRIGGS only relinquishes for want of commissions. PittweEl's portraits of those three eminent Professors of Geology, Dr. Buckland (67), and Messrs. Sedgwick (202) and Murchison (457), are in his best style. '1'bat of a Lady (76), is the most finished of all his pictures this year, and one of the very few good female por- traits in the exhibition.

Sir MARTIN SHEE's portraits are very good ; that of the Arch- Master of the Dilettanti Society (158), is his hest. His likeness of

Mr. Chantrey (:384), is trite and characteristic, both in feature and ex- pression. Of his female portraits, that of Mrs. Johnston (20:3), pleases us most : though his Magdalen (185), which is only a lady dressed, or rather half-dressed for the part, is the most pictorial.

PICKERSGILL'S two full-length. portraits of Lord Hill (15), and the Duke of Buceleugh (1.54), are admirable pictures. That of Lord Hill,

in particular, is a very striking likeness, but neither are remarkably promising subjects for a painter. The head of Lord Charles Towns- end (448), has strong individual character. In his portraits of Lady Coote and Child (6:2), the yellow dress is not successfully treated, and spoils the effect of a clever production.

ROTHWELL'S portrait of the Duchess of Kent is pleasing, and an ex- cellent likeness : we wish it had been painted with more power; there

is an indecisiveness about it which detracts from its merit. His other female portrait, that of Miss Von Hoist (402), is altogether in a grander and more vigorous style. The young lady is a magnificent creature, whose form and features appear to be cast in Nature's noblest mould ; her blonde complexion, blue eyes, and auburn hair falling in wavy masses, are set off by a rich crimson velvet dress ; a green curtain aids the breadth and simplicity of the picture, as well as the harmony of the colouring. The hair is too much scumbled (it looks like oakum), otherwise this would be an unique picture. The same artist's portrait of Judge James Parke (414), is a strong likeness, and painted with great breadth and power. That of Lord Beresford (376), is one of his most successful efforts, and altogether a fine picture.

NEWTON'S portrait of Lady Mary Fox (128), is an exquisite painting of an interesting person. HowAan's of Miss Carlisle (93), is admira-

ble for its purity of colouring, its unaffected simplicity of style, and seeming integrity of resemblance : it proves, that ordinary features, truly portrayed by a skilful artist, have as much power of pleasing in a picture, as a plain face wearing an aspect of good-nature has in real life. LANnsm's portrait of the Duke of Devonshire (132), is another of those true portraits in which the artist appears to have struck off the resemblance at once, so unconscious are you of effort or manner.

DANDSEER'S flesh tints are still, however, rather of a brick-dusty hue. LINNELL'S fac-simile portraits are not all equally artist-like, and

his manner is apt to derogate from the favourable aspect of nature: but this of Mr. Callcott (362), is painted to the life ; that of Lord King (380), is also excellent.

Our space will only allow us to enumerate the following. Lord J. Russell (401), and Lord Stuart de Rothsay (400), by GEORGE HATTER,

rather hard and dry in style. Madame Dulcken (107), Sir H. Compton, Chief Judge of Bombay (181), and Philip Reinagle, the landscape- painter, in his eighty-fifth year, and other matter-of-fact portraits, by

his son, R. REINAGLE. Gibson, the sculptor (171), and Cardinal Weld (308), by GEDDES : the flesh tints too brown and opaque. F. NASH, the artist (305), by SIMPSON ' • a very faithful portrait-painter. The Duke of Wellington, a whole length (386), by W. ROBINSON. An excellent likeness of Harley (92), by CLINT. The lady portrait-painters, Mrs. W. CARPENTER, Mrs. J. ROBERT- SON, and Mrs. PEARSON, have each pictures of great merit. There are also clever portraits by Messrs. HOLLINS, WOOD, MIDDLETON, EVANS, W. PATTEN, LUCAS, RAMSAY, PARTRIDGE, S. LANE, DYCE, BIRD, M'NEa, HARRISON, &e. ; to which we can only invite attention gene- rally. But we cannot pass over the full-length of the Marchioness of Londonderry, by DRAHONET : it looks like a waiting-maid, bedizened out in the whole stock in trade of a jeweller, disposed somewhat after the fashion of the paste ornaments on the old waxwork figures that used to lie i

e exhibited in Westminster Abbey ; in truth, it is a piece of " still life,"-a more sickening and tasteless piece of ostentation we have not seen for a good while.

In the lower room, among the Water Colour Drawings, CHALON'S miniature sketches of full-length portraits attract admiration, by the fashionable air of his females and the dashing brilliancy of his style. We need not point them out individually, as they will be sure to catch the eye of the most casual visitor. M' CLISE has some very clever por- traits in this style ; and we observe also one of Sir le Gresley (654), by 0. OAKLEY,-a name new to us,-which has more than ordinary merit. The Miniatures of Mrs. J. ROBERTSON, Messrs. W. J. NEWTON, F. Cituicesna:sx, A. ROBERTSON, W. C. Ross, E. ROBERTSON, BARCLAY, PELHAM junior, and a good one of Paganini by LOVER (910), are the most prominent in merit of the numerous display of this class of portraits; in which we arc commonly offended by bad drawing and meretricious colouring. As regards the correct modelling of the features, we are bound to award the palm to F. CRITICKSHANK,-who, by the way, we believe is not related to GEORGE CRUIKSHANK, of face-

tious faculty. ( To be continued.)