NEW PORTRAITS.
THE English artists have been stigmatized as a set of face-painters: it must be confessed they are but indifferent painters of portrait. They are at best clumsy flatterers, now that LAWRENCE is gone ; and they are more successful in delineating the features than in depicting the expres- sion of the countenance. Intellectual faces sadly puzzle them ; they represent strongly-marked features coarsely, and fritter away the mi- nuter lines of character into prettiness ; and a handsome man is coil. derailed to appear conscious of his comeliness. A snigger, a smirk, a stare, leer, a smug look, or a grim aspect, are the common varieties of the modes in which they convey expression. Lord Brougham is quite a poser. They can't make him handsome now ; though we have seen por- traits of him when younger, which represent him as a "pretty fellow." They exaggerate the peculiarities of his physiognomy, and leave out all the intellect. There is a mezzotint by LEPTON of Mr. LONSOALE'S whole- length portrait of the Lord Chancellor in his robes, which, though it looks better than the original picture, is hard, vulgar, and inexpressive. JACKSON could have done justice to Lord Brougham's face, and LAW. =NC E could have made him appear most courtier-like. There are many living artists who can paint ladies and gentlemen, but men of genius must yet be content with the fame of their works and actions. Posterity must take their faces on trust. We hope the Chancellor will sit to CHANTRY for his bust, that his features may live in marble. There is a good portrait of Washington Irving, after LESLIE, en. graved in line by DANFORTH, which is like ; but it is a face difficult to portray, from the want of prominent expression, and the print has a bit of a smirk that is not characteristic. A beautiful engraving of the Countess Grey and her infant daughters, after LAWRENCE, by Cousriss ; a pleasing group exquisitely finished, and the pictorial effect well preserved in the engraving. Lord Aberdeen, by the same engraver, after the same painter. Lady Harcourt, by WARD, after JACKSON. The Marquis of Lansdowne, by BROMLEY, after LAWRENCE. King Leopold, by REYNOLDS, after a picture by DAWE, which is not so good as the sketch by LEWIS, after LAWRENCE. Sir Walter Scott, by BODGETTS; a hard-featured resemblance, with a pinched-up look, Which is not characteristic of the Author of Waverley. A lithographic sketch of Paganini, from the life, by a Mr. BULMER ; which is singular without being truly characteristic. The Signor has not yet found a faithful limner of his features and expression; the portraits of him hitherto published are either caricature on the one hand or aggrandized effigies on the other. Last though not least interesting, is a mezzotint -portrait, by LUPTON, from a painting by MACARTAN Of Patrick Gibs eon, a veteran sailor, in his 111th year, and looking hale and intelligent: ire was sixty years in the Navy, and was one of the party of seamen , A° carried off Geuecal Wolfe from the heights of Abraham,AtQuebee.
Previous page
