30 AUGUST 1851, Page 19

FINE ART&

TILE MODERN PICTURES OR ALL COVNTHIPS, AT LLOTEPIELD HOUSE.

Perhaps the best•servicewre can render the directors cif this.exhibition is to record, at the outset of ow-criticisms' their assurance to the public, that other- pictures besides those new on the walls are to reach them shortly-from the Continent. There is-hope here at least, albeit deferred; and, seeing that their collection is a veritable Binderies casket; whence every ill quality of art is let forth to the light of day, it-was certainly de- sirable that Hope should remain at the bottom. It would not be much to the purpose to inquire which school of _paint- ing shows most creditably herenor, if a decision were to be arrived at, need any one set of artists feel much flattered by the preference. The only school whose merits, such as they are, are adequately represented in this gathering, is that of Belgium ; which, we fear, would scarcely call for many representatives in a place where nothing should be exhibited that was not worth exhibiting.

After this opening, it will suggest itself at once, that the great mass of these pictures is such as we shall not attempt to criticize ; belonging, as they do, to that class where examination and silence are the sum of criticism.

Let us begin with the French works ; among which are 800:10 of the few good things of the collection. If again we decimate these elect, (sup- . g such a course to be arithmetically possible,) we shall find that the best work in the place, upon the whole, is Mademoiselle Rosa Bonheues "Charcoal-burners in Auvergne crossing a Moor" (53). We are rejoiced to be able to lay our homage, at last, at the feet of one lady who has really done something in some one branch of art which may be con- sidered quite of the first class. Sky, landscape, and cattle, are all ad- mirable ; and must have been, though the picture is a small one, the re- sult of no little time and labour. The sentiment, toe, is most charming : you see at once that the lumbering conveyances are moving

"Homewards, which always makes the spirits tame."

The only fault of the picture consists in some slight appearance of that polished surface which always interferes with the truth of a French painting where any finish has been aimed at. This, however, detracts but slightly from the pleasure of the general impression. Mademoiselle Rosa Bonheur was previously known to us only by a few small litho- graphs from some of her works : these had always seemed to us to give proofs of the highest power, and her picture more than fulfils our expec- tations.

Other French landscapes of some merit are those of Rousseau (86 and 177), the latter somewhat resembling Linnell; Ziem (51 and 52), bearing a strong likeness to Holland, though scarcely so good ; and Troyon (66), much akin to the feeling and execution of Kennedy. These, however, have mostly been hung out of the reach of anything like scrutiny.

Turning to the French figure subjects, we shall find much that is ex- cellent in the contributions of Biard, though he has sent no work of pro- minent importance. The best is "A Performance of Mesmerism in a Parisian Drawingroom " (378). Here the variety of actions and expres- sions under the same drowsy influence are very diverting; and there is even a rude grace in the colour, in spite of its sketchy and almost "scrubby" character : but perhaps this is only a study for a larger pic- ture. The same artist's "Henry IV. and Fleurette" (195) has a good deal of pastoral freshness and beauty ; though the landscape lacks bril- liancy and variety of tints, and the monarch is little better than a bail- lover. There is great humour in the "Arraying of the Virgins' for the Fête of Agriculture " (379), a scene from the last Revolution ; as well as in the " Review of the National Guard " (377). The pair entitled " Before the Night " and " After the Night " (196 and 197) are, how- ever, very vulgar and unpleasant, and must be, we should Ha; early pro- ductions.

The humorous sketches of Adolphe Leleux (190, 191, 192), relating to the Garde Mobile, have strong character, but are both unfinished and un- skilful.

The most remarkable among the productions of Henri Lehmann in this gallery, are his "Hamlet" and " Ophelia " (37 and 38), a pair of small copies from the larger works, probably made for the purpose of being lithographed. The "Hamlet" especially gives proof of thought and intention,—the brooding eyes and suspended movement of the hand suggesting indecision of character. The " Ophelia" is much less good, and is little more, indeed, than a posture-figure with a sort of reminis- cence of Rachel : the proportions of the face, too, betray a very unnatural mannerism. The execution of both figures, though careful, is not satis- factory, and reminds us in this respect of Mr. Frank Stone ; having the same laborious endeavour at finish, and the same inability, apparently, to set about it in the right way. " The Virgin at the foot of the Cross " (36) is an utter mistake, of that kind which makes the heart sink to look at it.

In the " St. Anne and the Virgin " of Goyet (62), there is a pretty arrangement of the background; but the Virgin is mere waxwork, and St. Anne sits listening like one of the Fates in a tableau vivant.

" The Woman taken in Adultery" (63), by Signol, is the companion to the well-known picture in the Luxembourg, and one of the couple which have been published. We never much admired these works, though they are not without delicacy and even sentiment of their kind. That at the Luxembourg is decidedly the better picture ; though the ac- tion of the woman in this other, crouching, and raising her arm as if she feared that the first stone were about indeed to be cast, is certainly the beat thing in either of them. The colour is very dull and flat, and the bands of the Saviour much too small. The picture by the same artist, from the " Bride of Lammermoor," (where Lucy Ashton, stricken with insanity, is discovered crouching in the recess of the fireplace,) displays much dramatic power in the principal figure, which is also finely drawn. The subject, however, is a repulsive one, unredeemed by any lesson or sympathetic beauty. And there is a stationary look, so to speak, in the figures, and a general want of characteristic accessory, together with that peculiar French commonness in the colour and handling, which is so especially displeasing in this country, where, whatever qualities in art may be neglected, an attempt is almost always made to obtain some har- mony and transparency of colour. A word of high praise is due to Made- moiselle Nina Bianchi, for her pastel of "An Italian Lady" (201) : it is really well drawn, and shows remarkable vigour. Mademoiselle Bian- chi should practise oil-painting, and leave her present insufficient ma- teriaL There are few better things in the gallery than a very small picture by Gerome, bearing the singular title of "The humble Troubadour in a

Workshop (209). It is poetical in subject and arrangement, and dainty in execution, though the tone of colour is not pleasing. Something of the same qualities, but with a want of expression, and a servile Dutch look, may be found in the "Interior of an Artist's Studio," by Alphonse Koehn (219). The picture by Beaume of " The Brothers Hubert and John Van Eyck" (220), is a subject of the same class, but in treatment resembling rather the works of Robert Fleury. John Van Eyck is ap- parently engaged on his picture of the "Marriage of Cana," now in the

Louvre : and we would remind M. Beaume, that that work is not, as he has represented it, of the colour of treacle, but rather distinguished by a

certain delicacy and distinctness, which might not be without their lesson to any modern artist who should be sufficiently "poor in heart" to re- ceive the promised blessing. Summing up in one sentence of condemnation the platitudes or pee_ tentious mediocrities of Ziegler, Cibot, Henry Seheffer, and Etex, and the execrable Astley's-Martyrology of Felix Leullier (179), we come lastly to the most important in size and character of all the French works--the Nicean duplicate of " Cromwell at the Coffin of Charles I.," by Dela_ roohe (102) ; a picture on whose merits we should dwell at some length, had it not been already exhibited last year at the Royal Academy. Ad- mirable it is in every respect, always taken for granted the artist's view of the subject and personage. We think, however, that it might prove of some benefit to M. Delaroche, supposing Mr. Carlyle could be per- suaded to go for once to an exhibition, to stand behind that gentleman and hear his remarks on the present picture. We fear the painter would find that this is not exactly the "lion-face and hero-face" which our great historian has told us is " to him royal enough." Proceeding next to the Belgian school, we find another English hero presumptuously maltreated by a foreigner, in Ernest Slingeneyees monstrous "Death of Nelson" (32). Is it possible that this abortive mammoth is to take its place on the walls of Greenwich Hospital, for which purpose a subscription has actually been set afloat ? For our part, we believe that the old grampuses there have enough fire left in them to resent such an indignity ; in which case, one would gladly let them have their own way with the daub for an hour or so, if it once got within their walls. Of greatly superior pretensions is Baron Warmers' picture of " Boccaccio Reading his Tales to Queen Jeanne of Naples and Princess Mary " (344). It is far, however, from being a work of a high standard, though a good enough painting in all artistic respects. The face of the Queen, if not very expressive, is beautiful, and the Princess is a handsome wench ; but the conception of Boccaccio is commonplace; neither is there anything in the work that demanded a life-size treatment.

The other two productions of this painter—Genevieve of Brabant(163), and "Louis XVII. when apprenticed to Simon the Shoemaker" (286),

are mawkish, ill-drawn, and ill-coloured in the highest degree. The cat- tle-pieces of Eugene Verboeckboven, of which there are two or three here, appear to us extremely overrated. They are very coarsely painted, very loosely grouped, and supremely uninteresting. The only other Belgian work which has anything to claim attention in it is " Brigands Gambling for the Booty" (25), by Henri Leys. Then is

some merit here, both of colour and arrangement We may notice the absence of any paintings by Gallait, perhaps the best of the Belgian artists.

The German schools can scarcely be said to be at all represented here. Perhaps the most striking picture is that of " Pagan Conjurors foretelling his Death to Ivan the Terrible " (458), by Buhr of Dresden. Indeed,

there is probably no picture in the gallery displaying more couisur beak and characteristic accessory. There is expression, too, here and there ;

but in many of the figures this is sadly exaggerated, and the whole has a somewhat theatrical appearance. The two little pictures from the life of St. Boniface (351 and 352), by Shraudolf of Munich, are very excellent, especially the latter. They are the work of an artist who thoroughly knows his art. In a collection like the present one, such productions though the subjects have no dramatic interest, are an indescribable relief_ Still more so are the " Subjects on Porcelain " (287), chiefly from the Italian masters, by Pragers of Munich.

The "Young Girl at a Window" (326), by Herman Schultz of Ber- lin, has a very, sweet German face, but is flatly painted ; the " Nymphs of the Grotto" (393), by Steinbruck of Dusseldorf, is pretty and fanci- ful; the "Monk demanding Gretchen's Jewels," from Faust (373), by Bendixen, is a well-found subject entirely spoilt ; the " Deputation be-

fore the Magistrates" (240), by Hasenclever of Dusseldorf, has some cha- racter, but no art ; the " Recollection of Italy, Procida" (133), by Ru- dolf Lehmann of Hamburg, is a contemptible and vexatious piece of affectation; and the pair of half-figures entitled " Tasting" and Smell- ing " (103 and 104), by Schlesinger of Vienna, are not such as we should have expected from the author of various popular prints, which, in spite of their sometimes questionable subjects, give proofs of much sense of beauty and even poetical feeling. Of the English pictures we shall have but little to say, since nearly all of them have been exhibited before. The biggest is G. F. Watts's piece of dirty Titianism, entitled "The Ostracism of Aristides " (135). It has something in it, however, which somehow proves what was certainly the one thing most difficult of proof, considering the general treatment of the picture,—namely, that the painter is not a fool. The " Lake of Killar- ney" (164), by H. M. Anthony, is a picture with a wonderful sky, and two highly poetical brackets ; but as it has been exhibited before, our

space will not permit us to speak of it at length. The same may be said of E. M. Ward's dramatic but somewhat coarsely painted "Fall of Cla- rendon."

Redgrave's " Quintin Matsys " (152) assimilates in execution to the Belgian picture; of which it is in every respect a fitting companion. "The Tower of Babel" (228), by Edgar Papworth, is ill placed, but

seems to display no small imaginative power, and is further remarkable as an evidence of considerable proficiency in painting on the part of one

whose merit as a sculptor is acknowledged. " Preparation " (248), by Lance, is a bright but scarcely natural-looking picture, with an absurd title. " Titania and the Fairies " (246) is an imbecile attempt by the son of an Academician : it would seem almost incredible that this thing should have occupied a place on the line two years back at the Royal Academy, and its author been nearly elected to an Associate- ship. " Petrareh's first Interview with Laura" (120), by H. O'Neil, is very ill executed, though rather less commonplace in general aspect than most of the painter's works.

H. Stanley, the author of "Angelico da Fiesole Painting in the Con- vent " (331), is one of the artists lately selected by the Royal Commission to

execute works for the Palace at Westminster. His present picture is hard in outline and monotonous in colour: Angelico is on his knees, with his back to the spectator, so that even his full profile is scarcely seen; and the treatment seems to us altogether somewhat tasteless and wanting in in- terest; the best incident perhaps being that of a second monk who is seen playing on the organ in a dark anteroom. Another artist commissioned lately by Government is W. Cave Thomas ; whose picture here, " Alfred

sharing his Loaf with the Pilgrim" (99), we shall not dwell upon, as it has been seen at the Royal Academy. It is only fair that the same excuse should come to the rescue of the picture from the life of Beatrice Cenci (376), by Willes Maddox ; on which, both as regards subject and art- istic qualities, we should otherwise have a very decided opinion to express. By young and unknown English artists there seems to be scarcely any- thing. Some prettiness and rather nice painting, though without much expression or sentiment, will be found in " Cinderella " (464), by M. S. Burton. There appears to be a feeling for colour in a rather incompre- hensible performance by W. D. Telfer, entitled " The Baron's Hand" (273), which is hung nearly out of sight. We may mention, however,

t our notice was attracted to it by the recollection of a far superior picture in the same name, which we saw lately, happening to pay a visit to that now somewhat renovated sarcophagus of art, the Pantheon in Ox- ford Street. The subject of the picture in question is " Ariel on the bat's hack " ; and it possesses undoubted evidence of the qualities of a colourist, though as yet hardly developed, as well as a kind of fantastic unearthli- ness in conception. In the catalogue of the present exhibition occur the titles of two other paintings by the same artist, but we looked for them in vain on the walls.

We have now concluded what we have to say of this gallery. To argue, from its contents, anything as regards the relative position of the different schools, would of course be out of the question, since among the specimens contributed are scarcely any from artists who enjoy a decided celebrity in their respective countries. For our part, we have sufficient reliance on the sound qualities of a few of our own best painters, to en- tertain some regret that on their part, as well as that of foreign schools, no attempt has been made in the present instance to enter into anything which deserves to be called a competition.