FINE ARTS,

EXHIBITION OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY—OPENING OF THE NEW NATIONAL GALLERY.

THE exhibition of the season, to enrich which preceding ones have been kept poor—the grand display that was expected to be made by the Royal Academy, aided by the great body of artists, to celebrate their taking possession of a share of the New National Gallery—turns out a miserable failure. The mountain has brought forth a mouse.

We confess to the folly of supposing that the Academicians, could and would make a vigorous effort to show that they were sensible of the prominent and responsible position in which they are now placed, and to prove themselves worthy to occupy a building expressly built as the depository of the treasures of art possessed by the country, and

temporarily appropriated to the use of the Academy. We fondly expected that the Academy would attempt to redeem its credit,, and the reputation of the British school, which, unhappily, is identified

—

ith this close corporation in the opinion-of foreigners and the Govern-

:lent. The signs of grave lately numilested in the election of new

m, t

indications of a more liberal spirit and a higher aim. The infusion of young blood into this superannuated and soulless body would, we 'loped, enable even it to put forth some fresh energy upon such an oc- elaborately finished, but withal feeble in character and passionless. casion a the present. The result has proved that we reckoned without EASTLAKE'S " Scene in the Greek 1Var" (138), sin Arab selling cap- s

our host. TI stagnant pool has not been converted into a fountain lives, is a beautiful picture, full of touching expression, and the most e

of pure water : and until the cistern be thoroughly cleansed, any fresh delicate pathos, but deficient in vigour and national character. There

streams that may be turned into it will only be contaminated. T has exerted himself more than any one: he exhibits three large de-

Academy h e caves about public opinion, the honour of the British school, or the le ph Government and their own irresponsibility. III on respect they te e are fitly lodged: the building is worthy of the occupants—low, narrow, mean; with the littleness of pretension, and the meretricious finery two delightful little pictures,—" Perdita" (47), and " Charles the Se. Errv's IRrge picture of " The Syrens" (122), the only effort in the - grend style, is a disgnsting combination of voluptuousness and loath.

conceived in the worst eossible taste. Cesscerra's " Raffselle and the Fornarina" (104), is girteeful in design and chaste in colour, and has evidently learnt no lesson from the late inquiry into their signs besides portraits,—" Mary Queen of Scots Escaping from Loch- edi leven Castle " (119), " The Empress Josephine and the ortunengs; they go on in their old course, without troubling them- F - telr" (144), and " The Cotter's Saturday Night" (358). The last standing the defects in conception, and disagreeable peculiarities of manner, there are redeeming qualities in each and all. Lsssin has

Hercules, in a full suit of floe the group of the leaocoon, arid other In Landscape, TURNER is as gorgeous as usual. His large landscape statues licitly whitewashed, with a bas-relief or two iuserted in the composition in the east room (130), is a wonder of art ; it splendid walls. The architectural deeolations are poor and meagre. On picture, full of the poetry of nature, and with a less share than usual the right band, you ascend a liaI1VW Staircase of a fewsteps, to of his glaring defects. A Scene in Venice (31), is more garish, but a narrower passage—not more thim seven or eieht feet wide—lead- brilliant in the extreme : and two others—an alpine scene 080), and Mg straieht to the three principal Vlillibitill11.1001115, WiliC11 occupy an arehitectural composition with sea and storm, and some incompre- the whole depth of the bteldher. The doors are ill a direct line ; and hensible finitasies, tniscalled " Hero and Leander" (-274)—are extra- the vista through their tumrow portals, (which are painted a dark ordinary for colour and effect. Cats.corr, on account of illness, contri- mahogany colour, and look very ugly and out of limmom,$) must have butes only one of his pure silver-toned Italian scenes (179). COLLINS

over helloed the an with its grandeur : it is positively 110 ftier is abroad. STA:411E1.D has several landscapes and marine pieces, highly in length—it is not every suite of &se ing-rooms that can boast of such finished, and displaying great dexterity of handling and power of imita- an extent of space. Moreover, there are two note-rooms on the right thin. A little picture by poor Cossramm (193), makes us wish he and left of the passage, one appropriated to water-colour 1i:timings, had lived to correct his mistake—or even to please himself by per- miniatures, and engravings, the other to architectural drawings and siting in it. Lei: has a delightful cool green English landscape___

model. The cross current of visiters from these two side- I ooms a liver scene with ferry-boat and beech trees (-102): it is his chefs miagliag with the two tides of the throng goilig into and coining out d'olicre, and is perfect of its kind. The bright daylight and sober of the exhibition, is well calculated to impress the public with the tenth of this picture contrasted with the blackness and unnaturalness °vernally of space in the urraneement of the gangways, and the crowds of one of Ms RCIN's monstrous repetitions of his one idea, directly attracted to tlw show. In this particular it surpasses the old strirease underneath, gave occasion fOr a pun—" Day and Martin !" exclaimed at Soatersvt House. The Seulpture-romn is on the ground floor, level a wag who stood before them. PYNE has a large mid clever view of with the entrance, mid opposite to it, across the lobby. It is a low, Clifton (513); Enid SIDNEY COOPER one of his highly-finished cattle. queer-shaped apartment, such as one meets with its the odd corner of pieces (875). an irregularly-built house ; and is not only wuch too small for its pm.- The best male portraits are BRIGGS'S—though his Duke of Wel- pase, but almost for its present contents. It is well lighted, however, lington OS), is a failure in point of likeness : Lord Montague (503), and is a welcome improvement on the dark closet where the Sculpture and General Le Ahrehant (233), are admirable. Flimsies comes Was stowed away at Somerset House. As the saloon of sculpture in next : his two best are the Duke of Roxburghe (52), and Lord Wit.

a national exhibition, it is paltry and shabby in the extreme; and a Hai» Bentinek (87). Pweensens.'s picture of Lady Hill and child disgrace to the architect and the Academy both. In short, the whole (185), is very pleasing. The same artist makes Sir John Conroy (72), thing was well and truly characterized by the blunt, plain-speaking look a sly, pretty-faced man, who thinks himself a lucky fellow. Sir Sailor King, who, we were told, called it "a nasty little poking hole ! " MARTIN SHEEN whole-length portrait of the Queen is vulgar and And this, be it remembered, is the counterpart of the other half of commonplace. Let the visiter turn from this to one of Lady Slade the building appropriated to the National Gallery ! No expression of (17), by Mrs. NV. CARL ENTER, and then say whether the lady ought contempt and reprobation is too strong for sueh a flagrant misapplica- not to be President of the Academy instead of Sir MAwri N. Here is tion of the public money in the erection of a building every way un. the unaffected grace of nature and good breeding : it has an air of suited to its purpose and unworthy of the country. It is a libel on VANDYKE. SAY'S portraits of ladies are the next best. Among the taste of the nation, and it stigma on the Government—the pure other noticeable portraits, are the King (67), by WILKIE, and a profile

1Vhig Government—that sanctioned the job.. of a man reading, the shadow of the face thrown on the book (431); The expectation among the artists and picture-loving portion of the Dr. Chalmers (242), by WATSON GORDON; Dr. Warren (211), by public was unusually great ; and the curiosity so eager to see the first LI NNEI.I. ; Mr. Bebbage (366), by LAURENCE ; Sir Charles Dalbiac

• exhibition of the Academy in the new building, that the rush, when (423), by Nloirroe ; Lady Sykes (7), by MACLISE ; a landscape full the doors were opened at twelve o'clock on Monday, was tremendous; of fashionable sportsmen in red coats and blue cravats—each looking and the rooms were crowded to excess all the day. The rent-free intensely conscious of his hat—by F. GRANT (88); and two or three tenants of the new Gallery will reap a goodly Imrvest this year ! The of less known persons. Easmaee's portraits are painfully weak : feeling of disappointment was universal. The show was declared by that of Lord Essex (4%), reminds one of the effigies of Boniface in

everybody to be rather below than above the average in point of talent the club-roorn of a bedge-ulehouse. We hope he will give up por- and interest, and discreditable to the Academy under all chem. traiture.

stances. • There is a good show of Sculpture—notwithstanding the "inclined

The preponderance of Portraits is greater than ever. On first enter- plane "—which worked well. Ginsoe's Hylas and the Naiades, BAI. ing, indeed, there seemed to be little else ; nearly the whole space above LEY'S Mother and Child, statues of' Nymphs by 1VesTmacorr and the heads of the crowd being covered with them. Flaring uniforms of WYATT, and a bas-relief by young Wetermacorr, are the principal blue, red, and yellow, interspersed with plain suits of superfine broad- works of fancy in marble. Of the portrait statues, CHANTREY'S of cloth, varied with satin and velvet gowns, stuck into attitudes and sur- Dr. Dalton is the finest and most interesting: it is grand, simple, and mounted with heads, fixed as in a vice, the characteristic expression of breathing with life and intellect. PARK'S of Mr. Sadler looks likes the faces being smoothed down into a simper of self.complacency, or corpse risen from the grave. BEHNES'S statue of Dr. Babington, and represented by an unmeaning stare,—some of the figures looking as if CHANTREY'S of Sir John Malcolm, we have before spoken of. Among they would slide out of the picture were they not stuck fast to the the busts, the most interesting are Southey and Mrs. Somerville, by background,—compose the coupdrril of the upper part of the rooms. CHANTREY ; O'Connell, by Mot:me ; Lord Melbourne, by TERNOUTH; Of course there are many exceptions to this sweeping condemnation, Lord Brougham, by BEHNES ; and Sir John Hobhouse, by CAMPBELL. and these we shall have the greater pleasure in pointing Out: but the hi the Water Colour room, the portrait drawings of CHALON, Rica-. impression left on every visiter must be that this is an exhibition of MOND, MACLISE, F. CRUICKSHANK, Miss CORBAUX, LANE, SALA.. portraiture of men, animals, and landscapes • very rarely rising above BERT, Ric. are the chief attractions. mediocrity and mere mechanical dexterity. invention, imagination, in. The Miniatures and Enamels we have not looked at, and the Archi- tellect, are qualities that will be sought for in vain. There is no truly tectural room we have left unvisited.

great work of art of an elevated character in the whole exhibition, con- This is a slight and rapid sketch of the leading features of the exhi. lusting of nearly thirteen hundred specimens! —nothing that leaves a bition : next week we shall go more into detail. deep and lasting impression on the mind—that awakens feeling or con- The number of pictures rejected, for want of room, would make, we veys a sentiment. The two or three attempts at Epic or Historic are told, an exhibition by themselves—of what sort, is another matter. panning are painful failures. This confessed deficiency of accommodation, however, will afford a ready excuse for all kinds of injustice. Few artists like to publish the fact of their works having been rejected, and the strictest secrecy is observed at the Gallery ; so that the number and quality of the works excluded is not likely to be known. In fact, the Academy people may do just what they like, with impunity.