FINE ARTS.
SOCIETY OF BRITISH ARTISTS.
YAEING a cursory glance at an exhibition, and recording the general impression, without the aid of a catalogue—as was the case in our brief mention of the Suffolk Street Gallery, the week before last— though not an unfair, is a very trying test of its merits ; especially when, as in the present instance, the prominent points of attraction are very few, and the mass of lesser ones very numerous. In going through the collection again, catalogue in hand, we found so many noticeable pictures—nay, more, so many tempting bits, though com- Patatively slight and insignificant—that the variety and minuteness are quite embarrassing. In short, the display is more interesting to exa- mine than profitable to discourse upon ; glaring defects being propor- tonately as few as striking beauties. Buss's large picture, " Christmas in the Reign of Elizabeth" (279), does not improve upon acquaintance—the test of intel- lectuality in a painting. The coarseness of the style becomes more evident ; and you are less disposed to find an excuse for that imperfection of the aia.ial perspective, which confounds the dif- scent gioups without filling the picture, and makes the ball ap. pear broader than it is long. The subordinate incidents are the best and most amusing: the riotous frolics goifig on in the music-gallery, and the party playing at snap.dragon—the livid flames of which are capitally imitated—are the best portions. Without wishing to dis- Parage this very creditable performance, or to damp the laudable am. hition of the painter, we would hint in a friendly way, that the histo- neal character of the scene raises the subject above his powers. The grossest merriment and the most commonplace gallantries of the time require to be refined and elevated by heightening touches of humour and character : here the matter-of-fact fun is made droll by caricature.
The title of A. W. ELstoaL's small historical subject does not add to its interest : wanting incident, it is but a processional picture of knightly troopers ; and as such a clever composition, the character as well as the costume being appropriate. The subject of one of Von Hot.sr's German extravaganzas, " The Deathbed of Lady Macbeth" (476),.makes it seem, if possible, more monstrous the other being, in the painter's own phrase, " Sketch Fantastique," justifies its title. These are the only attempts to rise above the level of every-day life ; excepting " Scene from the Abbot" (126), by D. Cowrea, that, as the production of a young hand, is promising—though the complexions of his men and women, in this and another attempt, look as if they had been turned by over-doses of nitrate of silver—and " A subject from Bocaccio's Decameron" (492), by A. G. WOOI.MER, where the air seems impregnated with yellow fever in a visible shape. Before settling down quietly to home subjects, however, we will take another peep at ZEITTER'S " Hungarian Peasants—a scene on the Danube" (419), which does not seem so strongly national as his picture of last year ; .and is, moreover, more negligent and slight in execution, meretricious in colour, and inharmonious in tone. He has two other costume subjects that are cleanly painted, but so flimsy in texture that we see nothing but lace-work.
FRENTIS'S two pictures both exhibit a mawkish feebleness, the Ba- tumi tendency of his meagre and literal style, that he should carefully avoid ; but in the one case it heightens the effect as much as in the other it destroys it. In " The Hypocrite " (56)—a lachrymose love- making, between a sallow, maudlin Mawworm, and a puling " widow bewitched :" the characters are so true to the life that the aim of the painter is only evident in the ludicrous reality of the incident. Not the slightest exaggeration or intentional touch of caricature is appa- rent : it is a grave piece of moral satire, producing a laughable effect, by the suppresed humour. In " The Friend in Adversity " (69)—a wife offering religious consolation to her ruined, sick, and desponding husband—the face of the comforter does not beam with the affection- ate and hopeful earnestness natural to the office and the occasions; while the poor man himself looks so abject and spiritless, that we can hardly sympathize with him. Mrs. APIAN has treated it scene of deeper distress and more squalid misery with much greater force and pathos, and with equally literal truth. " Exiles from Erin " (591)—a poor Irish family on the wayside, their faces gaunt with famine and blank with despair, yet pa-
tient of their privation, and mutely appealing through their wretched- flees to commiseration. The most eloquent speech of O'CONNELL in
behalf of his countrymen never produced a more powerful impression than this truthful and touching delineation of human destitution, the most unmitigated and the most inevitable: yet this exquisite, but simple work of art, is thrust down in one coiner, among the sculpture, while huge abortions occupy great spaces of the principal room. But it is here as elsewhere; the privileged few monopolize the right of wall, and modest merit is disregarded. To the shame of the artists be it said, there is not one of the exhibition-rooms in this metropolis where a work of talent is sure of obtaining a good place with no other reeommendation than its own deserts. By the way, there are two other clever pictures also stowed away among the sculpture—" Reading to Tapestry-workers " (546), by F. S. CAREY—a pleasant subject plea- santly treated ; and "Kitchell Politicians" (563),.by 0. S. REYNOLDS two maid-servants in high controversy on a matter of news imparted by John, who seems alarmed at the storm. H. P. PARKER has painted a group of "Newcastle Pitmen Playing at Quoits" (391), which does not need the words "from nature" to vonvilice us of the reality of the scene and the characters : the coal-begrimed faces are not the best part of the painting ; the eager anxiety of the players, and their action, are no less faithfully depicted. This artist paints admirably well what he sees, but when he tries to invent he becomes theatrical and forced.
Verb. sap. WILLIAM GILL, a very minnow of the tribe of artists, but a triton of the tiny brood, introduces to us some more of his big- headed little urchins, with bright eyes, fat cheeks, and long noses, WI
" A School" (401) : the old dame is capital—if the excellence of this picture be minute, it is worth the trouble of discerning. CLATER, POOLE, and KIDD, also conti ibute, but not in great strength.
Among the Studies of Character, are several by ROODS of Italian Peasants, in the style of INSKIPP, but better drawn and finished ; two by PIDDING, of a "Greenwich Pensioner" (255), and a a Tra- velling Tinker" (539),—elaborately wrought up, and richly coloured; a brilliant and graceful sketch of "A Venetian Nobleman" (98), by W. FISK ; a vigorously painted figure in armour of a " Standard- hearer " (346), by J. I.. Hasies—a new name, that we shall look to see again ; a portrait of "The Hunting Sweep" (201), on his Real-
nante, brush (not Reynard's) in hand, and in a full suit of soot, by R. B. DAVIS; "A Piping Boy" (378), by G. Scorr; and "A Na- tive of Seringapatam " (384), by S. A. HART.
This brings us to the Portraits ; which differ from Studies of Cha- racter inasmuch as the limners mostly paint these faces from necessity rather than choice, and are more anxious to please the vanity of the sitter than to hit off the individual character truly. The best, and indeed the only good whole-length, is CLINT'S of the late Mrs. Pemberton and her son (P2)—a very carefully-painted pic- ture, but too smooth and tame. HUM-STOWS whole-length is spoiled by the scratchy manner of the drapery; and of his numerous other por- traits of ladies and children, the best is that of" Mrs. Butler as a Sybil" (210); for, though FANNY KEMBLE has left the stage, the maiden's fondness for assumption seems not to be exinct in the matron's bosom. It is a good likeness, but with more of the housewife than the sybil in the face ; and is a solid, rich piece of colouring. " The Honourable Mrs. Hely Hutchinson and her Youngest Daughter" (206), is the por- trait, by E. U. Ennis, that we noticed for its living expression; the mother seems actually talking to some one, and the arch little child is holding up her finger as if to silence some troublesome playfellow. This is making portraiture interesting : the picture is also admirable
as a painting, for the chaste tone of colouring, and its free yet finished execution. Another portrait by the same artist, of R. H. Cox, Esq. (20:3), represents the healthful glow in the cheek to perfection : we have never seen a better piece of painted flesh either in hue or sub- stance. EDDIS paints more like life, that is, he keeps out of view the mechanism of painting more completely, than any living artist. For the vivid representation of a florid complexion, of a vinous or ruby red, however, we refer the visiter to the portrait of an officer of the Foot Guards OW, by G. P. A. HEALY. He has besides two or three other clever portraits, painted with very clear and bright colours ; and so palpably like that it is perhaps hypercritical to hint at the absence of refinement. This is the quality so utterly want- ing in MIDDLETON'S portraits, that gives an air of good breeding to those by LAURENCE ; who in this particular, and a certain ele- gant boldness of style, reminds us of his illustrious namesake. His half-length portrait of a lady (5.52), in a yellow dress, set off by a black scarf, is a charming picture ; though the painting is too thin, and the figure wants more substance and relief. There are two or three very good portraits also by J. GILBERT, with a tendency to a hard, smooth surface ; and one by J. BALLANTYNE, forcibly painted, but not too heavy : W. JOY, on the contrary, is altogether as flimsy and insubstan- tial. We noticed also some good, homely, painstaken likenesses, by DAWE, RAMSAY, MPS. C. PEARSON, and Miss MYRA DRUMMOND.
In looking again at that clever but peculiar portrait-picture" A Family Group" (372), by T. SMART, it appears evident that the cold tone, the opaque colouring, and the monotonous precision of touch, combine to give the still-life look to the persons : the resemblances appear so iden- tical, the features, look, and manner of each individual are so strongly and clearly defined, and the execution is so neat and dextrous, that, since the Dutch school, we know of nothing equal to it for verisimilitude-- animation only is wanted. The Landscape and Marine Views are so numerous, that we can only instance two or three of the most remarkable: among the mass are many charming studies of nature under various aspects ; the slighter sketches having a freshness that makes us prefer them to the more laboured compositions. Foremost among the sketchers is J. W. ALLEN; though lie has lost the sunny brightness that gave a glow to his sparkling glimpses of scenery, and they are now cold and ()pagans as well as slight. Miss NASIMYTH, Miss STEERS, LINTON, A. MONTAGUE, VICKERS, PHILLIPS, O'CONNOR, WATTS, A. CLINT, ANDRE junior, BALMER, RIVIERE, and F. H. GILL form the main body of the land forces : those on the sea and coast—the marines—consisting of J. WIL- SON, G. CHAMBERS, E. W. COOKE, H. LANCASTER, G. Siam, M. E. COTMAN, C. STEEDMAN, H. JUTSUbt, and J. THORPE. The flowing wave and the breezy sky, the fisherman's hut on the shore and the sailor's home on the sea, are depicted with characteristic truth in the style peculiar to the several artists: but either the beauties are too minute, or are too similar to those that we have often remarked in the productions of the majority, to admit of particular notice. TENNANT's coast scenes, especially a fiery sunset after a storm (429); TOMKINS% street views in France—vigorous, but rather coarse ; EGERTON'S highly-coloured pictures of South American scenery; SHAYER'S rustic scenes, with groups of villagers, and abounding with character and incident, though too lurid and close for the open air ; and an elaborate painting of "Shipping in the Bay of Naples" (346), by J. W. CAR. sacmAEL—the sea in fluent motion, and the felucca darting through the waves—demand more attentive consideration than our space will admit of. We must, however, bestow particular attention on an Alpine scene, " Sunrise, from the Wengener Alp" (76), by T. FeanNLEv, that struck us at first, and appears on reflection to be by far the best painted landscape in the exhibition ; and, what is more, a sterling pro- duction, in a style solid and sober, and based on sound principles of art and an attentive study of nature. Not only are the different objects that make up the picture carefully imitated with characteristic truth, but the feeling of the scene is conveyed to the mind : you are impressed with the altitude, the solitude, and the silence : the mists of morning seem rising chill as the first streaks of dawn break through the twilight, burnishing the clouds above the highest peaks and reflected in the tarn below. This is true excellence, where both the means and the end are alike admirable : we look into the painting, as well as its effect, with satisfaction. How crude, thin, and garish the surrounding land- scapes look in comparison with this elaborate but not over-laboured work. The same artist, we remember, had an admirable landscape- s morass—in the last exhibition of this gallery. Among the Cattle pieces, " An Interior of a Cattle-shed" (446), by SYDNEY COOPER, stands alone in excellence : it is one of this ar- tist's very best works. He is the English PAUL POTTER, and sur- passes the Dutchman in refinement of style. Some portraits of Horses, by HAMILTON, Jost, PEARCE, and HERRING; several Sporting pieces, by HANCOCK and R. B. DAVIS; and dead Game, by STEVENS, furnish a respectable show in this department. Its the Water-colour Room, the Landscapes of four rising artists, AYLMER, BARNARD, GALE, and FOWLER, are most conspicuous. The three first have improved, but the last has made an advance in a wrong direction. FOWLER'S manner is coarse, and his colouring violent to vulgarity : it is scene-painting applied to easel pictures. Among the studies of Heads, those by DUPPA, LAURENCE, and EDDIS are the most striking. F. CRUICKSHANK, BARCLAY, Miss CORBAUX, and Miss ADAMS, also exhibit some pleasing drawings. A series of highly. wrought Miniatures of " The Daughter of Zion," by Miss M. GILLILs, challenges attention ; but the pathos is marred by an exaggerated thea- trical expression. • Of the figures in the Sculpture Room, " Diomed," by PARK, and an "Italian Shepherd Boy," by SCOULAR, are the best : the last is a very pleasing study of natural character. Pans's busts of Sadler, Bow- ring, and Haydon, Miss Rain forth, and Mrs. 31,Ian, are the most life- like and intellectual of any that we have seen : the character of each individual is clearly and distinctly expressed, and the modelling is masterly. MOORE'S bust of Lord Brougham in marble is an admirable likeness, and beautifully chiselled. Martin, by WEEKS, Sir Robert Peel, by N. PALMER, and Lady Charlotte Bury, by Lucas, are also characteristic.
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