FINE ARTS.

• THE ROYAL ACADEMY EXHIBITION, AT SOMERSET HOUSE.

THE Exhibition this year is disappointing, to use the mildest term, to all who feel an interest in the progress of the British school of art. We had heard much of the number of great pictures—of historic sub- jects. Some few we particularized, and from them we inferred—es peile Ifereulem —the rest : but the trunk and head are wanting. Some of those we named fall short of. our expectations ; and there are hut two or three more of the same class, and those not of a higher character. The first glance round the walls on entering the Gicat Room is really sickening. It contains not one historic picture, unless ALLAN'S " Whittington and his Cat " is to be dig- pilled with the epithet " historical." Above the line all is por- traiture ; for Mum's " Pope and Bonaparte," LANDSEER'S " Dead Bull," and AP CLISE'S" Macbeth," are but portrait-pictures. Along the line level to the eye, where all the choicest pictures should be, there is only here and there a feeble effort at a poetic subject, by ETTY, Ilwros, and HowAttn, to vary the range of landscapes (lovely they are, 'tis true), by TURNER, CALLCOTT, and COLLINS. The most in- teresting pictures are to I:e found in the adjoining rooms ; and they are the production of the two young Associates, M'CLisis. and I [Ara, and three others who deserve to belong to the Academy—namely, Drat:Ear, Cumri.Es Imsostam, and J. P. KNIGHT. The leading members of the Academy—from whom we expected some great effort just now, if it were but to show themselves worthy of the half of the National Gallery that is granted to them—Km, EASTLAKE, HILTON, I3n1Gos, LESLIE, have DO great works. How do they employ themselves all the year ? BRIGGS, to be sure, paints portraits, and of such a quality that we scarcely regret his forsaking history painting; but what has ETTY been about, that he should only have contributed two or three little groups of model figures ? and EASTLAKE, that lie should only have made a second and smaller version of his Roman pilgrims, besides two portraits ? and LESLIE, that be only contributes one little comic pic- ture? I Iii..rosr, we have heard with regret and surprise, dew's not sell his poetical pictures, any more than Minos used to do his historic sub- jects ; but if Er.iv sold his, three large pictures of "Judith and lido- fifties," surely lie has every inducement to continue his efforts in high art. And is it possible that the rich cabinet pictures of EASTLAKE and LESLIE find no purchasers ? or are the painters so poor or is their devotion to their art so feeble, that theytannot make some sacrifices to sustain their own reputation and the credit of the Academy, by treating elevated subjects? It is understood that the way to win Academic honours is by exercising the invention ; but it would seem as if the candidates were at liberty to kick away the ladder by which they reached the sum- mit of their ambition—which i is but a crazy hustings of intrigue, after all—and rest content with earning money and losing fame. The stag- nant atmosphere of the Academy prostrates the energies of all who breathe it. Its diploma is the death-warrant of genius over its doors might be inscribed- " All min"! abandon. ye who enter here!"

having disburdened ourselves of the load of lamentation and discon- tent, let us to our task.

HISTORIC AND POETIC DESIGN.

The subject chosen by M'ClasE, somewhat vaguely called "An In- terview between Charles the First and Oliver Cromwell" (262), is a most interesting one ; but it requires a thorough understanding and distinct conception of the characters of the two men and the spirit of the scene ; winch represents, as it were, one of the struggles for ascendancy of Monarchy and Democracy. Cromwell is good as far as his character is developed ; but the expression of his face does not convey all that he would have felt andlooked as he contemplated the King in the dilemma JB which he was placed by his surrender to the ParliamentaryCommis- stoners. Charles is utterly deficient in character and expression ; and the drawing of his figure even is bad : he looks but a boy in stature. The two children, the Duke of York and Princess Elizabeth, look like toy models of VANDYKE'S famous portraits of these young princes gaudily painted. This, the regal side of the picture, is weak, crude, and flashy : the whole is inharmonious and unimpressive. "Macbeth and the Weird Sisters" (22), is an idealized portrait picture of Macaranv in the character, wearing a picturesque suit of armour and accessories instead of the stage-dress ; and the expression of Macbeth is more proper to the actor than the character. The witches are as comic as and more fantastic than their stage representatives, and would move the laughter and contempt, not the awe and apprehension of Macbeth : they crouch over the cauldron of hell-broth, as if they longed to taste the mess, whose savour seems to be sweet to their nostrils.

"Tile Emperor Napokon with Pope Pius the Seventh, at Fontainbleau, in the month of January 1813" (124), by WILKIE, is merely a portrait picture, and a poor one. The Pope reminds us of Sir THOMAS !LAWRENCE'S portrait in likeness ; but the resemblance of Bonaparte is scarcely so good as the painted statues of him that are hawked about the streets: be looks like a pert, dapper, little prig of a diplomatist. There is some good painting about it ; but instead of the treacly daub- ing of asphaltum, we have now a white mistiness, that makes Napoleon look like an apparition. "Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas More Receiving the Benediction of his Father, Judge More, in the Court of King's Bench" (353), by S. A. Daar. The incident itself in this day strikes one as such an ostenta- tious display of filial reverence, that it requires a consideration of the

exalted notions at that time held of the value of formalities in testify- ing respect, and a strong faith in the sincerity of Sir Thomas More's

character, to enable us to get rid of the idea of display. Unluckily, the painter has given to Sir Thomas such a peculiar look, with his upturned eyes, that he might be very well taken for a hypocrite simulating

reverential feeling, and conscious of playing a part. This mistake is further assisted by the circumstance of the train-bearer being mounted on the bench and continuing to hold the Chancellor's train during the benediction, and by the appearance of the spectators,—among whom are the family and friends of Sir Thomas More,—who all seem attracted by an expected ceremonial ; whereas it is a passing circumstance of

ordinary occurrence. The heads are feeble both in character and expression, which is the greatest defect of the picture; though the artist's ill-success in overcoming the difficulty of arranging groups of standing figures is not less apparent. He has been more happy in his effect : the daylight atmosphere is beautifully represented, and serves to bring out the principal portion of the scene, the Judges on the bench and Sir Thomas More kneeling. Indeed it is a carefully-paintA ture, at:d a great advance on the part of the artist. " Captives Detained for a Ransom by Condottieri" (445) ,by HERBERT, is the largest and best production of this talented young artist. We

would warn him, however, against imitating M'CLISE, whose manner of composing as well as painting, and whose fondness for strained atti- tudes he seems to have fallen into in this picture—witness the mart

on horseback drinking, passim. The picture is deficient in unity and interest. The two females in the centre look conscious of their share in the scene, like actresses in a stage tableau ; and the attitudes of

some of the soldiers are too ostentatiously picturesque. The angry

look of the boy at the robbers dividing the spoil, and the eagerness of the captives on the look-out for the expected ransom, especially the stoop of the one with his arms pinioned, are very natural. There is a great deal of beautiful execution in the picture; and it merits a better place.

" The Plundering of Basing House, Hants ; taken and destroyed by Cromwell, October 14, 1645" (374), by CHARLES LANDSEER,

is a vivid representation of the scene, and a beautifully.painted picture : the artist has indeed made a great advance. The look of passive anger and sorrow in the troubled and flushed face of the old

man, is most delicately expressed : his whole figure is an exquisite piece of painting. The troopers at their work of plunder, and the rich spoils scattered about, are admirably depicted : the daughter is the only failure—s1 e is a mere doll. " Whittington and Ids Cat" (13), by W. ALLAN, being treated with :ill the formal gravity of history, we suppose must be included under

this head. It is much ado about nothing ; for in the laboured effort to give the subject importance, the spirit of the story has evaporated. The executive part of the painting is elaborate, though the result is feeble and uninteresting.

" Cortes in the Chapel nf the Convent of Rabat:, Reading to Pizarro an Account if their own Atrocities" (:21), by H. WEsTai.L, might be passable as a book-plate ; but it is only a miniature design magnified, and very much the worse for the process.

" The Death if Harald at thc Battle of Hastings" (103), by ABRA• IIAM COOPER, is a clean and glossy inirliature painting of horses and armour in studious confusion, with deliberate violence of expression and paralyzed action. " The Death of Cardinal Wolsey" (391), by F. P. STEPHANOFF, is insipid from weakness of character and tameness of execution. Wolsey is not even the ghost of himself.

EASTLAKE'S " Italian Scene an the Anna Santo—Peasants on a Pil- grimage to Rome, first coming in sight if the Holy City" (th27), is so

touching and natural a picture, that, though but a repetition of a subject lie treated in a siinilar manner a year or two ago, we only regret it being his solitary design. The expression of veneration and devotion in the looks and postures of the group is depicted with the most delicate

truth. There is perhaps hardly fire and energy enough for the Italian character; but this is the effect of the painter's style, and we will not cavil at it. We see it is painted for tile panel of a room : if the rest of the apartment be adorned with paintings of equal beauty, what a room it must be!

Errv's three little pictures, "A Family of the Forests" (82), "Pipe/se, Venus, and Cupid" (96), and "Venus and her Doves" (167), are little more than displays of the naked figure tastefully grouped and richly coloured : they please the eye, but do not satisfy the fancy. "Infant Bacchus brought by Mercury to the Nymphs of Nysa" (91), by HOWARD, would please more if inserted in the panel of a room than as a separate picture ; and the same may be said of HILTON'S "Infant Warrior" (149). LESLIE'S " Autolycus" (329), is capital. The pedlar-rogue has the confident look of a fellow who is sure of his market, and recites

the wonders told in the ballad he holds at arm's length with the gusto of assured belief; while the gaping crowd about him swallow the marvels with appetite for more. His wares are displayed most tempt. ingly, and the baits for eyes and ears have both taken.

" The Descent of Venus" (394), by W. DYCE, reminds us of STOTHARD'S rich colouring. The figures are of the life size, and bean.

tifully painted, though with too much shadow for celestial forms in rapid motion : yet solid reality is so rare a fault in the representation of flesh and blood, that we ought not perhaps to object to it in the pre.

sent instance. The line of the figure of Venus is not so graceful as might be wished ; but the picture is full of poetry and beauty. In- deed it stands at the head of its class. The name of the artist is new to us ; but he promises to fill up the void left by STOTHARIL The colour of this picture alone is a feast for the eye. A small picture, by E. CHATFIELD (387), in this room, representing two famous Highlanders, brothers, who at the battle of Killicrankm stripped themselves to their kilts that they might fight without the

obstruction of dress, is a masterly and spirited painting. One of them lies slain, but the other has sprung on a trooper like a wild beast, and seems as if he would make him one of the twelve that he cut down with his own hand. The action and savage grin of the wild Highlander are finely characteristic.

"Anne Page Inviting Slender to Dinner" (378), by T. DUNCAN, is elaborately painted, and has quaint humour and character: but a sots

ject so often repeated requires rare excellence to give it novelty. As the work of a young artist, however, it is promising.

" The Death- Warrant," by COPE (371), does not come up to the expectations we had fortned of this young artist from his two pictures in the British Institution. It is forcible, but somewhat hard and com- monplace—too much in the conventional style of RICHARD WESTALL.

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TA. Confessional of the Black Crucifix" (207), by UWINS, repre- sents the revolting incident of a jealous husband about to stab his wife who is kneeling at confession, and whom he has overheard confess her guilt : but the painting is not powerful enough to justify the choice of the subject. " The House qf Mourning" (260)—a mother watching over her dead child, shocked by the sounds af revelry that disturb the solemn stillness of the chamber of death—is also by Uwists, and proves that the serious is not his forte. The distracted mother is too much like a frantic virago.

"Jealousy" (380), by W. D. KENNEDY, is a new reading of SHAK- MARE'S personification—this is a goggle-eyed instead of a green-eyed monster. The painting is bright, but hard, and something in the manner of M, CL1SE. PARTRIDGE'S portrait of Mrs. Arabella Fermor (962), is a showy furniture picture.

[Suldects of Familiar Life, Portraits, and Landscapes, in our next.]