PICTURES AND ARTISTS.
TURNER'S ANNUAL TOUR.
Jr is as we wished it to be. TURNER'S is the last of the Annuals. We could not have enjoyed the sight of the others after it; and it is as well for them as for us that they came first, for they must have been seen to great disadvantage in comparison with TURNER'S Tour. Like the grand attraction of a gorgeous pageant, it appears after the glittering show that preceded, eclipsing all by its real splendour, and leaving the spectators no eyes for other objects. Yet, rich as are these Views on the Loire in the beauties of nature and of art, we dare say that but for the name of TURNER many of the plates might be glanced at superficially by the listless eye, without exciting much interest ; for the country is not prolific in scenes of beauty or grandeur—its general features are by no means extraordinary. There are, however, a few striking objects ; and TURNER has madc up any deficiency, by his genius. There are, however, no hard, cutting outlines—none of those startling contrasts of black and white which catch the vulgar sense. The skill of the artist is so refined that the most simple and natural results are produced by its most wonderful exercise. These plates will afford the highest gratification to two classes of persons—the genuine lovers of nature, and the enlightened admirers of art. TURNER looks as sober in black and white as he does intoxicated in colours; and those who are only astonished at his brilliant colouring may perchance see little to attract in this modest garb. The divinity that dazzles them with his splendours, is likely to be passed by unheeded now that they are veiled. The most remarkable quality in TURNER'S Landscapes is the truth and variety of his dfects. And here we will take occasion to ex. plain, for popular use, the meaning of this and other terms of art which we have so frequent occasion to employ, but which, we are reminded, may be little better than slang to the general reader.. Let us trace, for example, the progress of a view. An architect designs a mansion, and draws a set of ground-plans and elevations of the building. The elevation is a mere outline. of the form and details of each side, and conveys no idea of the building in. the aggregate as it will appear to the sight when erected. 'He accordingly combines the parts in a perspective view; and adds the colour of the building and the shadows thrown by the projecting parts : we have then a view of the structure as it would be seen from some given point, with its local colour and the local effect i of light and shade. .All this is done byrule, and is so far mechanical. At this point the artist of genius steps in, and flings over the scene the charm of effect,—invests it with the poetry of art; said whether it be a palace or a stack of warehouses, a stately pile er a
tasteless heap of brick and mortar, it is made beautiful by the effects of light, shade, and colour, and by its combination with other objects,— which last is termed the composition of the picture. Effect, then, in painting, means that arrangement of light, shade, and colour, which pervades the whole scene, and modifies local appearances so as to produce a harmonious and beautiful coup d'ail. Effects are natural where they are shown to be the evident result of the position of the luminary of the picture, and of other objects partially intervening. They are said to be arbitrary where their cause is not evident : in this case, it is merely a trick of art, and one that is employed very extensively. Natural effe.cts are also imitated by recipe, by the great majority of artists ; who, in this respect, like cooks who can make but one sauce, steep all their views in the one effect—which becomes as mechanical as rule-and-compass-work. TURNER is a splendid exception,--we were going to say the only one. Not only are his effects various and true in the main, but they are brilliant and appropriately chosen ; and in his imitation he follows them into all the subtilties of detail, blending, these by almost imperceptible gradations into one broad, pure, and harmonious whole. The breadth of his effects—that is, the absence of any little points or spots of light and shade to stop the eye and prevent it taking in the whole scene at once, or to annoy the sight and interfere with the general effect—is another of his great merits. The tender and aerial tone of his distances, which gives such appearance of space to his views ; and the effect of atmosphere in his pictures, which preserves the keeping of the various objects—that is to say, not only shows them to be in their proper places, but does not allow a more distant object to meet the eye before one that is nearer,—are also among his excellencies. All these are the result of a quick observant and retentive eye, and an apprehensive sense of the more subtle and delicate appearances of nature, as well as a large and comprehensive perception of her beauties and. sublimities in the aggregate. TURNER'S study of nature must be a series of enjoyments combining the most vivid sensual perceptions with imaginative feelings, and the nicest exercise of the judgment. He is an epicurean painter. He both feels the poetry of his art and understands its philosophy.
Of the twenty-one views before us, the most striking, considered with reference to the objects introduced, are the following. The Cathedral and Chateau of Nantes; two of TURNER'S extraordinary combinations of figures and perspective, which, though engraved with great feeling and skill by MILLER, who translates TURNER better than almost any other engraver, must be received with allowance for the difficulty of the subjects ; the view of the Chateau is admirable in its general effect, and the sky is beautiful ; but the vignette of the Gate and Cathedral wants keeping. The Town of Blois is a very striking composition, and, excepting a general heaviness, is well engraved by BP.ANDARD. The Palace at Blois, a stately and picturesque structure on an elevation, is a noble object; and the subject is treated with great power and simplicity. The calm, clear, evening effect, is beauWilily rendered in the engraving by Watus. This and the Chateau and Bridge of Amboise are two of the grandest scenes in the collection. Atnboise is a calm but brilliant effect of sunset ; the breadth, transparency, and purity of which are preserved with great skill in the engraving by J. B. ALLEN. The Cathedral of Orleans is partly coneeided by what appears to be the Hotel de Vile, before which a procession is stopping ; but the two western towers, of the richest Gothic, give us an idea of its magnificence. It is well engraved by HIGHAM.
We can only allude en passant to the beautiful effects which adorn the more simple but pleasing views. The tranquil loveliness of " Reitz," with the river reflecting the evening sun-light ; the transparency and breadth of "Tours," seen from the river under a calm but bright sunset ; and the more brilliant evening effect of " Beaugency," are beautifully rendered by BRANHAM); in the view of "St. Florent," where an almost vertical sun pours down its rays over the cathedral, he has only been less successful on account of the extreme difficulty and almost impossibility of the task; but we see what TURNER meant, and can fancy what he accomplished, which is something. The engraving by this artist of "Château Hamelin" is somewhat feeble ; but the sombre effect is well conveyed. The bright effects of evening sunlight in " Tours" and a river scene "on the Loire," are rendered with great purity and truth by R. Warms ; and "Château des Mauves," by the same, is a chaste piece of excellence. The dazzling effect of sunrise, in i general view of "Amboise," is brilliantly managed by W. R. SMITH ; though the plate is otherwise black and scratchy. Perhaps the most poetical scene is " Clairmont," with the chateau crowning its steep cliff, and the last rays of the sinking sun gilding its walls, and glancing on the sail of a boat beneath. The whole effect is perfectly conveyed in the engraving by WILLMORE ; the distant sky has almost colour; and the misty appearance of twilight is well indicated. 4' Montjeu," by the same, is brilliant, but not so perfectly in keeping ; and " Saumur " is so black and bard, that we should not have supposed it to be the work of the same engraver. A scene on " The Canal of the Loire, near Tows," with boats and figures in the foreground, is well engraved by JEAVONS. "St. Julian's ;" a cathedral at Tours, by faint moonlight, with effects of lamplight introduced in the foreground, which is the scene of the departure of the diligence, is admirably engraved by RADCLYFEE. What a solemn grandeur there is in the gloom that enshrouds the ruined pile! How beautifully the two lights are blended in one harmonious effect, by means of the delicate gradations of tone ! How different from the coarse, cold, theatrical effect of common moonlight scenes ! TURNER'S sombre effects have all the imaginative character of REMBRANDT ; his glowing atmospheres more than the brilliancy with all the subtlety. of Caat:DE; and his foregrounds all the lavish richness of RUBENS. We have noticed more in detail than we are in the habit of doing the engraving of these plates, because not only are TURNER'S drawings the most trying to imitate in black and white, but because being so. truly natural in their effects, we can better judge of the engraver's
so far as the effect is concerned at least. As specimens of engraving they are beautiful; but their value is enhanced a hundred fold by the charm they derive from the originals. We do not know which to admire most in TurtNER's works, the beauty of the scene or the truth of his imitation—his taste in selection or his skill in production. Let those who deem TURNER extravagant, and who erroneously think that his eccentricities are the greatest proofs of his genius—they may be very striking marks of it—look at the intij • of these views, and then say if they are of that opinion. TURNER'S thorough knowledge of the science of perspective often tempts him to give impossible views of places ; he delights to work its most difficult problems—it would be presumption in us to insinuate that he sometimes does so without satisfying himself of his correctness. A sense of this extraordinary command over the difficulties of his art leads him to indulge in the boldest exercise of his skill, both in combinations of forms and colours to exeess. He often sacrifices literal fidelity to his feeling for the beautiful, by aggrandizing the peculiar features of a scene, so as to give it a grander and more romantic character; but he never outrageously violates truth, and is always consistent. His freaks of fancy are the revellings of a god—he soars with daring wing to heights that others cannot attempt. He tracks, as it were, the footsteps of the sun, "when his bright sandals sweep the blue of heaven." He seems to live in the face of nature, watching the ever-varying aspects she assumes, from the first uplifting of the veil of morning twilight to the spreading out of the spangled pall of night ; gazing with eagle eye upon the burning radiance of her noontide smile, and dwelling on the tender hue that invests her lovely countenance, when with closed eyes she sinks to rest, and the ruddy smiles of the day are succeeded by the pale melancholy of evening. But enough of this. The truth is, that we axe as muchlovers of TURNER'S beauties as he is of those of Nature ; and we are apt to forget that our 'rhapsodies may be deemed by some to be most uncritical. Only one word more, and that is to call attention to the distance, the space, the appearance of atmosphere in these plates. Ordinary views are crowded or very limited in their extent ; in these, we see as far as we do in nature, and through a medium almost as pure and as transparent.
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