ART
English Drawings
IT is draughtsmen such as James Ward, William Mulready and the early Millais that the artistically self-belittling English need remind- ing of, and artists and art students should hurry to the far room at the galleries of the Royal Society of British Artists in Suffolk Street, Pall Mall, where that Society is showing one hundred and sixty-four drawings, mostly Victorian and Edwardian, by past members and exhibitors. The Society, by collecting such exhibits, only has itself to blame if no more than a passing mention of the existence of its zooth exhibition shown in the other rooms, can be made here. To proceed, as ;he exhibition itself sensibly does, chronologically, there is a fine Sow and Pigs by James Ward and an even finer Dunstanborough Castle by him ; a good, smooth Interior of a Church, by William Delamotte ; a water-colour of good, varied tone by John Varley • a highly competent and exciting Study of Hands, by William Niulready ; and some Sketches of Crowds and an imposing Classical Figure, by Benjamin Robert Haydon.
From here onwards, vitt' Etty and Clarkson Stanfield, good draw- ings are not so frequent ; but two of the best drawings in the show are among them—Mr. Martin Hafdie's Samuel Pahners, called Barn at Shoreham (dated four or five years too early in the catalogue), and Moel Siabod. There are also a well-patterned Study of Dogs by Landseer, sensitive illustrations by Maclise, " Phiz '1 and Charles Keene and interesting things by Millais, Holman Hunt, Burne-Jones, Whistler, Sickert and Alfred Thornton. Constable and Cotman are both represented, not at their best, though Cotman's monochrome Dropgate in Duncombe Park is worthy of remark. This list, intended as a note for visitors short of time, is inadequate ;
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a not-too-hurried visit is recommended. JOHN PIPER.
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