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MB,. W. B. SCOTT'S PICTURES.
EIGHT very interesting pictures, painted by Mr. W. B. Scott, are now exhibiting at the French Gallery in Pall-mall. They are illus- trative of the history of the English border, having been commis- sioned by Sir W. C.' Trevelyan, Bart., for the decoration of his hall at Wallington. Though destitute of the charms of good colour and many of the graces of art, no one who can appreciate honest labour, careful research, and intellectual power, should refrain from inspecting these works, of which I hasten to give a !await description. No. 1, "The Romans cause a Wall to be built for the Protection of the South." In the foreground, a centurion, holding a peeled rod, is remonstrating with two half-clad Britons who have been neglecting the work to indulge in a game of chance, indicated by the half- concealed dice under the hands of one of the figures. Beyond these are a party of builders who appear in danger of being wounded by the arrows shot at them by a party of marauding Scots, led on by an infuriated priestess in the fosse below. One of the darts has pierced the shield of a centurion, who carries also a level. In the back- ground, which represents Craig Lough with the -wall stretching far over its surface, women are bringing food, and building materials are being supplied to the workers. On the brow of a hill a commander is drilling a band of soldiers. No. 2, " King Egfrid and Archbishop Theodore persuade St. Cuthbert to be made Bishop." The young king has sought the saint in his hermitage on the Farne islands, and found him occupied in digging up onions. With gentle and per- suasive gestures he now endeavours to induce St. Cuthbert to forego the spade, and accept the crosier. Through an opening of the rugged garden-wall the eye is led down to the beach, where the royal galley is moored. Outside, the courtiers and others await with interest the result of the interview. The flocks of sea birds are well introduced, and lend reality to the scene. No. 3, "Bede finishes his Life and Works at Jarrow." The "venerable" ecclesiastic is stretched on the floor of his cell, his head supported by his tearful brethren. One of his disciples has just completed from his dictation a translation of the Gospel of St.
John. An acolyte lights the candles of the simple altar. A pigeon flies through the window, typical of the released soul. Through the door- way, the monks can be seen assembling for prayers to the tolling of the passing bell. No. 4, " Descent of the Danes upon the Coast." Women with their children and household goods, monks with their books, candlesticks, and sacred vessels, are fleeing up an embankment on which a barricade of wooden stakes is being hurriedly erected. A pile of rude spears lies in the foreground. Men, armed with bills and bows, are rushing down the steep to repel the invaders, some of whom have landed and now fight hand to hand with the Northum- brian. The beacon, which crowns the promontory in the back- ground, has been lighted, alarm bells ring, and crowds of women and ecclesiastics fly for safety. The morning mists which hang over the sea seem to magnify the numbers and increase the terrors of the Danish galleys and their armed freight. All is confusion and excite- ment, and very forcibly is the scene depicted. In No. 5, we leave the Danes and Romans and come to more modern times. "The Spur in the Dish" illustrates the tradition related of the moss-troopers, who, when the store of cattle feloniously obtained from their neigh- bours over the border was exhausted, were reminded of the fact by a dish, containing nothing but a spur, being placed on the dinner-table. This gently hinted to the freebooter that an immediate foray must be undertaken in order to replenish the larder. The dame brings in the dish herself, holding it high in air. The master and his retainers evidently suspect the unusual action, and watch the final deposit of the dish with some perturbation, which is not lessened by the presence of a hungry-looking pilgrim who is seated next the host. He will not, however, go dinnerless, for some girls are bringing in a huge earthen vessel of soup or broth. The old serving-man seated to the left of the master is the best figure, his head being very characteristic. No. 6, "Bernard Gilpin takes down the Moss- troopers' Gage of Battle, and puts an end to Fighting in Church." The Apostle of the Borders," as Bernard was called, from his earnest efforts to tame the lawless natures of the riotous borderers, and in- fuse into them some notions of religion, has arrived at the church, and found a gauntlet hanging on the chancel-wall. Its owner is the head of one of the rival factions that occupy different sides of the church. The good man is lecturing the brawlers, but with little result. Hands are laid on sword-hilts, and angry looks are freely exchanged. The foes are separated from each other by two recumbent monumental effigies sleeping quietly in stone, a "stone" that might, if there were any chance of its being listened to, read a "sermon" on the folly and vanity of border feuds. The stained windows, the church accessories, and all minor details have been very accurately studied. No. 7, " Grace Darling and her Father save the Survivors from the Wreck of the Scottish steamer Forfar- shire." This seems to me, owing to an error in treatment, to be the weakest of the series. One would naturally expect that the heroine would be a prominent figure, but all that stands for her is a tiny
form rowing in the distance ; the interest of the picture being centred on the sufferings of the wrecked passengers. The self- devotion of the action is therefore unrepresented, while the feelings of the sensitive are unnecessarily harrowed. What is done is ably done, however. Want of energy is not a failing of Mr. Scott's. The still furious sea, the black lowering clouds and driving rain, the expressions of despair, resignation, or newly awakened hope at the sight of the coble fighting its way through the surging waters, are all thoughtfully conceived and as thought- fully portrayed. No. 8, "Iron and Coal employ the Energies of the modern Northumbrian," is the last, and in many respects, the best of the series. The scene takes place in a foundry on the banks of the Tyne. Three sturdy workmen, in blue frocks and leather aprons, are hammering away at a mass of red-hot iron, just taken from the furnace, the doors of which being open allow the fire to mingle its fierce glow with the sunbeams that find their way through the roof. To the left is a little girl, who has brought her father's dinner, sitting patiently on an Armstrong gun. Beyond is .apit-boy, with blackened face, holding his whip and "Davy" lamp. On the quay merchants are chatting and passengers embarkinfo:781 steamer. Coming through an arch of the old bridge is a coal-
" keel." A railway train rattles across the viaduct in the back- ground. The picture is an epitome of the nineteenth century; manual labour, commerce, and science are all represented. Nor is art altogether forgotten : conspicuous among the crowd of figures on the wharf is a photographer, his head enveloped in drapery, focusing the scene.
Mr. Scott's task has occupied him for nearly four years. The pictures are of large dimensions, the principal figures being little below life size. Improvement is visible in the later works, which are bolder in execution than those first painted. Their predominant faults are shown in a want of refinement, in colour, hardness of out- line, and in a rendering of nature rather in detail than in masses, resulting often in a strange disjointed effect. This, however, wears off in a measure when the eye has been accustomed for some time to the painter's peculiar method of representation. The execution is thin, often awkward, but never slurred. The smallest still-life details are honestly painted, to the extent occasionally of being almost deceptively real. The tendency Mr. Scott has to overcrowd his canvas with incidents and objects is not uncommon with painters of a reflective turn of mind. In their desire to tell the story, the broad, simple effect which a picture should possess is often lost sight of. Setting these objections aside, Mr. Scott may be congratulated on having contributed a meritorious and valuable addition to the art of our day. If deficient in pictorial effect and mechanical skill these paintings show a power of invention and originality of thought which deserve the warmest recognition.
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