FINE ARTS.

EMBELLISHMENTS OF THE ANNUALS.

WHAT a singular lack of originality, barrenness of fancy, and poverty of invention, is evinced by John Bull in all that relates to the graces and ornaments of life! In the art of pleasing im makes but little pro- gress, and he is bankrupt in matters of taste. Here are about sixteen Annuals published, the sole object of which is to recommend themselves to purchasers by the novelty and beauty of their embellishments, and

the variety and excellence of their contents ; and yet are they all as watch alike as possible. The cause of this may be, not only a de- ficiency of ingenuity, but the sordid mistake which a commercial peo- ple are apt to fall into, of estimating the worth of a thing by its cost ;

and thus they set about rivalling each other in the quantity of money expended on the production or ornamental works, instead of vying in

the display of taste and fancy. These Annuals are all got up on the same plan, and in the same style ; the same artists and the same authors are engaged, who produce the same description of works ; the volumes are similar in appearance, are designed for the sante class of pur- chasers, and are published at the saute season of the year, much to the detriment of their sale. 'Why cannot we have an Annual embellished

with some beautiful coloured engravings ? Ni'hy may we not be

treated with a" Naturalist's Annual," giving lively accounts and anec- dotes of the animal and vegetable kingdoms, and familiarizing the rising generation with the sciences of botany, mineralogy, conclu7logy, &c.? Where is the " Biographical Ammar with portraits of eminent persons—the " historical Annual" of the events of the vear, with appro- priate emhellishments ? Why not have the "Garland of Spring," " The

-Midsummer Bouquet," published at their proper seasons, and not, like the ll iotes:'s 'reads, in Autumn ? One Comic Annual should appear on the 1st

of April, another on Twelfth Day. The sportsman should have his annual on the lot of September, and the ladies theirs on the 14th of February. The time of their appearance gives value to these fleeting ephemera.

What would the Lord illstyor's show be if it were not on the etls of November, or Jack 0' the Green except on the 1st of May ? Iffe enjoy our goose with a double relish on Michaelmas Day, and pancakes never eat so delicious as on Shrove Tuesday. We would have the " Christmas Box" and " New l'eer's Gift" appear on the mornings of those days ;

-whereas they are stale by that time. "A book jiu in due season, how good is it !"

But to the plates before us. The Keepsake is, as usual, sur- passingly beautiful, both iii its selection of subjects and in the exe- cution of the plates. In Landscape, we have two specimens of Tut:- NEWS gorgeous pencil, with its wayward freaks, like the wanton revel- lings of a bacchanal in the purple harvest of time vintage and time golden spoil of autumn. Half of the splendour of Tomato's effects, however, vanishes in black and white ; but enough remains to show the genius of the artist and the beauty of the scene. There is " St. Germain en Lave," with its terraces and verdurous slopes, its picturesque wooden bridge and solitary tree; and "Melly," with its woody banks—a Thames- like scene, with an avenue of trees, through which glances the sunlight of evening ; the foregrounds of both pictures peopled with groups that give animation • to the view. " Isola Bella," by STANFIELD ; a plate

worthy of the Picturesque Annual. An interior view of the

" Zwinger Palace, Dresden," by Paoese whose masterly drawing of this rich and picturesque specimen of architectural magnificence adorned

the last exhibition of W smr pictures; and Iltameam's grand and poetical composition, ‘. Byron's Dream," so greatly admired in

that of the previous year, of which display it was time principal attraction. The engravers appear to have done justice to all these plate.s,—which is no small commendetion : we have not space to enunmerate particular excellences in the engravings. Here is an- other of Mr. Masersee's stupendous architectural agglomerations: a city of palaces crowning a mountain, a string of muffled priests, and a multitudinous sea of people, with darkness, thunder, and lightning; make imp time design. :11r. lluerne gives us men in shoals like herrings ; we think he should be employed to illustrate illalth its on Population : his pictures would be as potent as the arguments, and a graphic illustration in perspective of the geometrical ratio of an in- creasing population would be perfectly appalling. Of the designs illus- trative of particular stories we can only judge as compositions ; of their expressions we cannot form a correct opinion without knowing the tale they illustrate ; but we are sorry to say that, generally speaking, this seeming disadvantage proves the reverse, for pictures that we admire for their art, we can rarely commend for their nature. " Caroline Dam- merel," by J. W. West:use, pleases us much by its apparent reality and truth, and its pictorial excellence. "Scandal," by Sits Han, is intelli-

gible enough, and, saving- its mannerism and a dash of caricature, is

clever. Mr. Howaan's " Gomf Angels " rescuing a little child from a hydra-headed monster, are weil employed ; but, as regards time design, we think allegories ought to be confined to transparencies. " Time Cham- pion," by A. E. CILAT.ON, and " Therese and the Countess," by Vaasa, are clever, but affected. Miss L. SHARPE'S " Wedding" is also full of affectation ; every individual figure looks conscious, from the sweet- faced bridegroom to the impertinent rustic in attitude to be no- ticed. Can this be the Miss Sesammm who painted that touch- ing picture of " The New Governess ?" There is an , air of con- sciousness also that interferes to spoil out pleasure in looking

at"Constance," and "Do you reraember it,"—two female portraits by the same fair artist. The charm of this lady's works, in our

eyes, has been their truth and feeling; and she may safely rest her claims to admiration upon those qualities anal the excellence of her art, which we regret to see alloyed by factitious airs. These are better suited to the meretricious style and l'alse•assurnptions of grace and beauty of Mr. ROCHARD, whose portrait of. "Mrs. Stanhope" forms one of these plates. The Illustrations of At Literary Souvenir do not present any remarkable features in the selection -of designs, though they are,

for time most part, well executed. TuttNEn'S View of the Tower is a confused as well as crowded cer4Oillion, and is sadly deficient in keep • ing. " Oberwesel," by Rounnrs, is a splendid scene ; though the shade in the middle distance is of an impossible blackness, and there- fore shows as a trick of art. " The Supper by the Fountain" is one of STOTUARD'S Boccaccio scenes, but its festivities are rather- Of too civic a character. The " Tarantella," a dance of Roman pea- sants, by MONTYOISIN, strikes us as not characteristic in the expression and spirit of the characters; time composition and the• drawing of the female figures are, to say the least, ungraceful. " The Arrest of a Cavalier" is a clever design ; bust the expression of the wife, if faithfully rendered in the engraving, evinces want of feeling on the part of the artist, which lessens our opinions of the ability displayed in time character of the husband and soldiers The artist is Asylum Joaaseamer, whose brother TONY has given a mannered and affected version of the familiar incident of a mother and daughter " Going to Mass." The child's dress is preposte- rous. "Lady Jane Grey," by the late Mr. .NouriteoTE, is a feeble mei artificial picture, and not very intelligible. Mr. Hoween's " Name and Egeria" is a graceful and classic composition, and a finished picture. " The Deveria Family" show that they belong to that artist's family of costumes. Boxam.'s " Vespers " would have told Letter as "A Girl Reading:" time effect is good. "Allegro" is one of A. CHALON'S clever portraits of a handsome and lively girl singing to her guitar; she is attired in a fashionable costume, whim sleeves like bladders. LAWRENCE'S "Portrait of the Marchioness of Salisbury" has nothing either in the person or the print to attract admiration ; it is only interesting as tt likeness.

The Forget Me Nut contains engravings of two popular pictures—Bess

"Frosty Reception," and "Stage-struck Hero." It is a better plan, both for the artist and the public, to purchase works of merit in their re- spective styles, and have them engraved ins miniature, than to employ ar. tists to nedse small designs; for in the latter case, the productions are merely done to order for an Annual, with an eye to their effect as engrave ings rather than their excellence as pictures. " Uncle Toby and the Widow Wedinan," by Rasteree, reminds us toe strongly of LESLIE'S veritable picture of the " Scene in time Sentry-Lox ;" time design is toe similar, since the character is so inferior. Mr. 1-loenes's illustration of Don Ann is an elaborate and ornomental design, with pleasingeffect, but the soul is want- ing. " La Peusee," by time same, is only the portrait of a lady, in the at-

titude of Lsweneres's portrait of Miss Macdonald, so brilliantly e. en-

ant. most

graved by COUSINS. " Mariana" is on of LAWRENCE'S simplest t and pleasing female heads. Mr. Mammee's " Triumph of Mordecai " is one of his perspective visions, —a sort of night-mare of columns and figures : some of his priests, with outspread arms, look like time festooned drapery of a window-curtain inflated by the wind. "A View of Toka," one of Pua- scum's Indian scenes, is a beautiful composition, but with too studied an air, which hinders our belief in its reality. We do not like this prauking up of the charms of _Nature. She is, when unadorned, adorned the !mist ;" we wish all our artists would think so. The scene in " islayence," by PROUT, is no such sophistication. " The Thunder-storm," by W000, and "The Disappointment," by Commit: ho, are pretty and clever : the latter only wants expression to make it interesting.