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FEMALE ARTISTS.—The Society of Female Artists exhibit for their fifth season a collection of more than three hundred works, now open to the public, at the Gallery of the New Water-Colour Society in Pall-Mall. It would be ungracious to say anything in disparagement of the very laudable efforts of this society to encourage the development of an occupation for women, which would raise them in every respect above the necessity of leaning too much upon the customary support from the stronger sex; it would be equally ungallant not to praise as highly as conscience will bear, the few pictures which have any real pretensions to be works of art. At the same time we must consider that the artists themselves wish to be esteemed from an art point of view—that they enter the lists to be compared with men, certainly without favour if not without affection. We imagine, also, it would be very unsatisfactory on every side, if the critic were to balance his favours in proportion as he was aware that this or that picture were the work by which a young family or an invalid husband were supported. Such an estimate would be Charitable, perhaps, but it would be narrow-minded, and certainly not calculated to aid the cause of art-study amongst
women as an ennobling pursuit, and a fair path open for their best aspirations.
The exhibition is not worse than most, on account of the greater part of the pictures being on the level of mediocrity; though there are some which can only have been admitted out of pure kindliness, and some few there are which may fairly challenge comparison with the works of men. But it must not be forgotten that this exhibition does not fully represent the position of art amongst women; there are several distinguished lady artists whose works do not adorn the walls of the Society. Mrs. E. M. Ward, Mrs. Benham Hay, Miss Osborne, Miss Solomon, Miss Naysmith, Miss Mutrie, and Miss Susan Durant in sculpture, are some of the names which occur to us as having a reputation in the Academy Exhibition, yet it is to be regretted that some pictures by these ladies do not lend their support to an exhibition which represents ostensibly the talents of the female artists of the day. Such, however, is the very natural ambition of those who feel they have the gift of genius and the power to study like men, that we shall always find their works in the courts of the Academy; and who knows how soon we may see that august body filling the place of Angelica Kauffmann by a far worthier suc- cessor. Even now it is not want of merit that prevents this fair ac- knowledgment.
There is one more general remark upon the Society's exhibition; it is, that it shows very little evidence of the cultivation of a line of art-work for which most women are eminently qualified, viz.—or- namental design. This is a branch of art, too, which undoubtedly offers that independence which is so much held up as a desideratum, for at no period has there been a greater demand for work of the kind. There are, however, very few specimens of art applied to illus- trative and ornamental purposes.
The most noticeable thing to the critical eye, is the general want of study betrayed by the works. There is no want of practice, but it is rare to see any picture which impresses one with the idea of having been carefully considered and earnestly studied from nature. There are many which are very clever handiwork, in the manner of certain painters of the day, with all the trick of colour and touch; but thought and originality are seldom felt to have had much concern in the production. To take the pictures by Mrs. Murray (of Teneriffe), who is decidedly the popular favourite of the Society ; there is no denying the cleverness of these, the eye for character, the ready handling, the bold dash of colouring with a certain brilliancy, not to say glare, but the more genuine qualities are wanting. The drawing is so far ignored, that the figures are without bones and substance, mere shadowy forms that cast no shadows. As sketches they may pass, although the faces and hands are generally finished like minia- tures, but still we can see that very little has been done from nature ....the suggestion is from the life, but not the work. Mrs. Murray ex- hibits five works, to which the same criticism applies. 168, "A Spanish Scribe reading a Gipsy's Love-letter," is a group of two country girls, and a young man at the table of the letter-writer. Apparently the subject is that the one, whose fan is for the time a plaything in the hands of the young man, has formed the plot of teasing her lover by pretending to have received this letter, while he tries to appear un- concerned as he puffs his cigar and plays with her fan. All this is very cleverly sketched, the heads being hill of character, but beyond this the picture will not bear the test of art. 139, "Lost and Won," a party of young cardplayers in the Campagi la, Rome, is equally de- fici i
ent n real nature and sincere study.. Mrs. Lee Bridell's "Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicitas," a work in oils, is to our notion the most favourable example of thought and study in the gallery. These Christian martyrs under the edict of Severus, are painted as a fair Carthaginian lady and her black slave, thus giving the artist a con- trast of dark and fair, which is exceedingly well treated. The ex- pression of the heads is earnest without being exaggerated, the colour is good, and the details of the picture are generally well painted. A portrait head in chalk, also shows very good study from life, by the same artist. With an aim not so high, but with in feeling for truth, Miss Isabella Jones has studied old buildings in the Canonete, Edinburgh, and at Conway in North Wales ; a little too much in the manner of Prout, but still, evidently the work is that of a genuine student. Too much can hardly be said, also, in praise of a study of Roslyn chapel door, by Louise Rayner • this is in oils how- ever, and thus admits of a closer fidelity to nattire. "An old oak," by Miss Penny, we need not be told was painted on the spot. This, and a picture near it—a view from Santa Lucia, Naples, by Miss G. Wilkinson, which abounds with life and feeling for natural effects— are very encouraging, as showing us that some young ladies are bent on being natural.
Pictures of still life fairly come next in honour ; of these there are many, and some few excellent, as 97, "A Dead Pigeon," by Miss Florence Peel; "Fruit," grapes and an earthem jug with a bunch of barberries for colour's sake, a very neatly- finished work, by Mrs. B. Dawson. "Winter Berries," by Mrs. Withers, with all its fine finish, is not exactly like the objects, it is a little too good to be true; in this kind of art the eye is most exacting, the want of a thorn or a blemish in the waxlike fruit is felt to be an attempt at improving upon nature. With these might be mentioned 80, "A Thorny Path," , Smith has been so intent as to neglect the equally important element by Miss Eliza Walker, as a very elaborate bestowment of technical ability without attaining the real likeness of the brambles and the blackberries, simply because the lights and shadows are not those of nature ; the forms are there, but the colouring is that of the studio.
Examples of technical dexterity abound. Some of the best are the works of Mrs J T. Linnell, which have a singular family likeness to all the Linnell pictures, and those by Mrs W. Oliver, which are always inoffensive, pretty, and picturesque.
In portraiture, there is one of superior pretensions in point of colouring, though as to composition not so pleasing, it is the Children of Lord Raglan, by Mrs. Swift. There are also several miniatures of some merit, and a full-length sketch of Garibaldi in 1850, by Mrs. Murray, which possesses much interest.
The foreign artists who have joined in the exhibition, are Made- moiselle Rosa Bonheur, who has sent some clever little bronzes of animals, and a small chalk drawing of Highland oxen; Mademoiselle de Guimard, whose little picture, 55, "A Servant," is as sweet in colour as Edouard Frere can be; Madame Peyrol, nee Bonheur, whose " Dindons," and "Combats de Cogs," are fair specimensof animal painting; Madame Georgii, a Swedish artist, 3, e Como- lera, Madame Gozzoli, and Mademoiselle L'Escuyer, whose works may serve at least as a foil to those of our countrywomen. The only work in sculpture, by an English lady, is "A Sleeping Child," by Mrs. Thorneycroft.
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