FINE ARTS.
THE season of the Annuals is nearly approaching ; a welcome prospect in the barrenness of other picture novelties. That the popularity of " these delicate creatures " is rather increasing than decreasing, is, marvellous as it may seem, deducible front the fact that the list for the coming year contains several fresh competitors in the race, while we miss none of the established favourites.
Of the new Annuals, the most prominent in size and splendour seems to be one by Messrs. FINDEN, consisting of thirteen tableaux of national scenery, character, and costumes by various artists of emi- nence, with descriptive and narrative illustrations by Mrs. S. C. HALL, forming a handsome quarto volume.
The new style of tinted lithography, and the new process of block- printing in colours, will both contribute to the novelty and variety of tl:e Annual show.
Mr. HARDING is engaged upon a Portfolio of Drawings, on a smaller scale than his sketches and more finished pictures, but executed in the same manner.
The capabilities of Mr. BAXTER'S method of printing wood-engrav- ings in oil-colours will be put to the test in imitating the effect of finished paintings. We have seen two or three specimens of surprising richness and completeness.
Mr. TILT is also irepa:ing a superb Floral Annual, with quarto plates, composed of buequets designed and coloured in an artist-like style.
A second volume of the Book of Gems is announced ; and a second series of Flowers of Loveliness, culled by another hand than Mr. .PARRIS,—who furnishes a suite of Gems of Beauty for Mr. CHARLES HEATH, in addition to his Book of Beauty. Mr. HEATH is the very Grand Signior of engravers; for he can boast of a harem of .ideal beauties, which his willing slaves the artists purvey to order, 'tricked out in the most picturesque fashions of the easel. Here are the " Beauties of Shakspeare," as they ought to be called, instead of the Shakspeare Gallery, following in procession the " Byron Beauties ;" and so, we suppose, Mr. HEATH will lead the line of female loveliness through all the poets. SPENSER would furnish a goodly bevy, with fancy costumes all complete. Casswice is the artist of the Picturesque this year; and ROBERTS pursues his tour in Spain in the Landscape.
Politics having found their way into arts in the shape of " Portraits
of Corservative Statesmen," who knows but that the Carlton Club may take it into their heads and out of their pockets to produce a " Conservative Annual" for Tory candidates to bestow on the wives and daughters of voters ? The noble donor's autograph in the title, and the cover enriched with gold, would be irresistible, RYALL'S second batch of Conservative Statesmen consists of the Duke of Newcastle—whose cold stony stare and this features Picsras- mat has well and truly portrayed ; Lord Sidmouth, the very image of " the Doctor, gently purging Britain's weal "—calm, precise, and pedantic—faithfully delineated by RICHMOND ; and Sir William Follett.— to whose face CHALON has given a sinister expression not at all cha- racteristic of the outward man of the original. The engravings are excellent.
BALMER'S views in Part II. of FINDEN'S Ports and Harbours of Great Britain possess merit, though it does not rise above mediocrity. We have seen many inferior drawings more striking in effect, because bolder and more decided in execution. The view of Bamborough Castle, however, shows what the artist can do, and gives promise of future improvement in his management of the appearances of nature. GOULD'S Birds of Europe—the most superb of all the Picture Perio- dicals—is now, we suppose, approaching its termination, as Parts X VI. and X VII. are before us. Part X VI. contains two new European birds,—naniely, the Calliope, a new genus of the tribe of warblers, named by Mr. Goma), in honour of the venerable physician and natu- ralist Dr. LATHAM ; and a species of Golden Eye, from the Northern regions, called Barrow's Duck. We need not repeat our praises of the accuracy and spirit of the lithographic drawings, by Mr. LEAR MA Mrs. Goui.o, and the beauty of the colouring. Of the numerous tribe of Picture Periodicals that monthly invite our attention, and receive, as often as opportunity allows, a passing word of notice of their artistical attractions, two now completed—.
namely, RoseoE's it in North Wales, and Dr. BEATTIE'S Switzerland—have literary pretensions that could not be properly esti- mated during their progress of publication, and that may deserve sepa- rate mention. Mr. BARTLETT appears to have selected the most striking and characteristic features of Swiss scenery, and presented them with fidelity and distinctness. To remark that he has not been able to do full justice to Alpine grandeur and sublimity, is only saying that lie is not TURNER. The views of Welsh scenery, by Cox and CRESIVICK, have the merit of freshness and sober truth—at least so far a, we have seen, for the latter numbers have not reached us. These artists are Mr. lloscos's companions also in his 1Vanderings in South Wales, just commenced in continuation of the former work. There are still in progress of publication, Wisra.e's British and Continental Cathedrals—two works whose cheapness might atone for much greater deficiency as works of art than characterize the drawings of Id PLOT BROWNE ; the Memorials of Oxford—whose stately buildings, delineated by MACKENZIE, look as if seen in a camera ; anti Fisnna's illustratipas rf .England—in which A LL031'S views of landscapes, towns, antiquities, &c. are charming pictures as well as accurate representa- tions of the places. The second division of QUA/N'S Anatomical Plates, though it is de- voted more particularly to tracing the ramifications of the arteries, yet afforls also developments of the bones and muscles, extremely useful to artists as well as surgical students.
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