FINE ARTS. CONVERSAZIONI.
THESE pleasant meetings of artists and amateurs—where works of art supply subjects of discussion, and the free circulation of opinions on the principles and progress of painting as developed in the various specimens is promoted, to the amusement if not the edification of both parties—have commenced for the season. We could not avail ourselves of the opportunity of attending the first night of the Conversazione held at the Freemason's Tavern on the 4th instant ; but we passed an hour very pleasantly at the one held at the London Coffeehouse on Thursday. The pieces exhibited comprised a very clever painting of a Russian landscape, and some water-colour drawings of Russian and Polish Scenes, by -ALFRED VICKERS; a striking picture, in the German melodramatic style, of assassins lying in wait behind an entry for their victim who is approaching, by VON HOLST; a portfolio of very clever and picturesque sketches on the Rhine and in Italy, by GEORGE BAR.. NARD ; Some water-colour drawings by STANFIELD and ROBERTS, that have been engraved in the Landscape Annual this year, and in Simi- FIELD'S Coast Scenery; some dashing and ultra-picturesque designs by FRANKLIN, a young artist of talent, but with more ambition than knowledge several landscapes in coloured crayons on gray paper, by BRIGHT, their merit consisting in the slight means by which a striking effect of light and colour is produced, as well as in the naturalness of the subject and its treatinent,—but the art looks like mere trick, am
the different pictures resemble each other ton lima&
Among several of TURNER'S water-colour pictures, was one of sus- passing beauty—Ludlow Castle, seen from the river, with the moon Just rising over the town, its light reflected in the water, and blending with the lurid glare of an iron-foundry in the foreground. The effect is magital. After looking at the picture for a while, that the eye may adapt its focus to the colours, the haze of light appears as it were to disperse, and the different objects stand out in solid relief, each at its proper distance ; while the two opposite effects of fire and moonlight become more intense and distinctly defined, at the same time com- bining so as to produce one perfect whole.
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