ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE ANNUALS.
THE Keepsake still maintains its preeminence in the excellence of its pictures, though the engravings this year are not equal to those of for- mer volumes. The designs are among the best in the range of modern painting. There is, for instance, a graceful design by STOTHARD, of Zuleika offering the rose to Selim,—though it is not so beautiful as the one that illustrated the "Bride of Abydos :" it is here called " The Favourite Flower." LESLIE has illustrated a story of the middle ages, called" Count Rodolph's Heir," with a bold and simple icture of the Count, fatigued with the &ice, reposing on a couch, and a dog at her feet. The vigorous and unaffected style of the design will be the more appreciated because it contrasts so strikingly with the feebleness and affectation of the majority of modern paint- ings. The aSrial perspective of the background, however, is faulty ; which makes the figures look colossal. HERBERT'S two beautiful pictures. the gems of the exhibitions last season, " The. Appointed Hour" and " The Reprieve," are not done full justice to in the engravings ; we miss the rich colour of the originals. CHALON'S " Fenella," in the costume of a French dancer, is a spirited theatrical picture : and his " Beauty of Brighton" is one of his best sketches of fashionable women. BOSTOCK'S two beauties are far superior to the average of " fancy heads." We pass by some very artificial designs of CATTERMOLE, STEPHANOFF, and PARRIS, and come to the landscapes—though, what may seem an Irishism, they are all water pieces, except a peep in the gardens of the Villa Real at Naples, by I:wins. TURNER has two vividly true effects of fire and moonlight : the flickering flames on the rig- ging of the burning ship are capitally imitated ; and the intense light of the conflagration of the Parliament Houses reflected on the Thames is perfect. Fenn, when he was going to see a picture of CONSTABLE'S. who is fond of rainy effects, called for his umbrella; when going to see one of TURNER'S we might ask for a fire-screen. TURNER'S " Wreck" would wreck the reputation of any other artist— it is an unintelligible mass of confusion : TURNER seems to think that to be sublime it is necessary to be obscure. ALFRED VICKERS'S three marine pictures are worthy of STANFIELD and CHAMBERS ; both of which artists they remind us of.
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