FINE ARTS.

TIM NEW CONSERVATIVB CLUB.

TEM published 'mounts, of the architectural arrangements and decorations of the lofty structure that has swallowed up the Old Thatched House. Tavern and several other buildings in St. &mimes Street, having. excited' without satisfying. our curiosity, we expressed a wish to view the interior; and the Committee very politely afforded us the desired permission, High as. our expectations had been raised, they have not been disappointed : this is certainly the most magnificent mansion of its kind in London, and for richness of orna.ment, unique. The New Conservative is the King of Clubs Its interior is remarkable for splendour. of effect, novelty of plan, and coma *nuns of accommodation; the defects are trifling in comparison with.** merits.

The exterior, however, is very open to critical objection. The build'-- ing has a palatial air; yet, strikingly handsome as it is, the impassion. produced is, not altogether- satisfactory. A want of unity and repose is felt; the effort to attain grandeur is too apparent; and coavenienne has been consulted at the expense of architectural propriety. The façade is of noble proportions. It is composed of two stories: from II plain rusticated basement, reaching as. high as the principal floor, rime silt Corinthian columns supporting a massive entablature surmounted with la balustrade. This. centre is flanked by two small wings, slightly projecting, formed of two orders; the lower, of Tuscan columns, supporting the upper one, of Corinthian pilasters. The eutrauce-cloor is ia one wing; the columns projecting so aa to, form a porch; while those of the other wing enclose. a bow-window. The windows of the principal floor are made. peek miaent featwes of the design by.sculptured pediments; and a rich &ham at scroll ornament extending along the centre relieveetlze blank space between, the windoweheasis and the architrave; the soffit of which- also is emiched. A balcony of balusteads is carried along the whole length of the fettadee cutting it in two, and masking the, haws of the columns, which thus appear to rest upon the balcony 'itself Instead of on the rusticated basement. This gives a seeming instability and amine preponderance to the upper order; which would have been, obviated if instead of the continuous baluse trade, each window had a separate balcony—as is the case in the facade of Arthur's Club, close by. But the most glaring defect of the design is in the dispropoationed width a the intercolumniations forming the porch and enclosing the bow-window. Two straddling columns an forward and wide apart, like huge tent-poles at the, entrance oIs. pavilion, support an immense slab of stone, that impends threateningly its insecure length over the heads of all who pan beneath this formidable lintel. The bow-window that slinks between the other pair of columns is a violation of character and symmetry, that may have been forced upon the architect subsequently : be that AS it may, it is a great Wei:nista-a vile excrescence—a pimple on a fair face; which is also deformed .by the yawning month of the door-way. These defects originated, as often happens, in the attempt to fit le facade designed separately from thereat of the structure to the couvenieuen required in its plan. The requisitions of a building should determine tIne aspect of its exterior as well as the arrangements FA the interior; mid were this principle observed, there :would be mere variety and.character apparent in street elevations. In this instance, we will, suppose that a roomy porch. was required for, loungers in fair weather, and a how-wiudow in foml ; and that a capacious balcony was desiderated for gazers at come shows to eto and he seen. Why not have given a sweeping curve to the centre,, 80 us ha form a spacious bow in the lower room, and an equally aaPaajaas balcony above?—not a small semicircle as at Doodle's and White's, but a pro- jection desoribing the segment of a large *hole. Better to make a bold avowal of a gazing-place than to screen a lurkiegaconier for Paul Prys ha peep out at between two celunaus. It should be a feature of the building if M be a feature of the club. So with the portico. But eziougla.of the Ontaidee let us enter, since we are privileged to do so. The entranoebal or vestibule is cold and plain to QuisktRifiRli cast of the lamina, Painted a frigid white, gives tho pollen of eitterlitg.6 seulpture-,gallery ; though eveu there porphyry welle and columns ane deemed achnissible. A. little coleus, if only of veil granite or r049-■ antique, would prevent this chilling effect; and also prepare the eyes without losing the value of contrast, for the blaze of splendour that meets the sight on entering the inner hall, from which ascends, the pawl staircase. The coup d'ceil here is.gorgeoue in the mil:zanies It effect 'it produced by a bold and striking architectural annagenseat combined whit sumptuous decorative. The ceiling of the hall is Profusely ornmaeoitici with coloured arabesques, and hes a large ehnula,r openiag, guarded, hy A balustrade of Sienna marble: through this is seen the yet rieher ceiling of an upper hall or circular corridor, welch is reached by a wide staircase, dividing at the first landing into a double flight of steps. A flood of light, pours down through this double hall and staircase, from aglasa dome Aber) and three lofty windows facing the stairs; the amplitude and lively splen- dour of the ensemble being heightened by mirrors judiciously inserted In the walls.

The decorative painting is so varied in its details and so harmonious, IR its arrangements of colour, that the vaulted ceilings present a mass of rich arabesque designs, showing sky-openings here and, there, but otherwise net challenging attention to any particular part. This is just as it should be

for the perfection of decoration is when an agrocab/o, impression is pro- duced without distracting the attention from the ensemble to the details. The tesselated pavements of the upper and lower hall are of elegant de- sign, and in accordance with the hues of the ceiling; but the scheme of colour is not carried completely through: the walls both of halls sad staircase display blank spaces that mutely appeal to the excited sense fix a share of the florid hues SO bOUIRSOUSly bestowed on floor and ceiling, And we think their prayer should be attended to. The windows also looh so very naked that at-least some might be afforded, to lessen their raw cold aspect, if colours be denitir them When once colour is intro- duced into a building, it is difficult to know where to stop: the eye, etunu- latecl by bright hues, recoils from a colourless biro*,, yet desires relief from the glare. There must be no.gap of neutral ground to separate floor and online but the opaque and subdued tints of the pavement should grin dually be .carried up by panels and pilasters of quiet hues on a waltz

ground, until the sober base of the columns of colour attain to the rich efflorescence of the capital, on which rest the arches of the vaulted ceil- ing. The arabesque pendants and monochrome borders introduced here are inadequate supports to the massive ceilings; and the arcades require to be relieved with figures or central ornaments. The staircase-walls are recessed with niches of porphyry that seem to rest on nothing; and in them are placed statues of dead white, that have a very crude and frigid aspect: the mellow transparent tone of statuary marble cannot be imitated by paint on plaster, as the polish and colours of veined marbles are by scag- liola; but an approximation is desirable. The richly-carved scroll mould- ings of fruit and flowers in the roof, also, require a little gilding to relieve

the dead white; and the bracket with its swags of flowers supporting a sort of tribune at the top of the staircase needs similar heightening-touches to correspond with its gilded hand-rail : unless, indeed, this bizarre ex- crescence be lopped off altogether-which would be advisable. The execu-

tion of the arabesque painting, so far as it is visible, is flimsy and slovenly to an inexcusable degree of negligence: the fruit and flower borders round the mirrors in the upper hall, particularly struck us, as they can be viewed close. They are daubed in a manner that exhibits an affectation of artistic freedom without the skill and power that might excuse rapid and loose handling.

The principal apartments of the club are spacious, well-lighted, and finely proportioned; but, with the exception of the drawingroom, which is mot yet finished, they are generally characterized by an elegant simplicity. The drawingroom, from what we could see of its ceiling through the screen of scaffold-boards, will surpass in gorgeousness the hall and stair- case; gilding and relief being lavishly blended with the arabesque paint- ings. But so much will depend upon the way in which the walls are adorned, and on the colours and pattern of the carpet, curtains, and sofa- covers, that its effect cannot be judged of till it is completely furnished.

The ceilings of the morning and eating-rooms are tastefully ornamented in compartments with mouldings picked out in warm neutral tints; the most striking points being the scagliola columns, door-cases, and chimney- pieces, of which there are a rich variety of beautiful imitations of veined marbles. The gilded cornices and glass-frames are somewhat too con- spicuous, and not in the purest taste: but art has not yet penetrated to the upholsterer's shop. The library, though not yet finished, is the most artistic of all in its fittings. The ceiling is of carved oak panelled in compartments, and relieved by gilding; and supported by pillars of verd- antique with real bronze capitals. The book-cases and chimney-glasses are of architectural design ; their pediments ornamented with bronze heads in relief. The lamps are of bronze, and of massive form, to har- monize with the severe simplicity of a room appropriated to study. The only objectionable point may seem too trivial for notice; but it involves

a principle of taste, and it is therefore worth observing. The square pil-

lars of verd-antique are panelled with gray, and have plinths of black marble. and the effect is injuriously felt in the cold and triste tone thus

produced. The panelling of marble pillars (whether real or imitative) is

in itself a barbarism; but, if resorted to, panels and plinths of a warm hue would just have turned the scale in favour of cheerfulness without detracting from the sobriety of the apartment. Oak and bronze are the gravest materials that can be used in an apartment meant to be agreeable; and they require to be relieved by gilding, if not by colour; and set off by yellowish green hangings : blue-green would be too cold; and gray, or Elate combined with black marble and ebony, would make the room funereal But it is as common an error to confound gravity with gloom as to mistake glare for gayety in decoration. Our notice of this princely palace would be incomplete without a men- tion of those parts of the establishment that minister to the personal com- fort and convenience of the members of the club. The attic story contains

a pleasant smoking-room' overlooking the Green Park, and two billiard- rooms the larger one for those who do not smoke. On the basement, se-

parated from the servants' offices, and approached by different corridors, are dressing and bath-rooms, fitted up with every convenience; the bath itself being enclosed, so as to shut out the steam from the dressing-room.

The culinary department is on an ample scale, and very complete. The kitchen is lofty, spacious, and well lighted from above; and furnished with a formidable batterie de cuisine; a fireplace, literally large enough to roast an ox, fitted up with an improved apparatus of vertical roasting-jacks in lien of spits; a ventilating apparatus; a steam-engine and cisterns for supplying the boilers, and sinks with hot and cold water; hot closets for each sort of viands, and separate cool larders for fish, flesh, vegetables sauces, and pastry. Over this gastronomic region presides a master of his art; who, although a Frenchman, is too much occupied with his duties to think of himself. A well has been sunk; and an ice-pit is as much a matter of course as wine-cellars.

The architects are Mr. Sidney Smirke and Mr. Basevi; and the decora- tions are by Mr. Sang and his band of Germans.