MARTIN'S PICTURE. OF THE CORONATION,
Jourx MARTIN has just finished a picture of the Coronation, which effectively
very represents the gorgeous coup-ineil in the Abbey, idler
his peculiar manner. Ile lies selected that part of the ceremony where the Peers do homage to the Queen ; taking the view from a new point, the hack of the Peers' benches in the south transept, looking directly across the choir towards the Peeresses' box in the north transept : by this arrangement, the group round the throne forms a mass with the array of Peeresses in the distance, and the Peers' robes snake a rich
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foreground. The incident of Lord Rolle stumbling in ascending the steps of the throne, and the Queen stepping forward to the aged l'eer's assistance, is introduced ; which, besides improving the composition by giving movement and animation to the figures, is a pleasant trait of nature in a scene of courtly pomp. fIntbrfunately, however, Mr. Mmeris's fbrte is not the human figure, and attention is directed to the least meritorious part of the painting—its details. The attempt to give portraits of individuals fails tbr the same reason ; though sufficient ap- proximation to resemblance is attained to give variety to the faces, and in some instances to indicate the person. It is, however, in the elli2et of the ensemble that the value of the picture consists : and for the union of literal fidelity with pictorial fancy it is admirable,—with reservation as to the style, which we have an old quarrel with, though it is an im- provement on some of time painter's earlier works. The sunlight streaming through the windows, and playing over the brilliant throng, is beautifully imitated—the rays appear twit-ions and evanescent : the painted window above is capitally represented also : in a word, the effect of splendour, space, and light, is given with dazzling reality.
In the sante room hang the artist's ideal landscape representing the
story of Arethusa, which Earl GREY has purchased ; and his Deluge, one of the most striking of his supernatural scenes of horror. Though we differ from Mr. MARTIN umerous admirers in our estimate of his powers, we willingly ow' • II the praise of ingenuity, in adapting his
singular idea to a vane subjects. For ourselves, we confess to have been more please 1m sonic of his simple sketches of corn-fields and variable skies, t 11 the grand and elaborate efforts in "the sublime and beautiful ". is gallery contains.
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