N. DALBERG'S UBORAMA AND _COSMORAMA, AT SAVLCLE BQUSK
BAZAAR, LEICESTER SQUARE. '
Udorama is a good' name, because it is new and strange thOugh little piddling stream of water, -dripping like a leaky tap, hardly. justifies Its propriety. But we will not cavil at this, more especially as the exhi- bition is one of the most ingenious, novel, and striking, that we have seen. M. DALBERG has put into our hands a tasteful little volume, from which we shall quote the description of this part of his curious and Interesting exhibition. "The Udorama is a model from nature, representing the beautiful valley of Grindelwald and the surrounding scenery, as seen from the foot of the Faulhorn in the Canton of Berne : on the left are seen the gigantic Wetterhorns; two of the highest peaks in Switzerland. Be. hind the village of Grindelwald is the Mettenberg, with the Eigher to the right. The village of Lauterbroun is situated at the foot of a range of mountains, which form the right-hand boundary of the view ; and from one of which a cataract descends from an immense height into a small lake below, and from thence pursues its meandering course through the valley!' In the distance, is a range of snow-covered alps,among which the Jung- frau is most conspicuous. At the base of the mountains are the Glaciers of Grindelwald, sloping down to the valley by two branches, called the inferior and the Superior Glacier, nearly parallel to each other. From the middle of the little glacier rises a perpendicular and inaccessible rock, called Die Heisse Platte, or the warm rock, as the snow cannot re- Main upon its summit : it forms a prominent object in the middle dis- tance of this solid picture.
The model is in every respect an accurate representation of the scene In nature ; the objects are all correctly proportioned, preserving the di- tninution of the perspective, with the various hues of rock and forest, snow and verdure. The scene is beautifully picturesque and romantic, and conveys a vivid image of the sweet seclusion of this lovely vale ; which brings before the mind a better idea than mere description can convey of the happy prosperity and peacefulness of the inhabitants, living in a state of sufficient affluence and comfort, which Is mucth heightened by their lively and vivacious dispositions and their active habits. The Swiss cottages are proverbially neat and picturesque ; and they lie scattered here and there in the valley, or on its sloping sides, while the church stands in one corner under the shade of a precipitous cliff. '
The imitations of rocks snow, turf, and foliage, are very successful ; and the eye soon accommodates itself to the deception, which is greatly Increased by the changes produced on the scene by yarious effects of light. They are intended to represent- the several appearances of dawn; sun• rise, noon, evening, night, and moon-light ; and it is but justice to say that they are effected with great truth, and are not the least pleasing part of the exhibition. The effects of light on the snowy mountains in the distance are strikingly beautiful, and in a great degree natural. The dribbling stream of water before-mentioned, fails of course, to give any idea of a waterfall ; but at the same time, we hardly know how it could have been better represented. In short, M. DALBERG'S exhi- bition is as complete in vraisemblanee as a thing of this kind could have been made. We have yet to notice with praise four cosmoramic views of the Cape of Good Hope, Rome, the Menai Bridge, and Warwick Castle. They are better painted than any views of this kind that we have seen ; and want but a little of being good works of art. In the view of Warwick Castle in particular, the moist coolness of the atmosphere, the vapoury clouds brooding over the grey turrets, and the deep green foliage, form a very pleasing picture.
Previous page
