FINE ARTS.
THE artists are all busy putting the finishing touches to their pictures for the forthcoming exhibitions ; and their labours are sweetened by the preliminary praises of private friends—a most agreeable prepara-
tive to the comments of the press and the public. The next exhibi- tion that opens will be that of the New Society of Water Colour Painters, who have removed their quarters from Old Bond Street, to the more central locality of Exeter Hall. In the mean time, let us glance at the novelties in Engraving. Elms: LANDSEER'S inimitable picture of The Jack in Office has been engraved in the line manner, with extreme minuteness, elabora- tion, and variety of texture, by B. P. GIBBON. The self-important air of the trusty dog, seated on the barrow, and the various actions and looks of the congregated curs who eye and scent the provender, are ex- pressed with nearly the vividness of the original picture. ALLAN'S portrait picture of Sir Walter Scott in his Study at Abbots- ford, has been engraved by BURNET, also in the line manner, in a
forcible and finished style, and with a fine pictorial effect. We know
of no engraver who throws more of the painter's feeling into his work than BURNET. The various relics which constitute the accessories of the picture are distinctly visible, and at the same time duly subordi- nate to the principal figure. Both these plates are free from that defect of steeliness which we have noticed in some line engravings.
Several of LEWIS'S clever pictures of Spanish life and character are in the hands of the engravers, and in a forward state. The etchings promise well. LESLIE'S pleasing picture of the Duke and Dutchess in Don Quixote, reading the romance, has been engraved, in mezzotint, on a larger scale
than in the Annual where it first appeared. The grin on the Duke's face is rather forced, but the smile on the countenance of the Dutchess is very sweet and winning. Among the Portraits, the most remarkable is PICKERSGILL'S of Sir Charles Manners Sutton, in his official costume as Speaker of the House of Commons, beautifully engraved in mezzotint by COUSINS. It is as smooth and trim as the then right honourable gentleman, but now noble viscount, himself. The face is as bland and sleek, the wig as crisp, the silk-stocking as smooth, and the robes as well-ordered as in the original. Sir W. BEECHEY'S portrait of Dr. Maltby, Bishop of Chichester, has been engraved by Lenox, with great care. The manly and sen- sible character of the head is expressed with spirit ; and the face has a very life-like look.
The First Part of the Cabinet of Engravings, of popular pictures by eminent painters of all ages and countries—executed in mezzotint on steel, by REYNOLDS, LUPTON, and WARD—contains a study of land- scape, by Sir THOMAS LAWRENCE, OWEN'S noble Beggar Woman and her affected child, LAwituNces melodramatic portrait of Kemble as Rolla, arid a sun-rise at Margate by TURNER. The execution of the plates is forcible and effective ; and the work is cheap in price.
WESTALL and MARTIN'S Illustrations of the Old Testament are now
completed, in two volumes, by the publication of the Twelfth Number. A series of six numbers of the New Testament, by the same artists, will follow, engraved on wood as the former, and at the same cheap price.
The engraved titles and frontispieces to the first volume of Gam- suawe's edition of Cowper are now delivered with those of the second. The views have been taken expressly for this work by HARDING, and are engraved by the FINDENS with their usual excellence. The Vil- lage of Berkhamstead, COWPER'S birth-place, the "pastoral house" where he was born, his residence at Weston, and a distant view of Olney, form the subjects of these charming little views. We have never seen any pictures in which the spirit of the rural scene was more truly felt The freshness and simplicity of nature are here developed by the un- ostentatious refinement of' art.
STANFIELD'S View of Lichfield Cathedral, in the Second Volume of Hosteelts Julinson, looks tame and artificial in comparison : his Vignette of Pembroke College is more truthful.
Mr. YARRELL, whose name and merits are familiar to all naturalists, has taken up an idea of BEWICK'S of publishing u History qf British Fishes, with illithtrative wood. cuts. Ile is carrying it into effect in is manner that ItS regards the text is worthy of the subject and his repu- tation ; and as far as the wood engravings are concerned, equalling what BEWICK would have done had he lived in the present advanced state of the art. Nothing can be desired by the artist or the icthyoto- gist in the exquisite delineations of the fish. Some pretty little vignettes, too, are thrown in as taiLpieces; and the text is interspersed with details of the anatomy. The subject has till now quite escaped the popularizers of scientific knowledge.
A translation of Dr. BURMEISTER'S Manual of Entomology is also publishing, in cheap monthly numbers, with copperplates developing the curious structure of the insect tribes.
The numbers for the current month of Mr. LOUDON'S four periodi- cals—three devoted to Gardening, and one to Architecture—always tempt us to look into them ; and we are sure of being repaid by some piece of practical information. For instance, in the Gardener's Maga- zine, No. L XI.. we are pleased to see a plan for laying out a Cockney garden on scientific and utilitarian principles. The lessee of a house with a strip of garden ground of only a quarter of an acre behind it, is here shown that he can have it stocked with eight hundred different kinds of useful and ornamental plants for 151., and be able to grow his own asparagus and cucumbers into the bargain. Our attention is again directed to the spirited and finished wood- cuts of the Parterre. The designs of SAmour. WILLIAMS are remark- able for tile energy of the figures in action : in the expression he is not equally fortunate.
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