FINE ARTS.
THE Sculpture Room, as that store-closet for statuary is facetiously termed, in which busts are piled on shelves like jars of jam out of the
youngster's reach, and where groups are turned into alto-relievos by
being inlaid in a ground of baize, contains, as we before said, nothing very remarkable, with one exception, and that is, a piece of nature in marble, "A Boy and Lizard," by T. SHARP (1193). We noticed this
figure particularly, being .struck with its truth and simplicity, and the striking contrast it affords by its unsophisticated style, and its
perfect vraisemblance, to the modifications of the antique by aiich it is surrounded. Its very naturalness makes it admirable. The expression of the boy's face is good and appropriate; the body is beautifully formed, the musculation of the shoulders and back is particularly well expressed, and every limb is modelled to the life. The attitude and action of the figure, too, are graceful and true. 111r. SHARP has studied nature most carefully ; and if an objection be taken to the meagreness of the form, it can be replied to by referring to his prototype. It is now so rare a sight to see the human form truly represented in sculpture, that this figure attracts the eye, though placed somewhat low, and in danger of being crushed by Mr. Nfenom.s's colossal Satan (1194) ; which is a very tall figure of a man, with a face like an antique mask, and might pass for one of the legions of Satan, but not for that great commander himself. The right thigh-bone seems to be absolutely bent, and the pose of the figure is deficient in grandeur : it does not stand " like a tower, proudly eminent." Mr. NICHOLLS seems to mistake size for dignity. 1195, "A 'Nymph untying her Sandal," J. GIBSON, is a graceful composition and a classical figure, but the turn of the head is affected ; and the truth of nature, which is every thing in a subject of this kind, is sacrificed to art : the form is not of mortal, but of antique mould. This is the case, also, in a less degree, with " A Nymph going to Bathe' (1191), J. WYATT ; which is, therefore, less beautiful : it is a pretty figure, but the smoothness of the joints seems to negative the idea of motion : it is not so in life, nor in the antique. Our sculptors seem to chisel all their figures upon the recipe of reducing the articula- tion of the joints and muscles carefully smoothing all inequalities of surface, giving a petite and taper form, with small extremities and polished limbs, and crowning the body with a no-meaning head. Thus they produce abortions of art like nothing on earth, and certainly not like finest Greek statues. Mr. SHARP has very boldly and wisely re- solved to imitate the life ; and although in doing so he appears to have taken one individual form for his model, and has made his imitation literal, we prefer it, as a transcript of nature, to all the affectedly classical statues, which are only ideal by virtue of their unlikeness to any thing real.
Mr. WESTMACOTT'S statue of the late Mrs. T. Rawson (1197) is an ornamental piece of art, principally remarkable for the skill with which the drapery is made to support the figure; it is cleverly managed, but the body must be very small beneath it. It is an image rather than a statue, and the face is unreal. 1196, " Cupid and Hymen," G. BEN-. NIE, is but a poor fancy, and we cannot admire the composition. Mr GOTT'S "Venus and Adonis" (1223) seems modelled from Titian' picture, and is clever as a piece of sculpture ; but what a face for Venus i His "Madness of Athamas" (1224) is a good composition, and well modelled. "Venus carrying away Ascanius " (1164), WEsTIVIACOTT jun. is a classical design in bas-relief, very carefully chiselled,—but we are not moved to admiration •, the arm of the boy is quite out of propor- tion. J. HINCTILIFF'S "Monumental figure in marble" is mere sta- tuary ware. " Monumental figure of a Lady" (1158), by J. TER-.NOuTIT, is not very much better ; the face is singularly out of keeping with the rest of the figure. " Virginius and Virginia" (1131), J. DEARE, is a failure : the head of the Roman father is modelled from the bust of Demosthenes; his figure is small, but well covered with veins, and his daughter lies on his arm like a log. " Charity " (1132), T. DENMAN. We cannot conceive how a sculptor could execute such a work ; but the fact is, the greater part of our self-styled sculptors are mere statuaries, and we shall be obliged to call them so. It may seem hard to despatch a marble figure or a group in plaster, that may have taken the industrious artist months of toil, with a harsh word; but when a sculptor evinces no merit but that of labour and handicraft, we can only lament the fact, and we cannot sacrifice our common sense to a feeling of compassion or false delicacy. We look over the catalogue, and see subjects that stagger us, when we think of them in connexion with modern art : here are " War in Heaven," and "Apollo repelling the Attack of Diomed on .Eneas :" now, we quite overlooked these perform.. ances ; and yet we should have been very glad to have found something to admire besides " A Girl caressing a Child" (1234), J. HEFFEA, NAN—which is a pleasing subject, naturally treated ; but the face of the girl too much resembles the artist's former works. This is the case alio with Mr. BATLEY'S " Alto.relievo—Maternal Affection" (1162),— where the mother has the face and head of this sculptor's Eve, even to the arrangement of the hair, which is net graceful ; the children's heads also are too small. Mr. Pmrs's " Alto-relievo—the Outrage of the Centaurs" (1165), displays great skill and considerable merit ; but the composition is too confused, and the subject is not interesting ; the • treatment is also too classical, not for the subject perhaps, but for any claim to originality. Let us turn to the Busts—at least such as we can see. CHANTREY'S, of the King, we have before spoken of; it is such as no other man could model. That of the Duke of Sussex, a fine physical head, but the likeness is flattered. The next best to these is SIEVIER'S, of Baron Bolland (1154) ; that of Lord Brougham, by this artist (1229), is more like Lord Grizzle in Tom Thumb; the countenance is lost in a mass of wig and lace. The face of the Chancellor is certainly peculiar, and not by any means handsome, but its intellect redeems the plainness of the features ; and unless the sculptor can embody the expression, he but makes a caricature,—it is giving just half of the likeness, and that the most obvious. Mr. SUMER has flattered Baron Bolland, who has fine features ; but he cannot flatter Lord Brougham's physiognomy, and therefore he must make either a grand and expressive bust or a carica- ture. Mr. BAILEY'S model of the Lord Chancellor without his wig is good and faithful. There are two busts of old Lord Eldon-1200 and 1215, both of which give him the look and features of Bunyan's Giant Despair, of Doubting Castle. There are, among others, busts of G. Clint, by Bcns- LOWE (1135) ; of Mr. Stewart, by SHARP (1141) ; of Dr. Ilaslam, by HEFFERNAN (1143) ; of Colonel Jones, the "Radical" of the Times, by J. BASK 0 LI. (1211) ; of Mr. Nash, the architect, by BEHNEs (1184); of Mr. Davies Gilbert, by Josxrn (1199); and of Prince George of Cambridge, by BEIINES (1201); all of which possess merit.
We shall conclude our account of the Exhibition next week.
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