NEW PRINTS.
A MAGNIFICENT litho7aphic drawing, by LANE, of a St. Cecilia, from a painting by Ihi.roN, the head of which was painted by LAWRENCE, is the most striking novelty' of the week ; and as a specimen of lithography it is decidedly the finest and most elaborate of its kind that has been produced in this country. The design is in a grand style of art, and the line treatment of the drawing enables us to form an idea of the splendour • of the original. We think that Mi. HILTON has produced a finer com- position, and more beautiful in execution, than LAWRENCE would have made it, had he finished the picture. The cherubs in the corner are drawn as only Ilit.Tox can delineate infancy ; and the accessories of the organ, chair, and curtain, are in fine taste and admirably treated. The figure and drapery appear to have been painted from the design of LawitENcu, as tiny display that undulating, flow of line, and graceful contour, which LAWRENCE looked on as the ne plus ultra of art. The face is a portrait of the lady of John Williams, Esq. of Gwersyllt Park, the possessor of the picture.
Mr. LA Nli's drawing is masterly, and evinces a fine sense, of the value of the subject, as well as unrivalled in his art. Lithography is much indebted to hum for the production of so laborious and successful a print, which is admirable for depth, softness, and richness of effect. ll'e however object to the too great strength of the shadows, which gives a lamplight effect ; those on the face, especially, are much too black, and detract from the beauty of the flesh tints: the lips and the shadow under the nose are nearly as dark as the eyes and hair ; the black knobs of the chair also force themselves on the eye too prominently. We think this specimen of lithography will convince all those who have a doubt of the capabilities of the art, that it only requires artists able to develop its resources. The print is from the press of III:LLITANDEL, and adds to the highs reputation of his process. In lithography, there is also a beautiful copy, by W. IVESTALL, of " The Annunciation," by Cr..tuns, in the National Gallery. The tints in the foreground are rather heavy and monotonous, and the trees some- what too minutely handled ; but the distance is sweetly and tenderly given, and in a manner that none but this artist's delicate pencil could accomplish.
In Portrait, there is a clever drawing on stone, by SHARP, of the lovely Dutchess of Cannizzaro (formerly Countess St. Antonio), from a picture by HAYTEIt. It is the face of a charming Englishwoman, in all the ripeness of matured beauty ; a fulness of form verging on em- -bonpoint is just shown under a heap of furs that we wish removed; the Spanish hat and feather are stylish and becoming. Mr. SLAT -R has put forth several of his admirable sketches, in excel- lent likenesses of Professors Smyth and Farish of Cambridge , Dr. Sleath of St. Paul's School, and Lord John Russell. The last is the best portrait that we have seen of the introducer of the Reform Bill, and ought to be popular ; it is engraved in the chalk manner by LEWIS: the former three are drawn on stone by the artist's brother, IssAc SLATER. A portrait of Dr. Gooch, painted and engraved by LINNELL, is admi- rable for individuality of character. Mr. InNwsi.r. deserves great praise for his industry as well as his talent in engraving his own work ; and .although the plate is more remarkable for truth of expression and fidelity of likeness than for beauty of line, it possesses an intensity which an engraver might not have so well succeeded in preserving. We had occasion a week or two since to notice with praise an admirable mezzo- tint by an artist of this name, from a pretty picture of COLLINS'S ; but we were not aware that the engraver was, as we now suppose him to be, Mr. LINNELL, who paints such elaborate portraits and transcripts from mature of landscapes, cattle, &c., which possess great merit, notwithstand- ing the extreme hardness of his style, and bony texture of the handling. Mr. CLINT'S scene from Love, Law, and Physic, representing Blan- chard, Liston, and Matthews, the two latter as i.ubin Log and Flexi- ble, has been well engraved, in mezzotint, by LUPTON, and makesl'apopu. lat. print. It is a clever picture ; but Mr. Guru smooths down the points of character, and in avoiding vulgarity 'or • caricature, falls into the equal error of tameness. Liston's face wants gusto. A very beautiful engraving, by DEAN, in the mixed chalk and stipple manner, of the Countess Gower and Child, from LAWRENCE'S picture, adorns La Belle Assemblie for this month. It is one of the finest plates of the series of portraits of the female nobility ; and the likeness as well as the general effect of the picture is extremely well preserved, and is admirable as a work of art. A portrait of the Dutchess of Kent, en- graved by toeunsx, from a miniature by Miss CORBEAUX, also embel- lishes the Royal Ladies'Magazine. The New Monthly gives us the effigies of Mr. Haynes Bayly, the poet of parlour-sentiment, with the echoes of whose lyrics the grand-pianos of our fashionable drawing-rooms never cease to vibrate, and whose pathos finds a respondent chord in Erard'S patent harps !
























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