ART.
THE OLD MASTERS.
Tilts year's exhibition is one of peculiar interest, as it seems likely to be the last of the series. Indeed, the falling-off in quality is very noticeable, and though a high average of excellence is still maintained, there is a conspicuous absence of the many pictures of surpassing merit, which made the pride of former col- lections. Even if we only take the Masters of the English School, which are so largely represented here, and examine with any minuteness the Reynolds, Gainsboroughs, and Romneys, we must admit that they are inferior, both in merit and interest, to those we have seen at Burlington House before. That this must be the case may be very easily shown, for the private art-treasures of the nation are necessarily limited in extent, and it is only natural that those who had both the power and inclination to lend, should have sent their choicest pictures in former years. It would seem well, considered in this light, that the present exhibition should be the last, for no one would wish to see it dwindle in interest and attractiveness year by year.
One very marked feature of this year's collection is the excess -of portraits above landscape and figure compositions. This also probably detracts from the interest of the general public, though not of course from its real value. In fact, as a record of the contemporary history of the eighteenth century, this is a very re- markable exhibition, and seldom or never has there been such a number of the famous persons of that time brought together. Here we have them all, from the Duke of Cumberland and the Archbishop of Canterbury, to Peg Woffington and Kitty Fisher, and sad to say, the actress is more interesting than the prelate.
Before we begin to notice the pictures separately, we must say that there are several here which should hardly have gained admission into such distinguished company. Notice as examples of these the three pictures by Henry Fuseli, RA., the subjects for two of which are taken from Shakespeare, while the third is a semi-mythological composition, entitled "Psyche passing the Fates." It would be difficult to pick out the worst of these, but of all three alike it may be said, that they are extravagant in -composition, and unpleasant in colour. Another example of this ill-judged choice of the pictures may be seen in the Etty, No. 261, entitled "The Storm," which is simply one of his many life-studies, and not one of the best, put into a pictorial form.
It is not our intention to give anything like a catalogue raisonni of the pictures, but to select a few of the most striking, beginning with the English school. Of Sir Joshua Reynolds there are no less than thirty examples of every variety of merit. Amongst these, No. 34 will at once attract the eye, for its high quality and peculiar style of treatment. It is a portrait of the famous Milit8Nisbett as Circe, and is one of the happy conceptions of Reynolds for which we are indebted to his loving study of the Old Masters. Observe the breadth of treatment of the drapery, and the skilful repetition in the animals and foliage, of the colour of the dress and hair. The whole picture is harmonious in the highest degree, and there is a very sparing use of pure colour shown in the rose and bit of blue sash. The resemblance to Titian's manner is very striking, especi- ally in the leopard and treatment of the background. Another especial favourite will be No. 18, "Hope nursing Love," portrait of Miss Morris, by the same artist, one of the allegorical treat. ments of a portrait which we probably owe to the beauty of the sitter. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine the original of this picture making a failure on any stage. There is great grace in the attitude of the girl whose lovely face bends over the Cupid, and the whole composition is one of rare beauty, and full of transparency and depth. This picture is thinly painted, the grain of the canvas show- ing through, and is interesting as exhibiting one of Reynolds's earlier methods, before he took to the loading of his colour shown in the portrait of Miss Nisbett and his later works. No. 52, David Garrick, is undoubtedly the finest of the four likenesses of Garrick exhibited this year. Although it is but an unpretend- ing study, in low tones of colour, in it Sir Joshua quite eclipses, both as regards thoughtfulness and delicacy, the large portrait by Gainsborough beside it. The latter, indeed; is not one of that painter's most happy efforts, and there is something in the quiet English landscape very incongruous with the elaborate dress and studied attitude. Perhaps it was one of the Corpora- tion, by whose order the picture was painted, who insisted on the bust of Shakespeare, and stage-struck pose of the figure. The third portrait by Dance, should be noticed as a clever, con- scientious piece of painting, though of a rather unpleasing colour; but while it has much of the merit which always attaches to honest, painstaking work, it appears to miss all the finer points in the actor's face, and is quite unworthy to be mentioned by the side of the Sir Joshua. The fourth portrait of Garrick is by Hogarth, and represents the actor as he sits writing, while his wife comes behind him and takes the pen from his hand. This, as might be expected, is the most humourous and even the most forcible of the four, but the picture is, on the whole, an unpleasing one ; the wife is decidedly vulgar, and the colour most staring and disagreeable. As a contrast to the last-named picture, by the same artist, may be mentioned No. 100, "Scene from the Beggars' Opera ; " a composition of many figures, all portraits, in the painter's best manner. This picture is most rich in grouping and effect, and shows all Hogarth's keen insight into character, and strong dramatic power. The portrait of Peg Woffington, also by Hogarth, is one that will interest many, and the painting of the lace-cap shows what the artist could do in manipulative skill. We must leave our readers to discover for themselves the further beauties of many of the Gainsboroughs and Romneys, particularly No. 278, "Ladies Walking in the Mall," treated in the manner of Watteau, and the noted picture of the "Cottage Girl" (No. 11), both by Gainsborough.
In the Italian school we shall first speak of the Titians, beginning with the large canvas of the "Europa." This is one of the very few large figure compositions in this year's exhibition, and will at once attract attention, from its size and conspicuous position in the centre of the large room. The story of Europa has always been a favourite with artists. The moment that the painter has chosen to illustrate, is the beginning of her perilous passage across the Bosphorus. With one arm she waves her scarf desperately for aid, while she struggles with the other to retain her position on the back of the bull, who is swimming vigorously away. Over- head are some flying Cupids, and one follows in the wake of the swimmers on a dolphin's back. On the shore the people watch her progress, while the rocky coast of the bay forms the back- ground of the picture. There is a decided want of transparency in the water, and the whole strikes us as being a little dirty in colour. We miss the golden warmth of tint which we are accus- tomed to associate with Titian's work, although the picture is one of great power and masterly composition. Notice the manner in which every incident represented on the canvas is included within a circular line, every detail leading the eye to the main interest of the subject. The dash and hurry of the scene are marvellously represented, and in this respect the picture may be compared with the more famous one by Tintoret in the Doge's palace at Venice. No. 125, "Portrait of Ariosto," is a fine, thoughtful head, and a good example of Titian's more delicate work and glowing colour, though in neither respect does it quite come up to the one in the National Gallery.
There are three examples of Raffaelle here, all painted on panel, two of which, though of minute size, are hardly to be surpassed.
The first of these, No. 178, is simply called "A Landscape," and for tenderness of feeling and purity•of colour is unapproached by anything in the exhibition. It would be difficult, if not impossi- ble, notwithstanding all the labour and attention which have been
bestowed upon landscape painting since the time of Raffaele, to find any subsequent picture which comprises, in so small a space, all the varied beauties of this sunny Italian landscape, with its soft-blue sky and rich mass of foliage. No. 180, "Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane," represents the Saviour praying amidst his sleeping disciples. It was originally one of the subsidiary parts of the predella, of the large picture of the "Virgin and Child," and is full of Raffaelle's intense devotional spirit.
The admirers of the Spanish school will find two very choice examples of Velasquez in Nos. 116 and 121. The former is a spirited delineation of a white horse and rider, in the painter's most characteristic manner, all the details being rendered with a combination of freedom and fidelity which is one of the most marked traits of this school. The latter, No. 121, is a life-like portrait, and possesses all the force of a Rembrandt, without any of that artist's conventional artifices. Two upright pictures of St. Thomas and St. Cyril, by Francesco Zurbaran, are well worthy of attention, the latter especially so, for the luminous character of the white robes, and sincere, conscientious painting throughout. The style of this master is a little austere, and shows the ecclesias- tical bent of his genius. The three examples here shown were probably all painted at the time that he was employed to execute altar-pieces for the cathedrals of Seville and Madrid.
In this room there should also be noticed No. 131, "Venus disarming Cupid," by Correggio; No. 133, "Portrait of a Venetian Gentleman," by l'intoret ; No. 150, "Portrait of a Cardinal," by an unknown painter, probably of the Venetian school, and dis- tinguishable for its resolute adherence to truth, and strength of colour ; No. 149, "View of a Dutch Town and Canal," by Hobbema, a fine example of this painter, and of rather more glowing tint than usual with him ; No. 167, a small picture by Claude, of nearly identical subject and treatment with the one in the National Gallery ; and lastly, No. 168, "Sketches of Animals," by Paul Potter, a delightful little study. Of the six pictures by Rubens here, the beat are undoubtedly Nos. 152 and 156, portraits of the painter and his wife, the others possessing but little interest, with the exception of the large picture of the Palace of the Escurial, No. 226, nearly the whole of which is by "one Verhulst, a painter of Antwerp," and only touched up by Rubens, the amount of alteration it received from his hand being extremely doubtfuL No. 77, "Cupids Harvest- ing," is described in the catalogue as having the figures of the Cupids by Rubena, but they are more probably from the hand of one of his pupils ; they lack his freedom of touch, and the actual painting is poor and thin.
Of the remaining pictures, we have but space to notice the Dutch interior by Nicolas Maas, No. 240; and the "Roadside Smithy," by Isaac Van Ostade, No. 79. In the former, the lumin- ous effect- of sun and shadow is very finely rendered, and the perspective of the further chamber and passage plainly indicated -with subtle gradations of light and shade. The latter is a small painting on panel of a simple country scene, treated in the most masterly manner. This picture, only a few inches square, com- prises as much incident, and is painted with as great breadth and freedom, as many of ten times its size, and is in its way a perfect g•em.
We must here take leave of the Old Masters, only advising such of our readers as may not have already been not to let slip the opportunity of seeing an exhibition which, though it be not perhaps the best of its kind, yet surpasses any other of the year in its intrinsic worth.
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