ART.
THE ROYAL ACADEMY. [FINAL NOTICE.] IN this, our last notice of this year's Academy, we continue our mention of the chief pictures of general interest, beginning with No. 212, in the third room. As in our preceding article, we shall not mention the numbers of the works, but take them in the order of the Catalogue, naming only the gallery in which they are placed.
" Stella," by G. F. Terrell, a clever single-figure study, in old,- fashioned dress, chiefly remarkable for being painted in soft tones of pale primrose and grey, which are very skilfully managed ; the pose of the figure also is simple and natural, and the whole picture, a success in a modest way. "A Midsummer Night," by H. W. B. Davis, R.A., is a grey, moonlit landscape, with cattle in the foreground. The cattle are finely drawn, and the effect aimed at is one which is out of the usual track of our artists, and as such deserves a word of recognition ; otherwise, we confess the composition does not interest " Hamlet and Ophelia," by C. W. Cope, R.A., " May Day," by P. F. Poole, R.A., and " Marat," by Eyre Crowe, A., are works which, being hung together at the beginning of the fourth gallery, almost take away the visitor's breath, from their lack of value and interest. In the case of Mr. Poole, criti- cism may well be silent. If he thinks that it is to his credit to send such a crude and evidently only half-finished picture as the one we have referred to, he has earned the right to toleration; but for the admission of such works as Mr. Cope's " Ophelia " and Mr. Crowe's " Marat," there can be little excuse, and it is with feelings of wonder that we .reflect that the latter painter has been made within the last three years an Associate. This is really the gravest charge that can be brought against the present administration of the Academy,—that it does not know a good painter from a bad one, and appears to elect its members from those who have least pretence of being more than good handicraftsmen. What else can possibly account for the exclusion of Mr. Brett? For the last five years, Mr. Brett has been without a rival in his pictures of coast and sea ; his drawing and his colouring have been equally true, determined, and elaborate; his subjects have been most beautiful, and his mere technique most masterly. How is it that he is not an Academiciau,—not even an Associate P Is there any answer to this query ? Many times the Academy have complained that the Press makes vague and unjust accu- sations against them,—will they now give the public an answer to this simple question P Do they consider Mr. Brett's land- scapes and seascapes to be inferior to those painted by members of the Academy, and if they do not, why have they not recog- nised the artist's merit, by bestowing upon him the (so-called) Academic distinction P It is simply beside the mark to talk about the Academy being a private society, which has a right to do as it likes ; that is not the rank which the Academy claims, nor that which it holds in most people's estimation. It is considered to be the great judge and promoter of artistic merit, and while it holds that position, it must be prepared to show that it exercises its patronage with justice.. We have placed before the public a plain issue,—either the Academicians think Mr. Brett's pictures inferior to their own, and so rightly keep him out, or they think them superior to their own, and so jealously and wrongfully keep them out. In the first ease, they must be considered to be incompetent judges ; in the second, partial ones, and incompetence or partiality should alike dis- qualify them. For it must be noticed that Mr. Brett's reputa- tion at the present time is one which admits of no cavil or denial ; it is not like that of some artists, Mr. Burne Jones, for instance, the merit of whose pictures is denied as frequently and as vehemently as it is asserted, but it is universally affirmed by all of us who love sunshine and beautiful aspects of nature. Continuing our walk round the gallery, we come to " No Surrender," by A. C. Gow, one of the most careful and skilful of our figure-painters. This work represents a group of French soldiers who have retreated into the loft of a barn, and are engaged in pulling up the ladder by which they have ascended, while one of their number fires down through the still open trap-door. This picture is full of life and varied action, and tells its story plainly ; perhaps the story was hardly worth the telling, but that must be left to each spectator's personal feeling. " A Resting-Place," by G. H. Boughton, a semi-comic, semi- pathetic group of tramps, resting under some trees, with con- siderable character in the various figures introduced. The landscape is of the usual harmonious drab and green, not natural, but very harmonious, and more akin to the French manner of painting than the English. On the whole, a clever genre picture. " Peasant Girls, Varongeville," by Alice Havers, a work of the same class as Mr. Boughton's, but painted in a key of bright, warm colour, very pretty and very clever, perhaps leaning a little too much to mere prettiness. This lady's pictures will make many painters of the " school of clay " look to their laurels. " The Pomona Festival," by Alma Tadema, one of this artist's most delightful small works ; it is curious to notice how his pictures increase in interest and beauty, as they decrease in size.
In the fifth gallery, "Gehazi, the Servant of Elisha," by J. E. Hodgson, A. A thoroughly delightful picture, and consider- ing its aim, perfectly successful. Gehazi is standing above the heap of coin, chuckling, and rubbing his hands with delight ; his expression of joy and avarice is splendidly ren- dered. Mr. Hodgson sometimes misses the spirit of jest, at which he so frequently aims, but this year there can be no doubt that he has painted a most masterly picturq —and what is more rare still, one of perfect originality.. " The Rourn-i-Sultana," by Val. C. Prinsep, A. This is the first work by Mr. Prinsep since his election as an Associate, and if it does not quite justify his election, yet shows the artist at his best. It represents a European beauty (who has been. made the favourite wife of some Eastern potentate), being fanned by an Indian slave. The colour of the picture is chiefly a rich crimson. The faults of all Mr. Prinsep's work, namely, a certain weakness of painting and lack of concentrated interest, are still evident here ; and his merits, a graceful arrangement of lines, and a clever use of strong shades of colour, are also to be seen. It is cultivated and intelligent work, but when all is said and done, it hardly exceeds the level of the amateur. Clara Montalba's " A Canal, Venice," should be noticed ; it differs in no way from the works which we have criticised so often in the Water-colour Gallery, save in being ten times their size. "Their Only Harvest," by Colin Hunter, we have noticed pre- viously, but must reiterate our conviction that it is the most powerful seascape in the exhibition. There is a good landscape of Knight's, and a " Sarah and Isaac," by Goodall, R.A., both good in their way, but calling for no remark. " The Sea-birds' Resting-place," by P. Graham, A.,—a good example of the artist.
In the sixth gallery, " Vespers," a quiet and thoughtful picture, by C. Napier Homy, very superior to anything which we have before seen by him. The subject is a boat, with monks, and the background is formed by the walls and houses of some old city. "Reapers," by D. Farquharson, a pleasant, sunny picture, somewhat conventional in its treatment, but very light and fresh. " In Manus Tufts, Domine !" by Briton Riviere, A. A knight, in very bright, white armour, riding into the valley of the shadow of Death, and holding up the hilt of his sword for protection against the powers of evil ; his horse is snorting and backing with fright, the hounds crouching to the ground; in the background, the miry forest. The natural thought on looking at such a subject and such a treatment of it, is that we have seen it all before,—dark caverns, owls and bats, whining dogs, snorting horse, faith-inspired knight, and all the rest ; and though it seems as if it were hard to condemn a picture because it tells us nothing fresh, yet that is really a sufficient condemnation of a work representing such a subject. If a painter takes a subject of high imagination, and only treats it as A B C and 1) would have treated it, well, in respect of imagination, the picture is a failure, and the very power of the subject but heightens the feeling of disappointment. For the rest, it seems to us that this picture is better painted than most of Mr. Riviere's, and the attitudes of the dog and horse are especially good. " Before Lenthen," by R. C. Wood- ville, is a carefully-painted soldier-picture. " The Swineherd," by C. E. Johnson, is a landscape bought by the Royal Academy with a portion of the Chantrey Bequest, but not otherwise re- markable, save for its size. "At Hampton Court in the Olden. Time " is a clever costume-work, skilfully grouped. " Toil and Pleasure," by J. R. Reid, is a picture of farm-labourers pulling turnips, and in the distance some huntsmen breaking through a stiff bullfinch into the same field ; this picture also has been purchased by the Academy. "The Return of the Penitent," by C. Amyot, is a foreign picture of the same subject as that of Mr. Fildes ; it is carefully painted and well arranged, but thoroughly conventional.
In the seventh gallery, we have a work which represents thu " Passage of the Sarda by 700 Elephants." As an incident of the Prince of Wales's visit to India, and an historical record of the fact that there were 700 elephants, this picture has its value, but we have not discovered any other merit in it, It is, in fact, an impossible subject gallantly struggled with, but with neces- sary unsuccess. " Lilies, Oleanders, and the Pink," a clever boudoir picture, pleasant, we should imagine, to the lady who, sat for the " Pink," quaint and a little fantastic in treatment.
In the lecture-room, "The Monied Grange," by J. L. Pickering, a careful and somewhat imaginative landscape of still water and leafless trees. "The Struggle for Existence," by Bouverie Goddard, is a fight between wolves in the snow, very animated and well drawn, but destitute of beauty. It is hard to see. why an artist should paint, or a purchaser buy, pictures of such a repulsive subject as wolves eating one another. In the lecture-room, " Her Lord and Master," a clever picture of tramps in the snow, by W. Weekes. "Norham," by George, Reid, a fine effect of light and shade on hill and calm river. 4' The Daughter of the House," a sick child propped up in bed, by Frank Boll, a somewhat mournful buteffective picture. Mr. Roll cannot quite get away from the seamy side of life. 4' 'Robert Marnock, Landscape Gardener," by P. B. Wirgman, a thoroughly good portrait, in a very unpretending style, worthy to be classed with the " Samuel Cousins," by Mr. Noll, though in a somewhat lower grade. "Ave Maria," by H. R. Robertson, quiet Venetian boat scene, painted with much genuine feeling. " Meg Merrilies and the Laird of Ellangowau,"—well painted horse, figures very poor, and the composition tame to the last degree. No painter that we know of with the ability of this artist, is so unfortunate in the choice and arrangement of his subjects. "La Famille D.," by Fantin ; this picture is painted in the coldest of ,French greys and blacks. The family are all in black, the flesh of the family is all in grey, the effect produced is absolutely sepulchral. Nevertheless, the painter is evidently a man of strong perception, and the work is full of character. Nothing, however, can, in our opinion, excuse the ashen key of colour. "An Angel's Visit," a graceful 'domestic picture of a lady visiting a sick boy in a poor room, and bringing him flowers ; this is by M. E. Stables, better known as Miss Edwards, painter of " The Last Kiss."
In the tenth and last gallery there is little to interest us that we have not previously mentioned. "The Old Neighbour Gone Be- fore," by Arthur Hopkins, is a rather pathetic street-scone, ap- parently in Belgium or Holland. "TheTwo Marks at the Tomb," by Thorburn, A., has little to recommend it save its attention and a certain amount of academic skill in the disposal of the lout? draperies. " Mushroom-gatherers," by H. H. Canty, is a clever effect of sunshine, somewhat exaggerated. " Sunday Evening at Sea," by T. Nash, a bold effect of light and shade, the greater portion of the picture being occupied by a fishing- boat, which is dark against wave and sky. " Catharine Douglas putting her Arm through the Staple of the Door," by L. J. Pott, can only be described as a meritorious failure ; and "At the Pantomime " shows Mr. Barnard at his worst. There is, further, an interesting portrait of Professor Clifford, by John Collier ; and a clever study of " Old Battersea—Moonlight," by Cecil .Lawson. We must here end our notice of the Academy, and eau only say, in conclusion, that we hope, era another year has passed over our heads, some alteration may be made by which the present arbitrary acceptance and rejection of pictures by the Hanging Committee may be regulated, and the exhibition be conducted more on the plan of the French Salon, than of a small and select circle of artists, who seem to be interesting in inverse ratio to their Academic rank.
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