FINE ARTS.

BRITISH INSTITUTION—NEW PICTURES BY BRITISH ARTISTS.

THE exhibition this year possesses less interest than usual : it has fewer striking points. Its leading characteristic is a respectable medi-

ocrity. There is but little new talent evinced, and less improvement

manifested in the exercise of that we are acquainted with. There is a considerable amount of cleverness and technical skill, though it is made up of small items; but of mind and inventive power there is a lamentable deficiency. Still there is much to please the eye ; and few pictures will be found in which there is not something to admire. We can only now advert to the prominent features of attraction ; the lesser we reserve for a future opportunity.

In Historical and Poetical Design, M'CusE and HERBERT are pre- eminent. " King Henry the Eighth's First Interview with Anne

Boleyn " (61), by M‘Csise, has all his characteristic beauties and de-

fects of execution : the subject, however, is conceived with greater simplicity and unity, the picture is less episodical, than has been usual with this artist, and the principal event thirefore is more forcibly and distinctly brought out ; while the uccessorial incidents are sufficiently numerous for the purpose of presenting the whole scene. The King

has handed out the fair Anne, who has just removed her mask, and he has not recovered from the surprise and admiration into which her beauty has thrown him ; for he gazes on her with a look of gloat- ing delight, while he takes a cup from a page to drink to her. The figure, attitude, and air of the bluff King Hal, arc admirably represented, and his costume is characteristically gorgeous : his face, however, lacks that sleek, rosy, pampered look: of self-satisfaction, that the sense of power and habits of unrestrained sensuality gave to his animal physiognomy. The knotty features of his large flat face in Homier:1's portraits, remind one of a prize-ox, with its wall of fat. Anne Boleyn is a lovely creature certainly ; but her face is too hard, and its expression too fixed, like her attitude. She stands like a painted statue : the artist may have meant this, but a young creature like her would naturally have been disconcerted by being handed out by a monarch before a whole court and compelled to unmask : she turns her head away from the licentious gaze of her royal gallant, but her posture is erect and her look unmoved. The Cardinal in the back- ground, on the contrary, is ostentatiously agitated ; more so than IVolsey would have been or shown on a more extraordinary occasion than his royal master being taken with a pretty woman. The lady looking up to the courtier who is leaning over her chair, has a charming face and expression ; but would not her attention have been riveted by what was passing between the King and Anne? The picture is painted with extreme care, skill, and power of execution ; and the ensemble is agreeable and striking. That stiffness and hardness which are defects of the artist's manner, too often offend; as in the arms of the ladies and the drapery of the page : the King's bulk, too, looks concave in- stead of convex. The rich costumes are elaborately painted, and the splendour is conveyed without any meretricious glare. The scale of the apartment, however, seems too small for the figures, which dimi- nishes the grandeur of the scene : the ball-room looks too like a little conservatory. Hemmer has chosen a similar subject to that which he exhibited here last year ; but its conception is less dramatic and more theatrical. He is too fond of painful incidents; and in his treatment of this he has given it some features of morbid horror that are positively revolt- ing. " The Fatal Meeting" (427), is the vague title given to the picture of a Venetian husband (we presume) throwing off his disguise and revealing himself to his horrified wife the moment after he Las stabbed her lover. The fate of the gallant is indicated by the blood on the pavement, and the hands of a man raised in his death-struggle above the surface of the water ; the position of the head being indicated by an ensanguined shade and the bubbles created by his dying breath ! This a disgusting touch of the slaughter- house, that would suit a minutely literal representation of a burk- ing business, but is quite out of keeping with a poetical depieture of the fatal effects of passion. But the objectionable part may easily be expunged, and we hope it will be. The look of the husband is expressive of fierce determination and reproachful scorn, mixed with a sense of triumphant revenge. His air is a little theatrical; but not more so perhaps than might have been assumed by the lordly murderer, who even stabbed with dignified composure and elegance. The sudden terror of the wife is finely and distinctly expressed in her face : but, in failing to represent the momentary action of dropping her fan, the artist conveys at first sight the idea of her being in the act of listening,.—. a mistake which the window above and the wall close by assist in causing. The picture is designed and painted in a masterly manner, with the most finished execution and powerful effect. This picture, instead of occupying a conspicuous place, to which its merits entitle it, is thrust into a corner in the worst room ; and such was the case with the fine picture by this young artist last year. What is the es. planation of this It looks like petty spite ; especially when a clever little picture of his—a child playing at hide and seek (188)—is also put on the ground. Erry exhibits an admirable study of " The Prodigal Son " (225); though it looksmo like a model set in attitude. " Juliet " (213), by BOADEN, is a misnomer; but it is a powerful picture, and there is sentiment in it. It represents a young bride, pallid with distress, reclining on a sofa asleep in her bridal attire—a simple white dress, and a wreath of white roses. The figure is of the life size, and well drawn; the posture is easy and graceful; the limbs are round and solid ; and it is painted in a bold) free manner, though in a cold tone. The care-worn look is touchingly expressed : it is the sleep of sorrow. This is the best work of the artist; and not only shows advancement, but gives promise of greater things. " Rebecca " (132), by MORTON, is elaborately painted, the jewellery especially ; bat the character and expression are neither elevated nor agreeable; and the tone is too cold for the colouring to satisfy the eye. This coldness, below the tone of nature, spoils the effect of some truth- ful studies of rustic children by the same artist. What a contrast to

these and many other works is presented in the little sketch called " Bea- trice " (80), by RODDINGToN ! It represents a fine-eyed girl standing in the entry of a cottage covered with vine-leaves, with a guitar that rests on the floor held loosely in her hand, as if she were looking for her lover. Nothing can be more rich and glowing than the colour ; the blaze of sunlight, that brings out its depth, is only visible in its effects. It is a snatch of the poetry of nature—a gleam from " the clime of the sun." The eye feasts upon it as upon a fragment of STOTHARD or TITIAN. This is our idea of what painting ought to be. The soul of the painter should look out in the loveliest forms and brightest eyes through a glowing atmosphere of colour. There is a clever piece of Warreau-like elegance byA. CHALON, called " La Rose " (19); which has plenty of colour in it, but it is opaque, crude, and flashy, with its mineral green and brassy yellows, beside this bit of fine harmony of rich hues. We may be thought to overrate the merit of this little sketch ; (would that we were able to cover it with gold !) but we instance it as an exemplification of our idea of colour—and we may almost add of expression. The portrait of a lady of rank by ROTHWELL—its description is Italianized, to get it admission into this Gallery, where professedly no portraits are allowed, and so it is called " Nobil Donna" (312)—is a

beautiful specimen of pure, warm, transparent flesh colour, as well as of unaffected elegance and ease in attitude and look. It is painted

with the utmost tenderness and delicacy,—the drapery perhaps is too slight ; the cheek is round and full; the bust ip exquisitely modelled ; the lustrous eyes and the rich masses of the auburn hair complete this

lovely piece of female portraiture. We rejoice to see the name of ROTIIWELL to this picture, in which he realizes the high anticipations formed of his future fame. It is a prodigious step from " Kate " (353) : we find it difficult to believe the two pictures to be the work of the same artist.

Following the gorgeous track of colour, we are led to " The Anti- quary's Cell" (:34)—not the most likely place, at first thought, to revel in such splendours ; but the light on the crimson velvet cushion of the old man's chair (he has vacated his cell) is like a sun in the room ; and from this focus of brilliancy do the rays diverge to the dark corners, bringing out by the way the hues of various objects of picturesque lumber in exquisite gradation and harmony of tone, till the brightness is lost in the gloom of shadow. The disposition and imitation of the different articles, such as old armour and china, pic- tures, &c. are most masterly ; indeed the execution has all the minute elaboration of the Dutch school, with the superaddition of colour and effect that the English school is unrivalled in. When this picture met our eye, we were for a while at a loss to know whom to attribute it to : it was too bright and glowing for FRASER, too comprehensive

and minute for LANCE, too unmechanical and various for LONSDALE.

We were fain to refer to the Catalogue for information, and found the name of EDWARD WILLIAM COOKE against it. We thought it was a

misprint, for we knew this young artist before only as an accomplished draughtsman, (he drew and etched those clever sketches of Old and New London Bridge,) and the painter of two or three capital marine subjects ; whose merits, however, did not prepare us to expect such power of execution and brilliancy of colour as is shown in this picture. We turned to inquire the fact, when our doubt was solved by encoun- tering a more sober-hued yet equally deep-toned picture of " Marine

Stores" (55)—a Peep into, not an old iron shop, but a shed where tackle and gear are kept ; knowing the artist's fondness and talent for

sketching these objects, we were satisfied there was no misnomer.

And the pleasure which the sight of these two pictures gave us was increased by seeing three others of equal excellence and similar sub- jects, but with more of landscape in them,—viz. 307, " Lobster-

pots;" (the boiling pot with the lobster hanging out of it is real;) 438, a view on the Isis, with fishing-baskets, &e. in the foreground ;

and 441), a fishing-boat laid up in a cave at Undereliff. The subjects are homely, and the walk of art humble : but there is something more than mere mechanical skill displayed in the style of treatment. We hope the young painter's success in " still life" objects will be turned to greater account.

Having been led out of our regular order of subjects, we may as well obey impulse and sit down before these " Comical Dogs" (10), by EDWIN LANDSEER; whose gravity, unconscious of the droll figure they cut—one of them with a woman's cap on her head and a pipe in her mouth, the other with a Scotch bonnet stuck on one side of its sconce—is irresistibly ludicrous. What consummate art ! The ani- mals absolutely live : their eyes are luminous ' • their fur is real; you .expect them to move, and the cap to tumble off! How delightful it is to see a painter sport with perfection,—amusing himself with doing in .a playful mood, as it were, what others would vainly labour months to .achieve ! There is a portrait of a hound, " Odin " (140), also by LANDSEER, which appears as if it had been dashed in in a morning. It is not enough finished, indeed, for so fine a picture : it should not fall short of reality, which it does only because the touches or handling of the artist are too visible. In the other dogs the result only is evi- dent ; here you see the means ; and inasmuch as they are apparent the end is not attained to perfection,—for we can judge of LANDSEER by no less a standard. Yet what solidity, what life in the head and limbs !

EDWIN LANDSEER is one of the few living painters who are com- pletely masters of their art—who exercise it with a view to the imita- tion of nature only, and succeed completely. He is a veteran in deeds, though yet in his prime. He began to learn early, and was thoroughly instructed in the mechanism of his art, by his father, before his mind got too strong for his hand. EDWARD WILLIAM COOKE was also taught soon and well : he, likeLannseea, was educated by his father, and had the grammar of art at his finger-ends when a boy. We shall see what a man he'll make—as yet be is scarcely passed his boyhood, we under- stand. LANCE is another instance of excellence in a young man, and good teaching in early life—he was a pupil of HAYDON'S. These are all painters of homely subjects, but they are masters in their way. Genius determines the class, but teaching the quality of the art. Half of our artists cannot express their ideas for want of knowledge of the language of their art and its grammar. Ideas clothe themselves in words,

and the construction of sentences may be acquired by practice : but the art of painting requires to be taught, and that command of hand and thorough knowledge of the forms, substances, and colours of objects, and the mode of imitating them, can only be acquired by well-directed labour ; and when the mind and hand are pliant is the proper time to learn.

But we are sermonizing. We shall return to the subject as soon and as often as space will allow. We have passed by even TURNER!