ART
THE exhibition of works by William Hogarth, organised for the Festival of Britain by the Arts Council and on view at the Tate Gallery until July 29th, is the first major exhibition accorded him since 1814 and provides a rare opportunity of seeing many pictures usually in America, in the Royal collection, or in private ownership. Writing in the catalogue, Mr. R. B. Beckett appears to belittle unduly Hogarth's claim to be regarded as " the father of English art " (for which in a broad sense a good case can be made). However, Mr. Philip James properly describes him as " the first great native English easel-painter "—and this is not the place to argue his merits, which to artists must always appear very great. (When Whistler provoca- tively described Charles Keene as " the greatest English artist since Hogarth " he was paying the highest compliment he knew.) We look back to him proudly not only as the pioneer of our native painting but also as one who, in the different phases of his career, showed what could be achieved by perseverance and by skilful adaptation to circumstances, without the advantages of private fortune or subsidy. It is a pity that, on this occasion, complete sets of his serial pictures could not have been brought over to the Tate from the Soane Museum and the National Gallery ; but the portraits and conversation pieces are admirably represented (Morning and The Broken Fan must not be missed), while many of the little-known sketches (notably King George II and his Family, The Beautiful Drununeress, The Outraged Musician, and The Masked Ball at Wanstead Assembly) are masterly examples of a technique that now seems far in advance of its time. The visitor on his way out should notice Calais Gate and The Stay-maker, which, with other examples from the Tate's permanent collection, hang in Room 1.
The Arts Council is also responsible for an important exhibition of the tempera paintings of William Blake which can be seen at 4, St. James's Square until July 21st. The temperas are comparatively little known ; they have a decided attraction and charm which may make them more persuasive than the water-colours in converting some half-hearted people to an enjoyment of Blake. Several of these paintings, including two of the most interesting, The Spiritual Con- dition of Man (the largest picture Blake ever painted) and that intricate allegory, The Sea of Time and Space, have recently been cleaned with success. It is fortunate that these delicate temperas escaped the rigours of those American cleaning methods which have been practised with such controversial results at one of our great galleries, and fell instead into the careful hands of Dr. Johann Hell, whose skilful and sensitive treatment of many outstanding works has earned him the gratitude of all art-lovers since he came to live in London shortly before the 1939-45 war. The long-shaped picture of Chaucer and the Canterbury Pilgrims, with its cool, well- blended colouring (No. 5), and a group of mellow and glowing smaller paintings (Nos. 14, 17, 18, 19) also deserve special notice. The visitor's attention is drawn to the new facsimile edition of Blake's Jerusalem, a magnificent achievement just published by the Trianon.Press with 'colour plates by Jacomet & Cie, of Paris (price:
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