fist arts.
THE SOCIETY OF FEMALE A.RTISTS.
Advertisements of late have prepared people to expect an exhibition of works of art executed solely by ladies; and it opened accordingly _on Saturday last, at a gallery provided in No. 316 Oxford Street. —Thecok lection, due to the diligence of some 1,50 individuals, numbers 358 WOrlejs, —oil-paintings, water-colours, crayons, &c. and sculpture. The orgnization of the society i not distinctly set forth; the lathes connected With the Department of Science and Art have evidently had a conlidelible share in it, and amateurs. contribute, as well as professional female artists. Desiring as we do that, wider channels should be opened to the efforts of women, we need hardly say that we wish all success to the experiment; fine art being manifestly one field of action in which the gentler sex may legitimately aspire to a fair trial, and to eventual success. It may be a question, however, how far it is prudent rather to attempt distinct action than to enter into the open market of competition with men. One thing is clear : when the ladies determine to combine on theireiyin account, -they ought to enlist all the available strength for the effort. From the present exhibition many of the best names are unfortunately absent,—the Marchioness of Waterford, the Honourable Miff. Boyle, Miss Howitt, Miss Fanny Steers, Miss Barbara Smith, Miss Boyce, MieslEgell ton, Miss Severn, and others,, who would lend 'strength-and influence, not only comparative but positive and decided.. Indeed, it is not a strong exhibition relatively to the amount Of existing talent, although of course every allowance must be made for a first *experiment. Taking it atit stands, however, we shall at least do the ladies the compliment aiir the justice of treating them as we should treat male artists, and shall discard the empty complaisance of the "sweetly pretty" style of criticism, or the "wonderfully good for a lady,"—which, so far as it has any effect at all, can only retard the object which the contributors have in view, and which they have honourably undertaken to Champion. They ask to be judged, and not to be "let off." Mrs. WIan's pathetic and thoroughly serious picture, "Highland Emigrants," had _previously been exhibited, estimated, and admired ; and so had Mrs. E. M. Ward's skilful but not very significant rendering of Termyson's "May Queen." These, therefore, we shall pass without comment, beyond remarking that the former, as the most important work in the gallery, would have deserved to be placed accordingly. The three figures of children by the latter lady, in another part of the room, are also clever, and painted in an accomplished style, like everything she produces. Mrs. Blackburn sends two pictures, " Phaeteti" and "Scene on the Coast of Ayrshire." The admirable qualities of the designs heretofore published by this lady bespeak an amount of interest to her appearance here which the works themselves may scarcely be found to justify. The great and repelling defeat of both is their want of colour; the Phaeton is null in this respect, and the Ayrshire Beene black and rude. The first, however, is a daring tour de force as regards the headlong action of the horses ; and the second (painted in 1863) is a strong solemn transcript of nature,—the black crows and the white sea-mews from the roaring beach swooping down over the furrows of the field which the husbandman is ploughing. Mrs. Elizabeth Murray, the wife of the British Consul at Tenerife, is a most prolific contributor. For dash, and a sense of life, light, and brilliant effect, this lady is unmatched in the gallery, and would be noticeable anywhere ; but these qualities are caught at the sacrifice of all that is deliberate in study or permanently valuable in art. Drawing, proportion, and fitness, all go to the wall, while this clever lady is flourishing away at picturesqueness. In some instances, such as " Hadj Mohammed Ben Aboo, an officer in the service of the Sultan of Morocco," Mrs. Murray realizes, at first sight, something of the look of Mr. Lewis's earlier drawings. The "Sketch of Teneriffe Peasants," with the young girl carrying the sheaves which they have been gleaning, is a fair example of the artist's ability; "Funchal Madeira," a difficult and curious one in point of offeet. Perhaps the best of all—full of momentary motion, and less incomplete in qualities of design—is "Dolores Ruiz, the Gipsy Dancer of Seville." Another lady who displays plenty of vigour and command over the brush is Miss E. Bradstreet : "Engaged "—a lady who has her dance-list full—is especially clever in these respects. Mrs. Baekhouse, with less vigour, shows similar facility. Miss Sophia Sinnott has evident feeling and faculty of expression, which more maturity of style will bring out strongly. "Reading the List of the Killed and Wounded" is a family group, well discriminated in these respects. The wife's eyes remain fixed in terrible suspense, as she clasps her hands hard round the baby on her knee ; one little girl stares at her with an undefined sense of something wrong ; another, of more advanced years, follows, with flushing face and pointing finger, the eyes of the old father who glances down the list; the mother looks upward in an appeal to Heaven, which would fain think itself resignation. There is also very bright expression and natural posing in "The Blacksmith's Forge—Children returning from School looking in at the door." Miss A. E. Blunden's merits bear some resemblance to those of Miss Sinneft : ' her hand, however, is firmer, and her expression, with perhaps less acuteness of original perception approaches nearer to intensity. "Hope in Death," (which has been exhibited before,) "The Song of the Shirt," and "The Sister of Mercy," may be referred to in proof. We have before had. occasion to remark Miss J. C. Bell's feeling for delicacy of colour : it here appears in "Emilie—a Sketch." Miss Caron, the Secretary of the Society, exhibits some crayon heads which promise character and good style ; and Miss Fraser, in "The Picture-Book," has °aught something of that charm of manner which distinguishes Mrs. Boyle's designs. Emma Brownlow, (who, like many others of the ladies, does not tell us whether she is "Miss" or "Mrs.,") Mrs. Roberton Blaine, Miss E. Macirone, Miss Kirby, Jane Todhunter, Miss Lucy Meadows, and Mrs. E. Dalton, may also be mentioned as contributors of figure-pieces, figures, or heads, evidencing or promising superior ability.
Margaret Witcomb has already obtained a certain standing in land&Ape painted with minute care and detail. "The Short Way to the Tillage," Which we think has been exhibited before, is a nice example of her merits ; "Gathering Wild Flowers" is less happily selected, and wants softness. Mrs. J. W. Brown founds her style on that of Sidney Percy and the Williams family, not without success. Mrs. E. Stanley and Miss Blake distance most of their competitors in mellowness and richness of colour, and in power of manipulation : "The Campagna, Rome," by the former, has great merit, as well as " The Kremlin" and " Branksome Chine" by the latter. "Mrs. H." directs her attention rather to careful making out of parts than to general effect, as shown in her " Jungfrau" and Chamounix." "Evening at Cologne" is rendered by Airs. Headlam with a genuine idea of solemn effect, the contours of the cathedral and the other gaunt old buildings rising blue and strong against the warm pale sky. Nomerous other landscapes remain, of which we cannot speak individually : simple truth of feeling and quickness of perception are frequent, artistic fulness of style comparelively rare. As instances, we may name Miss Clerk's Edinburgh, from Costorphine Hill" ; Miss Doyle's " French Fishing-boat near Boulogne"; Miss Marianne Stone's "Highgate" and "The Thames at Key"; Lady Belcher's "Fir-trees, Linn of Dee, Braemar " ; and Mrs. Higford Burr's " Statues of Memnon in the Plain of Thebes."
In flower-painting and the like, ladies have long been recognized as proficient ; Mrs. Margitson, Mrs. Harrison, and MTS. Bartholomew, are well-known names which carry their own recommendation and description with them. There is real feeling for design in Mrs. Holmes's "Branch of Orange-tree—a Study in tempera " ; the touch as yet a little uncertain, but right as far as it goes. The -notion of colour in Charlotte Hardcastle's " Pheasants " is equally unmistakeable ; and that of light and shade in "The Blackbird's Nest in the Primrose-bank found safe on his Return," by Florence Peel. Miss Barker is decidedly clever in canine expression ; Miss Charlotte James, Miss J. Grieve and E.G. Eiloart, delicate and careful in floral design. The copies from pictures are not generally very remarkable ; but Miss Mary J. Chapman has obtained with uncommon ability the glow of Cuyp and the character of Rembrandt, whose canvass she has imitated, down even to the casual marks of age. In sculpture Mrs. Thornycroft is foremost, but with nothing which had not been seen before. Naomi Bun-ell is truthful; and Mrs. J. H. Fielder unusually energetic and daring in "The Last Struggle" of two hostile wild horses.
In conolusioNswe have only one word of advice to tender—which is indeed, naturally implied in what we have said above. It is, that ladies, if they would compete in fine art with men—whether in an exhibition spent° both sexes, Or in one like this—should work like men. There is nothing for it at last but work : no cleverness, no compliments, avail to supply its place. The one woman who has worked like a man, Rosa Bonheur, takes by universal acclaim her place with the hest of them.
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