have been so lucky as to see it, to be one of the most laughable performances of the present day. No. 965. John Gilpin. W. F. WITHERINGTON.-Placed much too high for such a subject. It abounds with whimsicality, although, of course, the principal figure is the worthy citizen, clinging to his horse's mane, and, much against his inclination, distancing the postboy, whom the anxiety of his spouse had dispatched in pursuit of him. No. 272. Shakspeare's Jubilee, with Portraits of the Performers of the Theatre Royal Covent-Garden. M. W. SHARP. The crowd which surrounded it prevented us from catching more than an occasional glimpse of this elaborate and entertaining work. We saw enough, however, to convince us, that Mr. Sharp had been as felicitous as usual, especially in Charles Kemble, Young, Terry, Liston, Farren, Abbot, &c. No. 178. Domestic Quarrels. T. FOSTER. Notwithstanding the quaintness of the title, this is a very clever and finely-toned picture. It represents a servant, a man of colour, roaring out with the pain inflicted on him by a parrot, who has fastened upon his thumb. The contest between amusement and apprehension in the countenance of a child, standing by, is remarkably well expressed. No. 289. Portraits of Hunters. E. LANDSEER.-One of the most beautiful little pictures in the Exhibition. The animals and figures are delightfully drawn and painted; and the back-ground is executed with a truth and spirit which few artists, even of those who have made landscape their exclusive study, could rival. PORTRAITS. No. 84. Portrait of Lord Francis Conyngham. No. 124. Portrait of the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer. SIR T. LAWRENCE, P. R. A.-The gallant leader of the academical bands has by no means brought so powerful a force into the field on the present as on some former occasions. He has furnished his regular contingent in point of number, but we do not think that, generally speaking, his troops are of their usual quality. Nothing, however, can exceed the elegance and beauty of the first of the portraits which we have quoted. The resemblance of Mr. Robinson is also very striking. In both pictures, and, indeed, in all Sir T. Lawrence's heads, the features are drawn and marked with a feeling in which this admirable artist is unrivalled. No. 78. Portrait of H. R. H. the Duke of York: painted by desire of the Common Council of the Town of Liverpool, for their Town-hall. T. PHILLIPS, R. A.-In the composition and in the general arrangement of this noble picture Mr. Phillips has shown a profound knowledge of the principles of his profession. The unaffected dignity of the attitude, the masterly disposition of the drapery, and the delightful harmonious tone of colour which pervades the canvas, are all deserving of the highest admiration. We congratulate the town of Liverpool on the acquisition of so fine a specimen of modern art. No. 207. Portrait of the Right Hon. Lawrence Lord Dundas, as Lord Mayor of York. Painted at the request of the Corporation. J. JACKSON, R. A.-This is one of Mr. Jackson's most successful productions. Its solidity and force render it extremely well adapted for a public hall. No. 142. Portrait of a Gentleman. SIR H. RAEBURN, R. A.-A most pleasing portrait; and in the strength of its character bearing intrinsic evidence of fidelity. But why will this otherwise highly-accomplished artist adhere so tenaciously to the crude tones, which he delights to introduce into his back-grounds? We fear that he does not avail himself of one of the principal advantages of the Exhibition, that of enabling painters to compare themselves with one another. No. 131. Portrait of H. R. H. the Duke of York. D. WILKIE, R.A.With the single exception of the remark, that truth compelled us to make on Mr. Wilkie's "Parish Beadle" namely, that the general hue of the half-tints and shadows is too cold, our praise of this beautiful little work must be wholly unalloyed. The resemblance is perfect. This is really a delightful way of painting portraits, but it must be attended with much difficulty and labour. There can be no doubt that Mr. Wilkie might have as many sitters as he chose to receive, but we own that we should regret to see him put his "unhoused free condition" into "circumscription and confine;" we should regret to see him exchange the liberty and independence of his usual line of art, for the constraint and exposure to every description of folly, affectation, and caprice, which the practice of portrait-painting would inevitably inflict upon him. No. 1. Portrait of Judge Best. No. 261. L'Improvisatrice. H. W. PICKERSGILL, A.-Mr. Pickersgill has been for some years steadily advancing to a high rank in his profession. His head of Judge Best is firm and characteristic; that of L'Improvisatrice possesses the much rarer qualities of feminine grace and delicacy. No. 370. Portrait of Sir James Mackintosh, Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow. C. SMITH. -As the University of Glasgow did itself great honour by the election of this eminent individual to its highest office, so has Mr. Smith done himself great honour by this masculine portrait, which yields, in resemblance, and in many other valuable properties, to no work in the Exhibition. No. 311. Portrait of a Cadet in the Hon. East India Company's service. R. R. REINAGLE, R.A. Elect. -There is great nature in this finely drawn face. It is surprising how so powerful a relief can have been effected by nice discriminations of tone, with scarcely any shadow. No. 284. Portrait of a Gentleman. MRS. W. CARPENTER. It is not gallantry, "though peradventure we stand accountants for as great a sin," but truth which compels us to say that this lady's portraits ought to put many male artists to the blush. Among other excellent qualities, they are distinguished by the mellowness of the tints, and a constant attention to the harmony of the general effect. The resemblance of the present portrait is extremely happy. LANDSCAPE. No. 158. Dutch Market-boats. Rotterdam. A. W. CALLCOTT, R.A. -Although we were disappointed at not finding a larger work by Mr. Callcott in the Exhibition, it would be extremely ungrateful were we not to express the gratification we received from this comparatively small picture; which is one of the brightest stars of the constellation. There is no artist who appears more aware than Mr. Callcott of the value of the introduction of a small quantity of positive colour, surrounded by a mass of hazy neutral tint. Perhaps this principle is pushed to excess in the work under our consideration. The fore-ground and the extreme distance charmed us; and it is with great diffidence we ask whether portions of the middle distance might not advantageously receive an increase of strength. No. 438. Walmer Castle, a Seat of the Earl of Liverpool. W. COLLINS, R.A. Of three beautiful landscapes by Mr. Collins, in the present Exhibition, “Walmer Castle" is our favourite. The sunniness of the lights, and the flatness and transparency of the shadows rival nature herself. No. 59. Salisbury Cathedral, from the Bishop's Grounds. J. CONSTABLE, A.-One of the best specimens that we have seen of the peculiarities of Mr. Constable's style. The freshness and truth of the tones are inimitable. No. 373. Windsor Castle. S. W. REYNOLDS, Senior.-Grandly composed, and painted with great vigour. No. 208. Hampstead Heath. Harrow in the distance. W. LINTON.Why do the academicians permit any picture, much more a clever picture, as this evidently is, to be so placed? It is merely exposing the artist to severe and undeserved mortification. No. 245. The great Cavern of the Peak of Derbyshire, and the ancient Castle of the Peverils. T. C. HOFLAND.-A beautiful little picture ; and interesting in every respect. Our limits compel us to conclude for the present. We regret that we are unable to mention many other works of considerable merit; especially by Shee, Beechey, Stothard, Cooper, Daniel, Green, Arnold, Linnell, Eastlake, Dagley, Joseph, Clover, Hobday, Jones, &c. &c. In our next we intend to make a few observations on the room of sculpture, as well as on the drawings, miniatures and enamels. THE NINETEENTH EXHIBITION OF THE SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN WATER COLOURS. We congratulate the Society on taking possession of their new room in Pall Mall, East; and wish they may enjoy many years of prosperity in it. It is a noble and well-proportioned apartment, and the light (the excess of which is moderated by an ingeniously constructed blind,) is equally diffused over the walls. The effect on entrance is remarkably pleasing. Whoever may have been entrusted with the hanging of the drawings, they have executed their task with great skill and judgment. We never witnessed a better arrange ment. However foreign countries may compete with us in all the other branches of the Fine Arts, to any thing like an approach to our watercolour drawings, they have not the slightest pretension whatever. The present state of that art is entirely the creation of British taste and genius. Our water-colour drawings now possess a power, a vigour, a spirit, and a richness of effect, which make them in most respects rival, and in some excel the productions of the easel. With as much depth and solidity as pictures in oil, they have a great deal more brightness and clearness; and in the aerial flatness and delicacy of distances, (a matter of the highest importance in landscape,) they are infinitely superior. How far they may yield in durability we do not know; but we believe that great improvements, the result of the advance of chemical knowledge, have recently taken place in the preparation of watercolours; so as to insure to them at least a nearer approximation to permanence than they have hitherto possessed; and it must not be forgotten that the viscid materials, used to bind them, are much more pure and much less liable to change than the ingredients, which enter into the composition of the megelp of the oil-painter. The present Exhibition consists of 303 drawings; the contribution of twenty Members of the Society and twelve Associate Exhibitors. Of all these works there really is not one (for we have gone carefully through the whole number,) which does not manifest more or less merit; although certainly the most striking are the productions of Messrs. Barrett, Fielding, Robson, Cristall, Richter, Prout, Cox, Hills, Turner, Stephanoff, Varley, Harding, &c.— We must content ourselves with noticing a few of the most prominent; as they occur in order in the catalogue. No. 9. Cotton Spinning, Luss, Loch Lomond, North Britain. J. CRISTALL.-The beautiful countenance and the unaffected grace of this young female peasant are bewitching. We are aware of the frequency of " Sandy Locks" in Scotland; but are not the tones of the hair and those of the blue dress a little too harshly opposed? No. 13. Sheep. R. HILLS.-There is probably no man living who has made so many and such careful studies of animals as Mr. Hills. The consequence is, that, even in the most difficult positions, he is enabled to delineate them with the utmost accuracy, and to impart to every sub-division of a species its distinguishing character. But this is an admirable drawing in all respects. The back-ground, with regard both to the landscape and to the figures, is very happily managed. No. 14. Twilight. G. BARRETT. -Full of truth and beauty, to which qualities the long unbroken continuity of the horizon adds grandeur. No. 16. Peter Boat on the Thames, above Westminster Bridge. D. Cox. -A rich sparkling little drawing. No. 18. Evening. G. BARRETT. Nothing can exceed the sweetness, harmony and chastened warmth of the distance and middle distance. The fore-ground appears to us to be rather too fluttering. No. 23. Stag and Hind. R. HILLS. The dauntless air of the hero of the mountains, broken in upon as he is in his romantic retirement, well contrasts with the timid expression of his fair one. The surrounding scenery is highly appropriate. No. 28. Maline, Flanders. S. PROUT.-Mr. Prout's style is well sun. suited to these subjects; on which the clearness and transparency of his tints pours the full light of the His handling also communicates extraordinary richness to the details of picturesque buildings. If Mr. Prout is a little liable to the imputation of being a mannerist, it cannot be denied that his manner is very masterly, and could be successfully adopted by no one who is not as thoroughly conversant as himself with the principles of the art. No. 35. Retirement. G. BARrett. -A noble composition and of extraordinary magnitude. The effect is solemn and impressive in the highest degree. Who would not love to wander and meditate in such a scene? No. 40. View of the South Downs and Bramber Castle, Sussex. CopLEY FIELDING.-To a thorough knowledge of nature, Mr. Fielding adds an unrivalled dexterity of execution. Let any one who may look at this beautiful drawing, minutely examine its details; and if he have any acquaintance with the practice of water-colour drawing, they will amuse and gratify, and peradventure puzzle him. In every respect it is one of the finest things in the Exhibition. No. 53. The Trout Stream. J.D. HARDING.-The tones of this able and powerful drawing are singularly deep and mellow. No. 81. Receiving Ships. Portsmouth. S. PROUT. There is no artist of the present day, one alone excepted, who can convey so complete a notion of the immensity of these monsters of the deep as Mr. Prout. The coppery hues in which he delights are also admirably suited to them; and give a perfect idea of their rust and decay. No. 91. Ferry from Eton to Windsor, during the re-building of the Bridge which was taken down in 1822. H. GASTINEAU.-A solid and excellent drawing; replete with variety. No. 92. Solitude. A Scene in the Interior range of the Grampian Mountains, on the Banks of Loch Avon. Aberdeenshire. G. ř. ROвSON.-A most masterly drawing; grandly composed in point of form, powerful in effect, vivid in colour, and abounding in all the rich haziness of Mr. Robson's peculiar style. So well does the sentiment correspond with the title, that we believe if ten persons were asked what Mr. Robson intended to represent, nine of them would immediately reply, "Solitude." Can there be higher praise? No. 101. Harlech Castle. Sunset. COPLEY FIELDING.-We cannot better describe this pleasing drawing than by using the words of the quotation in the catalogue : "The shifting clouds Assembled gay, a richly gorgeous train, In all their pomp attend his setting throne." (To be continued.) MR. GLOVER'S EXHIBITION OF OIL AND WATER-COLOUR PAINTINGS. We believe that this is the fourth year that the veteran Glover, with his single unaided strength (for the presence in the Exhibition of two or three works by his son, and by one of his pupils, can hardly be said to contradict the assertion) has maintained a contest like that of Dr. Johnson, in his dictionary, with the forty academicians of France; and, besides the gratification with which he has furnished the lovers of the arts, has afforded a fine moral lesson in the exemplification of what may be atchieved by courage and perseverance. Although it would be extremely unreasonable to expect to find in Mr. Glover's rooms the diversity of an Exhibition, to the formation of which a number of artists of different styles have contributed; they who have not seen the century of drawings and pictures of which his present collection is composed (above a fourth of which appear to be new introductions) can scarcely anticipate the agreeable variety which, by a selection of opposite subjects, treated in manners as dissimilar as the habits of a long-disciplined pencil would permit, Mr. Glover has contrived to produce. The general characteristic of Mr. Glover's style, however, is simple truth. He seldom aims at extraordinary effects, either of composition, chiaro-scuro, or colour; content with the beauties of nature in her every-day appearances. In his distances and middledistances, and especially in the representation of a sunbeam, partially illuminating a small portion of the remote landscape, Mr. Glover is pre-eminently successful; and, indeed, at times his works are, in the latter respect, absolutely deceptive. The pictures in the present collection with which we were the most struck, and every one of which is an admirable specimen of Mr. Glover's peculiar powers, are, No. 40. Loch Katrine, and Benn Vennue, Scotland; No. 66. Worksworth, near Matlock, Derbyshire ; No. 76. Sneaton Castle, near Whitby, Yorkshire; No. 78. View between Bangor and Capel Cerrig, North Wales; No. 86. View in Dovedale, Derbyshire. THE PANORAMA, LEICESTEr_square.* Of the various Exhibitions connected with the Fine Arts, which are at the present season of the year opened to the public, the Panorama has always appeared to us to be one of the most interesting. It is really a delighful thing to be suddenly transported to a foreign capital, or placed in the midst of a novel and magnificent spectacle; and all "at the trifling charge of one shilling." To those who had not an opportunity of seeing the Coronation in July, 1821, the Panorama will prove a very gratifying sight; and even they, who witnessed that gorgeous ceremony, will not be displeased to feel the impression which it must have made upon them at the time very forcibly recalled. The spectators are supposed to be in the Central Pavilion, as it was termed ; an extensive range of galleries, erected in the garden of Parliament Square. This point was the most favourable that could be selected, as it embraced nearly the whole of the platform on which the procession moved; and a great portion of it turning round the Central Pavilion, an opportunity was afforded of giving a near view of the most interesting part of the splendid pageant, combined with the surrounding buildings and galleries, faithfully copied in all their ornamental variety. The period exhibited is the return from Westminster Abbey to the Hall, after the religious part of the ceremony was completed, when his Majesty appeared in the full costume of royalty, wearing the magnificent crown of state, expressly made for the occasion. The scene at that time was particularly grand, as the galleries were more numerously attended than at the early part of the day; and, as the King approached, the company in them rose, demonstrating their loyalty by loud and repeated acclamations, the gentlemen uncovered, and the ladies waying their white handkerchiefs; the whole forming the most imposing spectacle that can be imagined. The execution of the painting is very masterly, especially in the neighbourhood of the Royal Canopy, on the figures before and about which, as well as on the venerable Abbey in the back-ground, the artist has evidently exhausted all his efforts. We beg leave to advise those of our readers who mean to visit this interesting Exhibition, to choose a fine morning for that purpose, as the effect of the splendid costumes, as well as of the various gay decora tions of the scene, is considerably heightened by the brightness of sunlight. * In our number for March, (page 247) we inadvertently followed a French account, and conferred the honour of the invention of the Panorama on M. Prevost. We are now better informed, and willingly correct the mistake. The merit of that invention is due to the late Mr. Robert Barker, an Englishman, for which he took out a patent; and it was not till some years after his representations had been exhibited in London that any such establishment was formed on the continent. Indeed, the first Panorama ever seen there was one of London, painted by Mr. Barker, and sold to a person who took it over to France on speculation. |