• FINE ARTS.
EMBELLISHED PERIODICALS.
WE have an arrear Of these works to dispose of ; among which is a new candidate for public favour,— The Gallery of Greenwich Hospital, corn-. png portraits of celebrated naval commanders and liews of their mast• memorable actions ; illustrated with biographical and historical memoirs, by .Eawsan HAWKE LOCKER, Esq. There could not be a more appro- priate time than the present, for the publication of these memorials of the naval glory of Great Britain, when a Sailor King fills:her throne. The work is brought out under the patronage of his Majesty. In appear- ance, size, and in the beauty of its typography and embellishments, it corresponds with the new edition of Lodge's Portraits, to which it forms an appropriate sequel. The First Part contains four portraits' engraved in an excellent style,—" Old Benbow " a bold, bullet-headed Englishman,
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painted by KNELER, with a pair of fine black eyebrows, and holding. his sword like a lady ; the great circumnavigator, Captain Cook, with a browbeating aspect, indicative of that overbearing disposition to which lie fell a sacrifice ; Lords Hawke and Bridport, two gentleman- like admirals of the old school : the engravings of these two last, by Messrs. RYALL and Romnson and that of Admiral Denbow, by More, are extremely good. The fifth plate is " The Defeat of the Spanish Armada," by LUTIIERBOURG—all sea, ships, sails, and smoke, like other sea-fights : it is an etching only The originals of these plates are in Greenwich Hall.
The Second Part of Mimic's Hogarth maintains the high character. for excellence which we bestowed upon the first. We hope, however, that Mr. Ills.roa a-ill not .take upon trust the fidelity of his en- gravers, but compare the reduced copies with the originals' in order to secure the preservation of the precise expression of each face, and the character of the features, as well as the general spirit and mean- ing of the originals. In the two plates of " Marriage a-la-Mode," we think the engravers might have consulted the paintings in the National Gallery with advantage. The face of the lawyer, in Plate IV. is not that designed by Honswrit ' • this defect is of importance, since he is the seducer. In the picture he is portrayed with
a person and a smooth dispose, Frarn'd to make women false."
This is not conveyed in the print before us ;—and then, his hand is like any thing but what it is meant for. Verbum sap.
Parts VII. and VIII. of Pompeiana contain, among other interest- ing and curious specimens of ancient art, a coloured drawing of a mosaic. picture representing performers attiring for the theatre ; an old man,. seated, is showing two masks to two youths attired as savages, while a musician plays on the double flute, and an attendant is drawing on a dress over the head of an actor in the background. The graceful single figures on the walls seem to belong to another school of art than that which produced their pictures ; the former are graceful and elegant in the extreme, the latter are merely academical, and occasionally stiff and. quaint ; in neither is the expression remarkable. We do not think the plates, particularly those of Part VIII. fulfil the promise of the publishers, who "pledge themselves that the present edition shall exhibit as much superiority in the engravings as the greatly improved state of the art will enable it to attain."
Parts XII. and XIII. of the English School of Painting and Sculp- ture contain outlines of engraved pictures of Hogarth, West, Mortimer,. Tresham, Cosway, Northcote, Thompson, Stothard, &c. ; and, as far as mere outlines can, convey a good idea of the style of the old school of English art. The bringing together these graphic reminiscences of veil.- ous styles of artists, some of whom would be nearly forgotten but for. these revivals, is of service to show, that in proportion to the adventitious or meretricious qualities of their art is their "alacrity in sinking" into oblivion. COSWAY only lives in the notoriety of the persons he painted, though be died but the other year : Mrs. Fitzherbert, whose portrait he drew, is now the goddess of his fame. MORTIMER, TRESHAM, and THOMPSON are extinct: we recollect that such persons existed, and that is all. Mere talent and industry will not perpetuate reputations. Ge- nius is the only elixir vita; and that sometimes kills its possessor, who may not know its value or how to use it. Like quicksilver, it is. subtle and powerful, but it requires to be skilfully employed and care- fully preserved. Part XII. of The Landscape Illustrations of the IFitverley Novels contains a beautiful Coast-Scene, by COPLEY FIELDING, which- is na- ture itself; and the effect of the sun-light on the sands is beautifully pre- served in the engraving. A view of Stirling Castle, by Ronson-, and a wildly-rustic view of Wharndiffe, by DEWINT, are also excellent.
Six Views of Windsor Castle, showing the recent alterations, are cle- verly drawn on stone in the accustomed neat and accurate style of Mr.. W. WESTALL. They are interesting, and likely to be popular, for the sake of the illustrious tenants of the Castle, to whom the publication s dedicated. There are views of the Castle from the north-east, York and Lancaster Towers, the New Terrace and Garden, St. George's Gate. way, the Quadrangle, and the Round Tower. Since the improvements,. this magnificent pile has assumed a more regular character, which ren- ders its architectural appearance more imposing. In the near views, the castle is seen to much less advantage, however, than when the building is viewed in connexion with the surrounding scenery.
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