MR. CAREW'S "DESCENT FROM THE cnoss."
Mn. CenEw had a private exhibition, on Thursday, at his studio, in Somers Place, Hyde Park Gardens, of a basso-relievo of the _Descent from the Cross, intended for an altar-piece, the figures of life size. The ambitious attempt and the large dimensions of the work are its more remarkable characteristics: it is neither exalted in sentiment, grand in design, nor impressive in effect. The group represents Joseph of Arimathea seated at the foot of the Cross, supporting the body of Christ with the assistance of two of the Disciples; Mary Magdalen kneeling by, and St. John and the Virgin-Mother standing aloof near the Cross. The heads are feeble, both in character and expression ; St. John and the Virgin especially, who show no more concern than ordinary by- standers: the serenity of the Virgin is the calmness of indifference, not of devout resignation. The composition is elaborate, but by no means felicitous: the figures are massed by means of draperies that obscure the forms so as to make it difficult to trace some of the extremities to the figures they belong to. The most glaring defect, however, and one that is fatal to any thing like sublimity, is the rope- tackle with a pulley and hook suspended on the Cross; as though instead of the crucified Saviour a bale of merchandise had been lowered from it. This vulgar and mechanical idea is a flagrant violation of good taste and sacred sentiment. "The Hauling down from the Cross" would be the proper title for this piece of sculpture; of which no more need be said, than that the modelling is tame, monotonous, and spiritless : the figure supporting the feet of Christ is striking, but after looking at the rest we can scarcely give Mr. CAREW the credit of it. That any artist who had seen RUBENS'S masterpiece of the same subject should have fallen into such a gross mistake is surprising : it proves the utter absence of that quality, without which no work of elevated cha- racter either in painting or sculpture can be achieved—namely, imagi- nation.
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