FINE ARTS.
EXHIBITION OF THE SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN WATER, COLOURS. THERE is no exhibition of works of art, the sight of which affords us grati- fication so unalloyed as that of the Painters in Water Colours ; and their annual displays have continued to increase in excellence, especially since their exclusion of oil-paintings. We are here delighted with the perfection of the art, and, what is still more valuable, the truth of nature; beautiful effects—the transient shower, the dazzling noon, the brigt sun- set, and the hazy twilight—are depicted in colours so vivid, yet so faithful, that we feel the soothing influence of the scene, and almost breathe the atmosphere of the picture. As we wander with COPLEY FIELDING over the barren heath in the Highland mist—stray with De WINT through the meadows and corn-fields—or recline with BARRETT "under the shade of melancholy boughs," we forget the art and the artist, and seem to live only in the face of nature and subject to her influences. Mr. RoasoN will compel us to look at the beautiful scenes which he portrays, through his spectacles of purple hue ; and we are content with the medium, rather than not look at all. Mr. HILLS also will insist upon our admiring his worsted cattle, and making us think of Miss lAstwoon. To atone for these derogating peculiarities, PROUT'S vigorous pencil places before us the palaces of Venice and the mouldering ruins of Normandy ; which seem to have inspired his genius, and tube identified with his style, as they are with CANALETTI'S fame. 181, HARDING'S splendid picture of " Byron's Dream," claims the first place, for the brilliancy and force of its execution, the grandeur and simpli- city of its composition, and the poetical fidelity of the conception. It depicts that phase of the "Dream" where the poet describes himself as
" Reposing from the noon-tide sultriness, Couch'd among fallen columns,"
and surrounded by his sleeping attendants; and their camels and horses,
" canopied by the blue sky
So cloudless, clear, and purely beautiful."
The effect of sultriness and the repose of the scene are beautifully conveyed, in the tone of the colouring, and in the attitudes of the sleeping figures ; while the gaudy colours of their costumes and outspread garments are in ac- cordance with the intense blue of the sky. The poet's figure is more bulky than is consistent with individual portraiture, but it is well composed and boldly drawn. Altogether it is a magnificent specimen of water-colour drawing ; and the artist has displayed that freedom and breadth which characterize his style' and a boldness of touch resembling the handling of an oil painting.
His "Fisherman," 284, is admirable for force, breadth, and brilliancy of drawing and colouring, and truth of character.
Miss LOUISA SHARPE has several excellent specimens of her fine talent. 127, "Girl with a Guitar," and 225, "Girl with a Letter," are two full-length portraits, which for grace, sweetness, and beauty of drawing, colouring, and composition, are worthy of a painter of greater pretensions. They possess the charms of art and nature blended, and are at once simple and re- fined. This young lady has derived infinite advantage from her persevering assiduity in copying the works of Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS in water co- lours ; and her freedom and facility of style in drawing, and the freshness and purityof her colouring, are evidences of the good use to which she has turned her studies of that master. But most of all we were delighted with 211, "Scene in the Vicar of Wakefield," where Mrs. Primrose is expati- ating upon her daughters' accomplishments to Lady W. A. Skeggs and her companion. The face, attitude, and character of the Vicar's wife—the unconscious loveliness of her daughters, looking like two sweet budding flowers, and their constrained air of rustic simplicity—contrasted with the assured aspect and confidently affected airs of the would-be fashionables—are portrayed with so much truth, feeling, and dramatic force, tempered with propriety, that we do not hesitate to say that no artist could have delineated the characters more successfully. The Vicar disappoints us.—his face wants character; but the little urchins peeping out from behind their sister, and the group in the background, are very appropriate, and not only fill up but complete the picture. GOLDSMITH should have lived to see this faithful illustration of his delightful story, and Miss SHARPE should have enjoyed the enthusiastic admiration which he would have manifested.
Mr. HUNT has been indefatigable in his strongly marked studies of indi-
vidual character in rustic life.. His broad, bold touch, and the force and identity of his likenesses, impress them so powerfully upon the mind, that we are compelled to approve. His flesh tints are, however, rather red even for country faces. We enjoyed particularly "Anticipation," 70,—a plough- boy seated at a table with a smoking plum pudding before him it is ad- mirable for character and effect. This praise applies also to 177 and 273, "Fishing Boys," and extends in ascarcely less degree to most of his rustic figures. His portraits of a" Claypit," 222, and "Brick-kilos," 231 and 325, are painful matters of fact ; and we can hardly believe them to be the work of the same hand that produced the pictures we have before named, and of such beautifully finished and accurate representations of Fruit, &c., 314, 332, 246, 196, 339, and Sea-Gull and Teal, 283 and 215. To point out, individually, the beautiful specimens of COPLEY FIELD.
nro's magic pencil, would be to enumerate the forty-five pictures of his which adorn the room. There is not one which will not call forth the ad- miration of the artist as well as of the amateur. We cannot forbear noticing in particular, 64, "A Gale coming on at Sea ; " which is perfect in every respect, and a most beautiful picture. His composition from the Odyssey, 38, is classically composed and elaborately and carefully drawn : it does not, however, fascinate us like his more natural and familiar scenes ; while it reminds us of TURNER'S Temple of Jupiter' which is engraved. PROUT'S large picture of the "Ducal Palace, Venice," 58, is full and. vivid in its colouring : the figures, however' annoy the eye, from being all in similar positions, especially as regards the head and shoulders—it is a cu- rious fault, and produces a disagreeable effect. The others contributed by- him are so many exemplifications of the vigour of touch, breadth of style, and identity of resemblance, which characterize his works. DE WINT has twenty pictures ; some of them sketchy, but all of them re- markable for that vraisemblance and simplicity which so especially charm us in his harvest scenes and views of level country. 39, " Mowing," and 50, "A Corn-Field," are truly delicious. Mr. Ronsost has exerted his usual industry, and has produced forty pic- tures ; two or three of which are large, and all possessing great merit ; but they are more or less deformed by his mannered trees and purple hues. Four beautifully finished views of " Lambton Castle," 176, 179, 184, 186, are less marked by these besetting sins. His distances are extremely deli- cate aerial, and tender ; and there is a clearness even in the dimness of his architectural forms, seen in the haze of twilight, and a pure transparent effect in his skies and water, that atone for the glaring faults of his umber foregrounds and yellow curly trees. The tone and handling of his nearer views of architecture are monotonous, tame, and mechanical ; but we could gaze for ever upon his serene twilight hues. Mr. BARRETT has fourteen pictures ; in which we regret to see muddy colouring and heavy tints prevail. 159, " Evening," has a beautifully na- tural effect of sunlight ; but it is marred by the indecisive tone and want of clearness in the foreground and middle distance. His deeper effects of twi- light are less injured by this defect, because it harmonizes better with the natural hues of approaching night. We could wish that so much merit were not lessened by so obvious and prevailing a mannerism. Mr. NASH is not successful this year. Mr. Cox slaw has some bilious- looking pictures. Mr. Gass. INEAU has numerous beautiful specimens of his neat, unpretend- ing, and accurate style. We were particularly struck with 234, "Sion, Swit- zerland ;" and 359, a beautiful effect of Italian atmosphere. His pictures exhibit marked progress. Mr. Car TERMOLE'S splendid obscurities make us regret that he should. not have thought it worth while to finish the magnificent sketches, so grand as compositions, but so faulty as designs. His Merchant of Venice," 99, is a gorgeous confusion of figures—a piled-up crowd of men. Such works may create astonishment, but they will not either gratify the spectator or promote the fame of the artist. In fine, we can but hint that there are some clever works by Messrs. AUSTIN, COX, T. FIELDING, &c.; three pretty drawings of a Roman Woman by P. WILLIAMS; two clever designs by CHISHOLM, and a bril- liant little interior by MacxEsrzrE 78. And we take our leave of this exhibition with proud and grateful feelings of delight.
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