GOSSIP OF ART.
Tue. new National Gallery is rapidly advancing to its completion. The grand central portico is finished, and presents an imposing ap- pearance from Whitehall. We are glad to find it does not much oh. sruct the view of St. Martin's portico from Pall Mall. The drum of the dome is already visible above the portico: whether its effect will be improved by the addition, remains to be se...n. It is a strange in- consistency on the part of the atchitect, to reject the arch where it would be most fitly employed,—namely, in the niches f:ir statues, which now look like blocked-up windows ; and to give us the form of the arch in the prominent shape of a dome, placed too at the top of a portico. We are not among those who quarrel with either steeples or domes over porticoes, but when an atchitect pedantically adheres to the Greek model in little things, and makes such glaring departures from it in great, we cannot help noting the incongruity. This is straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. The arch is used, more- over, not only in the construction of the building, but it appears its the passages. The Royal Academy have taken possession of the east wing of the building which is allotted to them : it is in fact half the National Gal- lery. It is but a temporary appropriation, be it remembered, and con- tingent on the circumstance of this part not being yet required for the National Pictures. We are the more anxious to have this borne in mind, because we are inclined to think that the room in the west wing will be very little more than sufficient for the pictures now belonging to the nation : especially if, as is expected, the King should be advised to add the Cartoons of RAFFAELLE to the collection ; and sonic of the munificent patrons of art, such as the Earl of EGREMONT, the Marquis of WESTMINSTER, and others, were to follow the Royal ex- ample, and signalize the occasion of the opening of the new Gallery by presents of pictures.
The west wing being in a less forward state, it is doubtful if the na- tional collection can be placed there till Midsummer. The old house in Pall Mall, therefore, will still be the place of its exhibition for the present. It is just now closed for the usual recess of a few weeks.
The rooms in the National Gallery, though few, and devoid of architectural grandeur in proportion and arrangement, are in shape, extent, and height, conveniently adapted for the exhibition of pictures. The corners of the rooms are cut off; and they are lighted from the roof in such a way its to leave no dark parts in the walls. As far as the Academy is concerned, however, the students will, we fear, be subjected to the same inconvenience as they experienced at Somerset House in the suspension of their studies during the two or three months required for the arrangements of the exhibition. There is not room enough for the Schools of Painting and Drawing and the Life Academy, independently of the Exhibition-rooms. Indeed, the Academy will not be much better off in point of room here than in
Somerset House : but the grand point gained by the exhibitors is a fair chance of their works being seen. We hope too, that, now the Academy has become amenable to the Government, the exclusive pri- vilege enjoyed by the Academicians of what they cull " varnishing "— but in fact painting upon their pictures after they are hung up—will be
abrogated. This privilege has been abused to a shameful extent, and affoids the opportunity of painting down a rival. What sort of a Sculpture-room the new Gallery boasts, we know not : it is an after-addition to the building, the plan of which, we be- lieve, did not include a Sculpture Gallery—strange as it may seem. To be sure, the British Museum is the National Sculpture Gallery. We should hope that it would allow of the exhibition of a colossal statue, like those of Bishop Heber kneeling, and Sir John Malcolm, that CHANTREY is now engaged upon. We were favoured with a sight of these two grand works of art the other day. The look of firmness and dignity, tempered with an air of bland good-nature, in the face of Sir John Malcolm, gives him an appearance of true nobility. The breadth and largeness of style in the modelling of the Bishop's robes equally removed from the flutter of BERNINI and ROUBILLIAC, the heaviness of WESTMACOTT, and the rigidness of the drapery of Lotreit's statue of Bishop Middleton in St. Paul's—give increased effect to the chiselling of the flesh, and aid the serenity and repose of the features and expression. We also saw, in Sir FRANCIS CHANTREY'S studio, a characteristic bust of Mrs. Somerville ; the head slightly bent forward, as if in contemplation, showing the remarkable breadth of her forehead. The drapery is simple and chaste ; being a morning-dress close up to the throat, with a deep falling collar. S. LAURENCE'S portrait of her, in Somerset House last year, represented the woman in society ; the bust gives us the philosopher in her study. There is a bust of Southey, too, with his falcon face ; and another of the Marquis of Westminster. Besides these new works, the others that have been exhibited are no less interesting; and when seen in the mass, the number and variety of the heads serve to show more strikingly that unrivalled skill with which CIIANTREY preserves the physiognomy of the individual ; with real refinement of art softening down any petty accidental peculiarities, so that the masses and prominences of the character are developed in the form of the skull, the expression of the face, and the attitude. The resemblance is thus seen at once in the tout ensenible : we have not to look for it in petty details.
The equestrian statue of George the Fourth is now in process of being cast in bronze.
We are glad to hear that Mr. BARRY feels confident that the detailed estimate of the expense of ,his design for the new Houses of Parliament will hear out his rough calculation by cubic measurement of quantities. Mr. THOMAS DIGHTON, whose exquisite models in card have acquired for him a reputation unique in his art, is preparing a small model of the edifice, to be submitted to the Committee. There is to be II0 copying of the old pictures this season at the British Institution, in consequence of the gallery being under repair.We are not sorry for it. The result has shown that the persons permitted this privilege are for the most part unworthy. Many copyists are but learners in the technical part of their art ; while others abuse the pri- vilege to trading purposes. A ludicrous instance of the incapability of the copyists to appreciate the spirit of the pictures they attempt to imi- tate, occurred in the case of the picture of Herodias' Daughter bearing the head of John the Baptist, by CARI.0 Ponce, exhibited a season or two ago. She is represented as averting Ler head from the ghastly object, with a slight expression of aversion—not sufficiently strong, however, to give a disagreeable turn to her beauty. What do Mes- sieurs the copyists do ? One substitutes for the head on the charger, a bouquet of flowers; another places a child in the arms of the female; still preserving the look and attitude as nearly as possible : so that, in the one case, the fair creature appears offended at the sight and scent of flowers, and in the other by the infant—whose drapery she holds up with thumb and finger, in a mannee that, coupled with the averted head, suggests rather unpleasant associations. There was a third, who took the attitude only, and represented a charity-school girl holding a plate at a church-door. But, absurd as these things are, they are better than stocking the brokers' and dealers' shops with abortive copies of fine pictures, that:caricature the defects and peculiarities, and omit the beauties of the originals.
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