FINE ARTS.
KR. GRUNDY'S ivm-rER EntorxxoN.
(SECOND Norms.)
CATTERMOLE'S numerous contributions to this gallery are the best productions of his hand exhibited within the year. The spirit of the scene is thoroughly expressed, though with some coarseness of action, in "The Dance" (13). " Sintram and his Companions " (39), and "The Monk's Library" (85) are striking specimens of his characteristics. -" A Mill-Stream' (105), and Mr. Niemann's "Roslyn " (82), show the point of contact between these two artiste' styles; but the latter possesses more native rugged farce, with, in thisinstanee, not less local truth. His other works are of unusual merit and finish • the " Mill at Tairlight" (79), with its crudely green water and blue ski, alone bearing strong traces of his fatally easy method.
There is poetical feeling not to he mistaken in Mr. Poole, seldom alto- gether absent from his works. " Sterne's Maria" (107) is as perfect a rendering as we know; graceful and subdued to the most delicate sadness; treated with a simplicity of purpose which would fail to express its sub- ject but for the informing spirit. The impulsive and unsophisticated wildness of expression in No. 166, "Some one Expected "-a specialty- of Mr. 'Poole's-is admirable. In " The Cotter's Pet" (37), the resem- blance to Hunt's rustic _figuree in character and style of working is re- markable; shown, too, in the departure from those neutral tints affected in Mr. Poole's water-colours. Others of the artist's works are -scarcely leas excellent than these; but we cannot stop to particularize.: the one bad is the-seventeenth-century-costumed Imogen from " Cymbeline" (158). - Two sketches by Mr. F. H. Pickersgill, The Rescue of the Brides of Venice," and "Job Receiving the News of his Afflictions," (171-2,) attract notice -for freedom and decision of hand, and for their bright chalky co- lour. Here again we have evidenee of that power of seeing a subject strongly and at its culminating-point, which could not but be recognized in the painter's "Delilah," through the tricky follies that do their best to eineeal -it, and-that now -seem so deeply rooted as almost to snake us re- gret that Mr. Pickersgill shoulne in reality a man of -talent. The mes- sengers of Job's doom appear one close on the other ; and the last will not mop to deliver his tidings, but cries them, still in mid. speed. That Mr. Pickersgill understands his subject is clear ; but he cannot consent to carry it out to the best of his knowledge. Mr. Frost contributes a flimsiness or two ; Mr. Stone, a water-colour design of "The Heart's -MisgiNines" • Messrs. Absolon, Tophana, and Oakley, "after their -kind" ; and*Mr. Hayinr a portrait of Landseer. Here, too, we have a cartoon-study for Etty's •" Circe with the Sirens three," daring in its sweep of line. Among the water-colour landscapes, Mr. Turner's "Arundel Castle" (61) is chief : a work gorgeous in prismatic colour, but definite. The likeness of aspect here to that of the engravings from his works is such artoreinforee our admiration of those laborious and deeply-considered productions. -Mess's. Cox, Bennett, Stanfield, T. Denby, Pyno-whose bright paleness is exemplified to more than usual advantage in The Mul- grave Alum-works at Land's End" (156)-=G. A. Fripp, very truthful in the "Mill at ILythe" (112), Copley Fielding, and Lake Price, bright andexact, are the other principal workers in this department. Passing into the oil-colour section, we find the Turner, "A Scene in the Ifighlands of Scotland" (219), tole the great feature not of this room only but of the exhibition. Though meriting, and indeed requiring :tdy, the beauty of the -picture is felt at once, its elevation and simpli- city. In thinking of such works as this, merely technical considerations appear almost intrusive : yet the total diversity of practice visible hire- treatment being in a tone of solemnity which excludes all colour save the deepest and most sober, with evident subjection to a leading-tint- from the blazing displays with which the name of Turner is now identi- fied, (both undeniably on principle,) may not he overlooked. It is an art- problem. Of Etty's female studies, that "For the Graces" (227) is a good example : the "Magdalen" and "Women Reclining" (225, 229), wretched things,-the latter most discreditably drawn. Mr. Kennedy gives himself full licence in his "Sketch from Nature" (216), a female head and bust; and produces something delightful, if not to be approved. A pretrait from the same hand le not unlike Landseer's in style; and a landscape is of a kind of excellence similar to that in the Pall Mall Gal- lery. The " Italy " (209) is, we fear, less a true work than Mr. Ken- nedy often sends forth. Far be it friim him to recur mechanically to what was well done impulsively. It will no mere be the same than an erange-poel is an orange. The landscapes include two-(one especially charming)-by that true arrast and student of nature Mr. Thomas Denby; a Creswick ; a Lee, more flian commonly satisfactory, with animals by Ansdell ; a powerful "Sunset" (223) by Linnell ; and some _Boddingtons, judging from one of Whicla we are inclined to say that the style now so well known as dm- tinotive of this artist and his brothers will approximate more and more to the Linnell school. A clever picture by Mr. Maguire, bright in colour, and with maim subject than the title implies, is modestly rather -than
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aptly catalogued as " A.Sketch.from Nature, with Figures introdueed " (0441,,,iiirmou ;xi oroliiisaitit:444:3tiriiii , ii-1.444.6.c-Atio. there is originality about ita,/k arn-lc.-ps ,TtudbiCi.,A,Low,o1 i Eli; allor..biic1W-- ;,,ste . A.fetrOittliabilleitflOttlreAraitd$B,SAMKgraPhilt!ikenr, . . bra0Die *0.griel. of :W kAgpa......YrO''''' 1 "4 - Ail, aainttetirs in --Aittyitilltorilt: .., . . ._011991141pOtt,101,1.8.4ic ill .our_owoosiiiliji4lieicho.iim isAtiPihAy, ilitpalard Sad a somewhat serious drawback otsitlYettratttidm :,e- ataL ,IE .99a .-mq,sAsanoil - . . . , - r1,14,1654/ .3 vv,,44 .,.,..40 441 --,1”, 1 41,04■12aLL no.40,
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