FINE ARTS.

Engraving of Mr. DANBY'S Picture of the " Opening of the Sixth Seal ;" from the Book of Revelations.

We do not profess to rank ourselves among the admirers par excellence of that peculiar style of art of which Mr. MARTIN bears the palm of invention, and in which he has been so ably supported by Mr. DANDY. In giving an opinion, however, upon the merits of distinguished artists and of their productions, wo endeavour as much as in us lies to set aside our individual and private prepos- sessions and antipathies, and to form a just and unbiassed estimate of the character of the work and the talents of the artist upon the ground of their intrinsic qualities; deducing the opinions we express from accurate investiga- tion and fair argument, guided by the principles of art and reason. It is, we think, paying a better compliment to the good sense both of our readers and of the artist whose works we criticise, to give the result of a careful examination into their merits, than to offer indiscriminating praise or general admiration merely. And we should hold ourselves unworthy the confidence of our readers were we to suffer ourselves to be influenced by private favours or We also deprecate and study to avoid ungenerous carpings and cavillings on petty and inconsiderable points of exception; wishing to be actuated by a spirit of fair- ness as well as of frankness. Having thus premised, we proceed to remark upon the strikingly effective mezzotint before us.

Mr. DANDY labours under a disadvantage in appearing before the public through the medium of the engraver, because his peculiar effects owe much of their beauty and grandeur to colour. Mr. MARTIN'S magnificent architecture, on the contrary, appears, we think, equally impressive in the mezzotint; for his colouring detracts from the sublimity of his forms and conceptions. Mr. Man TIN'S empire over clouds and shadowy gloom is also best asserted in his engra- vings; and in this patticular his persevering skill in using the mezzotinto scraper is eminently advantageous to him. Mr. DANBY is by no means a plagiarist, al- though he is in the school of Mr. MARTIN. He delights to grapple with primi. five forms and the chaos of the elements. Mr. MARTIN, while he rests his splendid creations on the basis of the obscure, is not less " of outward show elaborate," and revels in the intricate combinations of architecture and decoration. As a print, we do not consider the present work so pleasing or so interesting as that of the " Passage of the Israelites over the Red Sea," which ap- peared at the commencement of last year, and was noticed in our pages at the time. The subject chosen is one that baffles the imagination of man, and much more the art of the painter. Those portions of the performance which represent the operation of the elements, are nevertheless most effective. The figures are not well drawn, and the grouping is too artificial, and bears more the appearance of study than of nature. The middle distance, we think, is too near the foreground ; which, by diminishing the perspective of the distance, makes_ the exploding rocks appear rather like the blasting of a coal mine than the riving of "earth's adamantine heart" by the chaotic action of the elements. In short, the picture wants aerial space,—a deficiency never observable in Mr. MARTIN'S pictures. We object also to the radiated shape of the falling stars; it is superannuated vulgarism. To the effect of colour in this magnificent failure, our recollection bears vivid testimony : and that brings before our imagination the almost unearthly gorgeousness of colour iu the " Sunset in the Tropic" of this artist. To say that it required the test of sight to prove that this picture did not transcend in glowing brilliancy the colours and effect of sunset in the golden clime of the East, is high praise. The gilded galley, too, burnished by the efful- gent rays of the sinking sun, and creeping like a glistening centipede over the otherwise solitary "emerald waste," was a fine touch of heightening grandeur. The sight of the present print has revived in our mind the impression of imagi- native power which Mr.. DANDY'S paintings had left ; and if it has a similar effect on the public, the artist will have no occasion to regret that the picture has been engraved. It is but justice to the engraver, Mr. PHILLIPS, to add, that the ems cutiou of the mezzotint is throughout admirable for force, depth, and effect.

New Lithographic Prints.

The successful industry of Mr. Sinter brings his performances more frequently before our notice than those of almost any other lithographic draughtsman ; and, what is of more importance, they continue to improve in, their style of execu- tion. He has now put forth three as beautiful specimens of lithography as we have seen of their kind, and each of them excellent in its peculiar effect.

The first is by far the best portrait of SONTAG which has yet appeared in print, and is greatly superior in drawing, likeness, and efthct, to the former sketch of Mr. Herm:, also lithographed by Mr. SHARP. A rich softness and harmony of tone; and a delicate feeling in the touch, give to this beautiful drawing that ap- pearance of originality which characterizes none but first-rateperformances. The witchery of the fair Syren's eyes is well expressed, and the air and general cha- racter of her head and bust are preserved in the print.

The second is a faithful and highly pleasing portrait of the little laughing phi- losopher who sings and dances to the hum of his hurdy-gurdy, and was seen about the streets of London in our November weather, greeting the sight like a sunny spot in a dungedn. It is admirable for truth of character and artist-like effect. The hands and face are well drawn, the dress and instrument nicely made out, and the texture of the different parts well discriminated, while the whole is in excellent keeping. The lithography must have been as gratifying to the painter, Mr. EDMONSTONE, as the print is captivating to the purchaser. The third is a portrait of KAREL DU JARDIN, from an original painting by him. self, which appears to have been copied with great care and fidelity. The painter has represented himself in the act of painting ; and the enc. is singularly striking, his figure standing out from a light landscape background. The expression of his face is indicative of sensitiveness and patient perseverance; and is charac- terized by that singleness, integrity, and simplicity of look, so frequently observable in the portraits of themselves by the old painters, as to make it appear that those characteristics were peculiar to their craft. The lithography merits praise for harmony of tone and completeness of effect,—qualities which are precious in the eyes of an artist : the face and hair are particularly admirable in this respect.

Illustrations of the Waverley Novels—Old Mortality.

We are gratified at observing the great improvement in the character of the illustration of the present volume. It is a design by WILKIE, worthy of his genius, and of the work it illustrates. The subject chosen by the artist is the

entrance of Bothwell and his Troopers into the apartment of the Laird of Man- wood, who is seated at dinner with his nephew Harry Morton and the domes-

tics. It is a striking picture: the grouping and effect are excellent, the persons

well contrasted, and their characters nicely discriminated. The figure, attitude, and expression of the laird, are admirable, but a little too historical in style (a

very infrequent fault of modern painters ; young Morton's position and dress are

graceful and characteristic ; Bothwell's face is more of a courtier's than a sol- dier's ; but to a performance of such sterling merit we reluctantly make excep-

tions. The engraving is excellent; but the imperfect impression in the volume will not enable us to say more than that it is by Mr. GRAVES, and a good speci- men of the line manner. The vignette by Mr. BURNET is very pretty ; but the position of the child is constrained, and this destroys the simplicity of character. It is well engraved by Fox.

Monsieur Tonson ; by JOHN TAYLOR. Illustrated by ROBERT CRUIRISHANK.

This humorous ballad, the subject of which is better. known by the dramatic version of it, is here illustrated in a rich vein of broad comic humour, by ROBERT CRUIKSHANK. The designs are replete with fun, and approach in excellence those of his brother GEORGE, of whose style they are closely imitative. The Monsieur Tonson of the artist is not, however, the " little Frenchman" of the ballad, for he is neither " Frenchman" nor "little," and his wife is a specimen of the real Irish of St. Giles's. The wood engravings are well executed, and have force, depth, and richness of effect. The proof impressions of them on India paper, are beautiful as works of art, and worthy of a place in the portfolio of the connoisseur.

The Young Artist's Assistant in the Art of Drawing in Water Colours. By THOMAS SMITH.

As a treatise on painting in water colours, this work contains some useful hints ; the most valuable of them, however, being quoted from the excellent works of Peon. and VARLET on this subject. Had the title and scope of the book been

limited to teaching the use of water colours generally, we could then have dis- pensed with the censure which must pass upon a work professing to instruct the

" young artist" in drawing " animals, fruit, flowers, still life, portrait, miniature, landscape, perspective, architecture, and sculpture." To profess to treat of such a range of subjects, may read well in a titlepage, -but the limits of an octavo volume are not more than sufficient for adequate instructions in one of these branches. Treatises on art should either illustrate general principles, or treat of some one particular department exclusively. Such vague and desultory instruc- tions as are conveyed by the author of this volume, can only make superficial scholars, and will never form artists. Mr. SMITH recommends his pupils to " begin with colours, when they first begin drawing ;" he characterizes "colouring " as " the most difficult part of drawing ;" he speaks of pencil-drawing as " the lowest branch of art," and considers "learning to finish in black-lead a decided waste of time." These precepts are acted upon by village drawing-masters, who place

before the uninitiated scholar a box of colours, and assist him in the abuse of

them almost in the first lesson ; wisely considering that pretty colours hide bad drawing, and look more lively than pencil scratches. It is not necessary to use

much argument to prove that drawing is the foundation of all art, while colour is

the ornament; and that a student who cannot draw, never will become an artist worthy of the name. We have not space to point out many other pernicious pre- cepts; one, however, must not be omitted, which recommends practising pencil-

drawing from wood-cuts! and we have accordingly some ordinary wood engrav- ings inserted as specimens of pencil-drawing. The illustrations of the book are

in themselves bad, and worse than useless to the learner. The book appears to have been got up for sale, and may be very well calculated for that purpose, es- pecially in the country ; but as a system of instruction, it is not only deficient, but injurious.