THE NEW SOCIETY OP PAINTERS IN WATEH•COLOUES.
Much as usual, the New Society of Painters in Water-Colours goes on its way with its exhibition of the present year, if not rejoicing, at least in a state of comfortable content. The old men reappear, quite satisfied to give us new versions of their former selves ; and, after looking wist- fully for some gleam of novelty, with the smallest possible result, we ac- cept them at what they are worth. The sum of the minimum result al- luded to, and even that not absolute as novelty, may be said to lie in the contributions of Mr. Brocky among the figure-painters, and Mr. Edmund G. Warren among the landscapists.
The former, well known as an oil-painter by single figures and studies of nude form with ambitious titles, displays somewhat more stuff and subject in his water-colours. "The Monastery" especially, a repre- sentation of convent charity, is very agreeably composed and designed, with sufficient character and variety. The group of the mother and her child, who faces her seated on the ground and half nestling between her knees, is conceived with peculiar grace. "The Terrace," where a Span- ish lady gives an orange to a little girl, is also well treated and nice ;
Pilgrims on the Way-side " less mature in handling. Mr. Edmund Warren shows, in his best worts, a carefulness of design and strict com- pleteness of execution not often found in water-colours. "Berry Pome- roy Castle, South Devon," is an excellent production ; the light upon the trees to the left, which brings them out grey and feathery against the darker foliage behind, being a very beautiful passage, and every part done with the care and skill of a true artist. "Glimpses- through the Wood," and "Au Unfrequented Path," are scarcely less fine; the slant light through the trees in the first very fresh and charming, but the colour tending slightly perhaps towards sacrificing warmth for lightness. Two others are considerably inferior, and probably earlier. This gentleman is one of the very best acquisitions of late years to the cause of landscape art in water-colours,
The President, Mr. Henry Warren, is in force this season ; having seldom appeared in BO much finish and variety. "The First Sunset wit- nessed by our First Parents" presents an extensive and luxuriant scene, with a beautiful assemblage of animal and vegetable life, under an effect somewhat hot and yellow, yet tellingly painted. The foreground espe- cially displays much faithful and effective study. The natural emo- tion of watchful interest not unmingled with awe is indicated in the figures ; which are not themselves however, of much value. "Ye hae tellt me that afore, Jemmy," portrays a Scotch lass and her shep- herd-sweetheart engaged in a discourse the tenour of which may be readily conjectured from the title. -The smile on the girl's broad face shows that there is more pleasure than sarcasm in her words. In the arrangement-of 'the group there is a good deal of foreshortening featly overcome ,t the sheep are somewhat of the conventional breed. "In- cipient Courtship "—another phase of rustic love-making—has still more laughable humour. A raw bumpkin and a pretty girl have got under a tree to escape a shower : he sticks as close as he can to one side of the trunk, and hardly dares move hand or foot for nervousness; while she, holding out her hand in some flutter to try whether the rain has ceased, casts sidelong glances which she would not have detected for the world. It is a moment of "thrilling interest." Profuse has been the industry of Mr. Haghe ;' whose many interiors are as clever, as well painted, and as well filled with their appropriate figures, as ever. The principal one is a "Convivial Meeting of the Brewers' Corporation, Antwerp"; which may be called, of its class, unexceptionable. The table to the right, with ser- vants arranging for the coming banquet, is admirably done,—possibly the best part of a picture where all is about equal. "The Post-office at Albano," and "St. Peter's Festa in the Church of St. Peter, Rome,",are rather hot in colour: the latter also is an ugly subject of tawdry Popish ceremonial; nor is "Le Benitier in the Church of St. Peter" much better in that respect. Four others are smaller—all of them good, some excellent, reproductions of the spirit of Dutch social art, in a somewhat more modern strain of refine- ment than is to be found in Mr. Haghe's models unless as an exception. The religious art of Mr. Corbould is always a calamitous blunder; as the merits of no painter are more exclusively of the technical class, and even these verging on the hard and mechanical. "Paul and Silas in Prison at Philippi" is only another exemplification of this rule. Mr. Corbould seems to have purposely made St. Paul of unimpressive exterior, as he is recorded to have been,—thus departing from the often disputed authority of Raphael ; and we need hardly add that, in his hands, with dignity of person dignity of soul also has vanished. St. Paul is a kind of working man with a taste for "education "—the classman of a mechanics' institute. "The Flight of Fair Ellen," from the ballad of Young Lochinvar' is a trifle better—but only a trifle, being still greatly deficient in vitality. However, the fair eloper's easy impromptu seat on the horse is a very clever piece of draughtsmanship. "The Village Stile" is a subject of a single female figure—the face perhaps a little less mask-like than usual. Two other habitués are Mr. Wehnert and Mr. Absolon. The first, a man of capacity who seems to have left off exerting himself to do his best, sends three scenes from t3hakspere, of which the only one partially approvable is "Romeo and the Apothecary", and here the feeling is markedly Ger- man, instead of Shakeperean or Italian. The second is seldom seen to such advantage as in the present exhibition, where his numerous contributions are almost all imbued with a liveliness and ease which go far to atone for slightness. No. 141, the incident of two English sailors, prisoners of war of Napoleon' who tried to escape in a boat of their own frail building, and "Boulogne 1854—arrival of Prince Albert," are among the best of their author's productions. The largest picture of the gallery comes from Mr. M. A. Hayes, and is devoted to " The Heavy Cavalry Charge at
Balaklava." This, independently of its interest of portraiture and inci- dents, is a work of far more spirit, talent, and life-likeness, than we either anticipated from Mr. Hayes or are wont to meet in battle-pieces. The nature of the movement is well brought out, and the figures are really in action; for instance, the jerking onward motions of hands and heads, characteristic of men on galloping horses, are extremely truthful. Of -Mr. Lee's peasant subjects the best is "On holy things intent"; where a young mother, holding her boy on her lap, looks beyond him in a very natural manner to read her breviary. "Mary, the sister of Lusa- rus,' standing at the door with her alabaster-box of precious ointment, is represented in a serious unaffected tone and style by Miss Emily Farmer. Messrs. Mole, Campion, Howse Keeling, and Cart-hit, also merit inspec- tion. Mr. Kearney and Mr. leschard are prominent without being Tay successful.
In landscape, the diminutive works of Miss Fanny Steers continue at the head of the whole lot in the really poetic and lofty qualities of art. These little squares of paper, a few inches in size, and unelaborate in em cution, possess a depth of perception and of feeling, a tender, harms- thous, passionate glow of colour, and a thorough competence of represent- ation at all points, which qualify th. m for the most prolonged examina- tion. The "Sunset," with the sunken flash of its sky, the dark wild trees to the left, and the ruddy intensity of its entire colour, is a splendid little bit. How exactly and finely characteristic also are the spotty range of clouds, and the cart and horses, in "The North Hill, Great Malvern." People would set more count than they do on this lady's works could they but be persuaded that greatness in art has nothing to do with size. "The Avenue," by Mr. Pidgeon, is very well designed, and sunny in its greens and russet yellows. Mr.Penley, though often chargeable with a rather wooden style, has some works of great merit among his numerous contributions: such are—" At the Entrance of Patterdale, Cumberland, from the Ambleside Road" ; and for business-like painting and austere feeling, "The Painter's Dream." "The Salmon Pool near Bucicland Ab- bey on the River Tavy," by Mr. Philip Mitchell, is genial and artistic ; and Mr. Wbymper's views are true, unconventional, and substantial. " Burst of Sunshine—on the Thames," by Mr. Robins, is one of the most original and attractive treatments in the gallery. Messrs. Chase, M'Kewari, Telbin, Cook, Bennett, Fahey, Youngman, and Lindsay, are also to be distinguished, although such of them as already own fully formed styles do little beyond what they have done before. To these we may add Mr. Weir for animals, Mr. Cromek for an interior far better than usual in colour and altogether very nioe, and Mrs. Harrison and Mrs. Fanny Harris for flower's.
Previous page
