PICTURES AND ARTISTS.
SOCIETY OF BRIT1SII ARTISTS, SUFFOLK STREET —CONCLUDED.
MARTIN'S picture of " David sparing Saul in the Trench at Hachilah" (105), though an historical subject, is scenic in its treatment; that is, the story is not read in the Lees of the persons, but is told by the com- bination of figures with landscape. Both this picture and LINTON'S of " Ancient Puteoli, in the Bay of Bake, with the landing of St. Paul" (13), belong to the class of Historic Landscapes; although nei- ther of them are successful attempts. In both the scene is artificial, and the actors theatrical. LINTON sheds on St. Paul and his followers a flood of sunlight, and alAwris shrouds David and his companions in the obscurity of night. LINTON'S sunlit sea is broad and translucent ; and Mannx's moonlight is like nature's, so far as its effects are seen on the clouds ; but he Las steeped all earthly objects in a flood of sable lustre, as though the liquid polish of his namesake had been poured over it. This is the common mistake of manufacturers of moonlight scenes, who will inlay a mother-of-pearl moon in an atmo- sphere of ebony. As, however, we are not among those who look upon MARTIN'S failures in painting real scenes as mools of his power to represent preternatural °Iles, we welcome his first footsteps on the ground of actual nature, uncertain though they be. He has been so long in the clouds, that be may be well excused for not seeing his way clearly at first on terra firma. His studies from nature in the Water- Colour Room, are cutious for being as literal as his imaginative scenes are extravagant in character, the style thing equally artificial. They look like landscape seen in a camera lard ainted on glass.
LANDSCAPE.
PYNE, in his large view of "The Thames at Richmond" (227), has painted that green wilderness of foliage, divided by the silver stream of the river, steeped in the warm mist of an afternoon sun, with a so- briety of colouring and pencilling that is a gratifying assurance of his having forsaken his freaks of style, and turned to the study and imita- tion of nature. We anticipate great things from his continuance in this, the only true path to fame in art. CRESWICK, in his coast and river scenes (170 and 370), imitates the cool gray mist of morning, and the silvery clearness of the water, with perfect truth. His view of " Westminster Bridge from Vauxhall" (286), is beautifully true and aarial in effect : it reminds us of a picture by CANALETTI of the same subject. CRESWICK'S style of painting is extremely chaste and deli- cate. G. BALMER displays a similar tenderness of tone and neatness of handling in a " View on the Rhine at Bingen" In his moonlight effects, too, he gives the appearance of a moonlit atmosphere. E. Clusne is more successful in moonlight scenes than in daylight ; which, like the landscapes of' STARK, though true, are somewhat feeLle. TENNANT is a very exact copyist of nature; but his mode of imitation is hard, meagre, and linty. Both he and P. Itoesas paint, though in different styles, as if there were no atmosphere. SHAVER,
%chose landscapes and iustie scenes evince a congenial perception of
scenery and character, should imitate the freshness mid brightness of daylight out of doors. Ats.sn's landscapes evince taste and pictu- resqueeess in composition, and an eye to those little details which give a truthful appearance to the scene ; but his pictures look crude and unfinished. In 58, the effect of sunlight on the ruined castle is very warm and bright ; but the rest of the landscape is not quite in keeping. R. B. DAVIS carries us on to the heather and among the wild deer; and IVILSON makes us shiver in the bleak wind that ruffles the surface of the water ; but whether on sea or river, he rarely gets beyond a ripple, so that we always fancy ourselves as it were in a creek. With CHAMBERS we feel on the main sea, with the waves heaving and the breeze filling the sails,—though we are only just off Margate Pier in 31S, and running into Shields Harbour in 304. No marine painter gives more vividly the effect of motion than CHAMBERS. The boat mounting on the waive is buoyant, and seems as if it would disappear the next moment ; the bows of the vessel actually dash away the foam ; the sea-birds sweep across its track ; the clouds hurry by, and the ob- jects on the shore look as if we should pass them next minute.
POATPAIT.
HURLSTONE'S portraits are many of them admirable as pictures; which is rarely the case with the paintings of the limiter, whose value and interest consists for the most part in the likeness; and of their cor- rectness the visitor has commonly no means of judging. fleassroNa's flesh, though it has not yet the clearness and transparency of nature, is more warm and rosy than last year ; and his faces have a living and characteristic look. Little Miss Gronow (210), with her round suss( t checks and sparkling black eyes, looks very pretty mounted on an ass's foal, and her black dress and white bonnet are very becoming. In the management of these colours in emitrast with flesh, HURLSTONE has shown great skill : one or two other of his female portraits are dressed in black, and the effect in the picture is very agreeable. He has shown, however, that he can neat more gorgeous colours with equal skill, in his portrait of a gentleman in a superb Greek dress (190). HOLMES'S whole-length portrait of a lady in a tartan dress (12), is very cleverly painted : it is not his fault that it looks theatrical. FaustrNaa and JOHN HAYTER have each several very characteristic likenesses, in which we would only desire a little more clearness of tone and fleshiness of texture. Emits in his portrait of an artist (405), displays an ele- gance and mastery of style that promise well, though there is too much blackness in the flesh tints. A portrait of a lady, by Miss SALAMAN (144), is forcibly painted, and has a pleasing and characteristic expres- sion. J. P. DAVIS'S likenesses must be very striking if they are all as animated as this of Miss Taylor (54); and this may compensate for the want of harmony and freshness in the i:olouring. LONSDALE'S like- nesses defy criticism.
In the WATER- C01.01,91 ROOM, are some designs of great merit, and powerfully painted, by K CORBOULD, Miss SETCBELL, and Miss KEENAN,—DanieS new to us, and welcome for the high promise they evince. Coneouso junior draws horses with extraordinary spirit and cleverness, and bids fair to surpass his father in the human figure also. There are also two or three landscapes by J. G. ROIVE, very true to nature.
The SCULPTURE ROOM is unusually attractive, considering how few specimens it contains. "Innocence" (763), by J. LERREW—a little girl sleeping—is a perfect imitation of life. The ease and repose of the figure are complete; the modelling of the limbs is beautifully cor- rect; and the form is shown too under the drapery, which is thrown
with great breadth. We have never seen any thing, even from
ClIANTREY'S chisel, to surpass the truth and graceful simplicity of this statue: the marble seems to breathe. "The Young Hunter" (770), by F. Tim:re—Cupid with a brace of greyhounds in hand—is a playful piece of fancy; the round, soft limbs of the urchin, are mo- delled with the delicacy of Fisminco. A statue of Arid (we suppose, fur neither the subject nor the sculptor's name appear in the catalogue,) is very graceful and fairy-like. In HENNINGS junior's poetical bas- relief of the Vintage (782), the fancy paints the scene with the colours of Srornaao. The busts of Dr. Elliotson, by Davis, and of Miss Davis, by FOLEY, are characteristic, and deserve particular notice as the works of young modellers. The marble bust of Mr. Stephenson, the engineer, by :Hooke, has strong individual character.
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