FINE ARTS,
THE HOYA.L ACADEMY EXHIBITION.
The Royal Academy held its private view yesterday. Reserving gene- ral as well as particular criticism till next week, we have only to say at present that an unusually considerable section of our prominent artists is entirely absent from the walls. We do not attach any superstitions im- portance to this point ; for, as we have before had occasion to remark, the younger men are not only often equally good, or better, but claim to be studied with even more interest for their relation to the future. Nor might we greatly regret each absentee individually ; but the mass of talent represented by Mediae, Mulready, Leslie, Frith, Egg, and we are almost justified in adding Dyce and Herbert, among the painters, and Gibson among the sculptors, is of an amount and variety which cannot be away without leaving a notable gap. In some of these gape, too, dis- appointment is added to regret; as circumstances have interfered to keep back works promised up to the last moment. The chief exhibiting Academicians are the President, Sir Charles East- lake, with a Ruth and Boaz and a female head ; Mr. Cope, with some domestic and other slight subjects, and a scene from Othello ; Sir Edwin Landseer, who, site of recent illness, appears at his best in both number and quality; Mr. Webster, also at his best ; Mr. Stanfield and Mr. Re- harts, both in satisfactory force ; Mr.Redgrave, with some a his lovingly- painted landscapes ; and Sir Watson Gordon, more than himself in por- traits. Mr. Denby heads the Associates, with a splendid picture—" A wild Sea-shore at Sunset" ; Mr. Pickersgill sticks to those tried friends of the painter in distress, the Brides of Venice and Francesco Novelle da Carrara ; Mr. Hook has a very sweet convent-picture ; Mr. Ward "exe- cutes" Montrose, and portrays the distress of divoroed Josephine. Mr. Stone imports his prettiness into the Bible, and in other works displays it with at least his wonted amount of success. We are no thick-and-thin worshipers of the modern Germans ; but it is not to the credit of the Academy that they have placed a "St. Thomas," by Overbeck, above the line.
As the most perfect work in the gallery, and one of the most interest- ing spite of its subject, we do not hesitate in fixing upon a sheep-picture by Mr. W. H. Hunt ; who exhibits also a scene from Measure for Mea- sure, and a portrait—both of remarkable elevation. The general favour- ite among the PneRaphaelite works is evidently, however, Mr. Millais's "Order of Release,"—a picture of last century ; certainly one of extra- ordinary merit, equally with his "Proscribed Royalist." We cannot *afford even a word of description at present to Mr. Linnell, Mr. Anthony, Mr. E. Lear, Mr. Cross, Mr. Phillip, Mr. Collins, and Mr. Wolf; each of whom is a conspicuous exhibiter either for size or for merit—some- times, as in the case of Mr. Anthony's verdant colossus, for both.
Sculpture and architecture we shall not even mention as yet.
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