FINE ARTS.

SOCIETY OF BRITISH ARTISTS.

THIS Society, finding no encouragement for their modest proposal that the Government should pay their debts and give them a few hundreds to go on with, have put thrth a nosy plan for propping up their failing prosperity : conversazioni are to be held during the exhibition, the pictures are to be shown by gas-light, lectures are to be delivered, and a library and museum are to be formed—that is, if the guineas of sub- scribers flow in faster than the shillings of casual visiters, and donations of books and prints are numerous ; moreover, the charity children are again to be treated with a sight of the pictures. We should be the last to ridicule or disparage any &mit fide attempts to popularize art ; but when we see the members of a society formed for the express purpose of coun- teracting the injurious exclusiveness of the Royal Academy, not only following the practice of the Academicians in hanging their own works in the best places, while better pictures by other artists are thrust into holes and corners, but printing their own names in the catalogue in a conspicuous type,—an impertinence on which the Academy have not ventured,—we can only regard this scheme as an effort to lift into im- portance a knot of insignificant persons, who, with one or two excep- tions, have no pretensions to distinction on the score of talent. Had the Society been conducted on the fair and liberal basis on which it was founded, it would now have been a flourishing institution, instead of a " refuge for the destitute." Yet the present members complaio of a " denial of assistance," in the teeth of their own record of donations to the amount of 120Ui. and a loan of loot more, in addition to the pro- ceeds of sixteen annual exhibitions. An exhibition of pictures that, in these days, cannot support itself on its own intrinsic merits, is .tin- worthy of encouragement. The Society complacently point to this year's display as evidence that they have " progressed '—backwards unquestionably : hut let our list of noticeable pictures speak as to this point. The beauties, though numerous, are mostly of small pretensions.

Among the DESIHNS, IWO large pictures of the historical class first challenge notice. That by LATILLA, representing " The Seven Bishops blessing the People previous to their Commitment to the Tower for refusing to read the unconstitutional decrees of James II. in the Protestant Churches," (No. 11,) though too gaudily coloured, shows talent, but in the ornamental, not the grand style. The other, by HURLSTONE, deFicling the scene from Ilynos's "Deformed Trans- formed," where Olympia, flying from her ruffianly pursuers, takes refuge

in St. Peter's, and, springing upon the altar, invokes the protection of the cross, is of a more sober aspect ; but the soldiers want energy, and the damsel looks more like one of BERNINI'S monumental figures coloured, than a living woman in an agony of terror. The only othe; performances of this class not absolutely ludicrous, are Mrs. 3PIAN'5 of " Dunstan dragging Edwy from time arms of his Wife," (4190 which as the work of a lady and an amateur merits praise, if it were only for

the energetic action and furious look of Dunstan ; and two by her hut. band, (the actor,) " Mark, King of Cornwall, conducted by the Dwarf, finds Queen Ysonde and Sir Tristrem sleeping in the Cave," (1810 end the " Rescue of a Moss-trooper from Carlisle by the Earl of lluceleuch

and it party of the Clan Scott," (5310—which, though not strictly speak-

ing historical, are designs full of character and meaning. Two pictures illustrative of old English customs, " Masking and Mummering in aa Inn-yard in the Sixteenth Century," (181,) and " The Feast of Fools," (340,) by J. GILBERT, are sketched in a rough style, but with spirit and mastery, denoting a thorough understanding of the subject, and ar- tistical skill. Buss's theatrical portrait-picture of the scene from " Henry the Fourth," where Falstaff recounts his prowess at Gadshill, (3570 is coarsely effective, but wanting in humour. PRENTIS'S two scenes of domestic life are elaborately finished ; but the pathos of " The Prodigal's Return," (11:3,) is forced and mawkish, and the fun of " Borrowed Plumes," (1020—a maid-servant trying on her mistress's

turban—is not equal in amount to the labour bestowed on it. CLorsn's two rustic subjects, " The Christmas Present," (4u7,) and " The Gam- blers," (478,) are clever repetitions of himself'.

There are a few admirable STUDIES of CHARACTER ; and foremost of them all is lIonnsTONE'S " Italian 111ariner Boy," (E)0,) the she of life : seated iu a lounging attitude strunnning his guitar, the handsome boy, in his picturesque costume, looks at you with Ills large blue eyes, and an air of indolent enjoyment and unconsciousness equally ells- raeteristie and delightful. This picture is painted with a degree of force and finish beyond what the artist has before exhibited, and with a concentration of effect that he does not attain in pictures of several

figures,—witness his " Shepherd Boys of the Italian Mountains," (83); his " Girl and Dog," (424,) though an imitation of Sir Josnua ltEv- NoLos's style, is slot less charming than the studies of children of his prototype ; and his " Portrait of :kJ:aster Tollemache and Pony," (310 is a very characteristic and striking pitoure, independent of likeness.

DOUGLAS COWPER'S sketch of " The Aged Captive," (2360 has an expression of hopeless dejection quite touching; and his larger "Study" of the same head, (e7,) has fine character. Of a totally opposite kind is " The Merry Mood," (80,) by the smut' painter,—an areh- eyed gipsy, with a face full of glee lolling on Iser elbows and looking out at you with a wanton laugh ; and " Sleep," (473,) a beautiful girl reposing in her chair : the colour of these two last is rich and juicy .; the gipsy is brighter, and fresher, but snore sketchy; the slumbering girl is highly finished, and painted with solidity and clear- ness also. This young artist gives promise of high excellence both in fancy and executive skill. There is something in the expression of " A Girl at a Window," (3180 and a Girl with a Tambourine," (339,) by 0. Scow, that attracts attention despite the ungainly style of the painting ; and the bland serenity of the look of the mother caressing her child, in " Maternal Happiness," (2040 by J. P. DAVIS, is sweetly characteristic, though the execution is heavy and infelicitous. " In- dustry," (2250 by W. BowNEss, is a simple and graceful study of a

charming girl at an embroidery-tiante : the ne1110 tr.? us a pre- Sent, but as the talent of the artist promises to make it become familiar, we would hint the necessity of greater solidity and clearness in the flesh tints. A vigorous heal of' " A Swordsman," by F. STONE, (650 on a larger scale than the artist usually paints, concludes our list of Studies. The PORTRAITS are not numerous, and some few are good. By tar the best is one of' the "Reverend T. H. Marshall, Vicar of Pontefract," (1860 by J. GILBERT ; which for living truth of character and the reality of' the delicate flesh and white locks of age is pre-excellent. The only good whole-length is that of "G. Heneage, Esq.," (189,) by Mr. J. RonsurrsoN, and it is one of the lady's best productions. " Lewis, the famous Chess-player," by T. LEWIS, (1570 and " Mrs. Trollope," (55,) by Ilium-mu, are admirable likenesses ; and " Miss Williams, of the St. James's Theatre," (245,) is a clever commonplace portrait, by Joy, with less pretension than his "Hebrew Merchants," (200.) There is some bright and harmonious colouring in the 'Portrait of a Lady and Child," (1960 by '1'. Roou, though the painting is crude. " The Grandson," (162,) by J. STEWART, is a characteristic portraiture of youth and age ; and his portrait-picture of" The Countess thorinsky, daughter of Prince Esterhazy, and Family," seated at dinner in Chandos House, (600 is cleverly designed, and painted with more brilliancy : this is an improvement upon a loyal City Knight's notion of having his family painted sitting at table singing "God save the King." The LANDSCAPE and MARINE pictures are comparatively few and an- Important, bet generally pleasing. ALLEN has retrograded this year: his large landscape, (2070 distinguished by a classical quotation, is too much cut up : the trees are rigid aud thin ; in defining the character of the Collage he has thrgotten the substance, and masses of light and shade. Compare this picture with the sweet little bit of' twilight, "The Last Gleam of Day," (290,) where " Evening draws her gradual dusky veil" over the scene and all is thirmony and repose, and what is want- ing in the large picture is to be felt at once. His view of "Or- leans," (4360 is also a very muttered composition, and crude in exe- cution. TOMKINS, the scene painter, has a number of views of Conn- 'lentol towns, painted -with remarkable force ; but their effect is greatly injured by the heavy and monotonous texture of the painting, making all objects look as if carved out of wood and the figures like models., This fixedness of' aspect is a common defect in the easel pictures of scene-painters—even STANFIELD is not free front it : it is prominently visible in the view of " Huy, on the Meuse," (32.) TENNANT has two of his clear and warm coast-scenes, (114 and 276,) and. a Cuyp-ltke landscape with cattle and figures, " Return from Market," (4950 in which, however, the arid hue and texture of the road gives too hot a tone to the effect—the prevalent defect of' all his pictures. Waws has two or three fresh, green, river scenes, with beautiful effects of reflec- tion in the clear stream ; of which " Barges on the Thames near Henley," 0910 is the most successffil. SHAYER'S rustic landscapes with figures have still too lurid and thick an atmosphere ; his "Gap- $ys' Camp," (218,) however, gives sign of improvement in this particu- lar, and is admirable for truth and character. WILSON, is introducing more colour into his coast-scenes, (ride 56,) but the ensemble is not har- monious : something always seems wanting in his pictures. His son exhibits two or three sweet little bits of nature, freshly coloured and prettily handled: one in particular, "On the Thames, near Henley," (3585 is very pleasing. Eomurox's " Niagara Fall," (127,) shows only a strip of the cataract ; hut the stupendous height and mass of the falling water is well represented, though the figures seem too small for the scale of' the surrounding objects as indicated by the texture of the painting. P11:13, we are sorry to see, is sadly gone back : his "View front the Cheddar Hills," (44;80 is meagre, scratchy, and negligent in the extreme. 'Gm-rim, a clever sketcher, is also too slight and insub- stantial in his painting, and shows an utter absence of drawing. Curram's moonlight-scenes are too much like each other, though they are more like nature than the ivory and ebony effects of moonlight- mannfitcturers : when he paints on a large scale, the defect in his pic- tures, arising from the absence of any indication of the local colour of of objects—which moonlight subdues, not utterly destroys—becomes evident.

We can only enumerate, as worthy of notice, a coast-scene, "The Oyster-creek. near Rye," (203,) by TuottPE—a rising artist of great piomiso ; " View from Sevres Bridge, near Paris," (5090 by IlExsHAw —showing a feeling of T 1.714NER'S best manner ; " Thetford, Norfolk," by PmEgr—whose fresh green colouring only wants toning down a lade " Waterfall at Glenshire," (3540 by A. NAsMYTII—a clever and powerful picture ; and " View off Ilfracombe," (35:1,) by Bumasn- who paints sea capitally. There are also some pretty bits of nature bv Miss NAs3Ivrn, lin.orren. BA1.7.1ER, VICKERS, A. CLINT, A. MoN- 'AGM &e. LINTON exhibits a large epic landscape called " The City of Argos, with the Embarkation of ,Vainemnon tbr the Trojan War," (104,) which is no more amenable to criticism than the "castles in air" of a Christmas pantomime. thought it has not the same imposing effect on the sense.

The painters of ANnnat.s in this exhibition are WooDWARD ; who almost equals the lima! of EDwis LallosElin in " A Mare's Bead and Foal," (1970 the size of life : Jost—whose cattle in a " Farm-yard," (4840 are very life-like ; and llaxeocx—the only fault of whose pic- ture of the " Deer- stealer in his Bothie," (40I,) is that it is too like E. LANDsEER'S manlier.

There are but few WaT:n-c000rn Dniwtxcs. Among them are two picturesque scenes on the coast of Genoa, by G. BanxAmD, (612 and 0400 a clever view on the Lake of Como, (6290 by RignanosoN junior, a brightly-coloured interior by FowLER, (6300 and a design by Miss SETEHEL from " Taming the Shrew," (6050 evincing great talent in the delineation of character and emotion, and artistical skill.

Tlw SCULPTURE-ROOM is closed, being appropriated to the " Library and Museum "—when they shall be limited: the busts are relegated to the lobby, and two or three groups and statues are placed in the picture- rooms ; but there is nothing remarkable in them. To sculpture, in- deed, this gallery has virtually closed its doors : of the policy of which arrangement, we leave the artists to judge.