FINE ARTS.
TILE BOOK OF GEMS.
Tuts is a work of ravishing beauty, where the attractions of art and the charm.; of poesie combine to captivate the outward and the inward sense. It is indeed " a dainty book : " its delicate cover likens it, in the eye of fancy, to an ivory casket enclosing the treasures within. The embellished edition of ROGERS'S Poems was a rare combination of beautiful verse and exquisite art; but it included the works of only one poet, which were illustrated by but two artists—the best in their respective styles, 'tis true. Here is a concentration of the poetic genius and pictorial skill of our country:nen : we have only a little taste of the quality of each, but they are most exquisite morsels. The idra of thus exemplifying the Poets and Painters of Great Britain is a happy one; and no pains appear to have been spared to carry it into execution. A design, appropriate to the illustration of some one of the passages quoted, heads the extracts frotn each poet. The sub- jects vary according to the talent of the artist : thus we have pieces of history, scenes of domestic and rural life, poetical fancies, por- traiture, landscape, &c. Sometimes they are miniature pictures, some- th»e vignettes. The painters' works appear in some instances meretricious—like tinsel beside the sterling gold of the elder poets ; or, to carry out the metaphor of the title, the gems of art "pale their ineffectual fires" before the intense lustre of those of poetry. But it should be borne in mind that painting is yet young in this coun- try, while poetry is coeval with our literature, of which it is the brightest ornament. Moreover, the specimens given are not in all cases among the best effo: ts of the painters, while many great names are omitted altogether. This is sufficient to account in a great degree for the comparative inferiority of these specimens of our painters to those of our poets ; though it must be conceded that the balance of intellect and imagination is greatly in favour of the poets. It cannot but be considered as a defect, however ; for as well might THOMSON! and BeaNs be missed among the poets, as GAINSBOROUGII and MORLAND among the painters. Nor are these the only names omitted: in looking down the list, we see neither0m, WEsr, NORTHCOTE, JACKSON, HIL- TON, HAYDON, LESLIE, nor LANDSEER; and though specimens are given of the sculpture of WESTMACOTT and BAILEY, FLAXMAN and CHAN-ram- are overlooked. Some of our best living landscape paint- ers—COPLEY FIELDING, DEWINT, CONSTABLE, and LEE among them —are omitted. But as the editor promises another volume, in the event of this being favourably received—which it deserves to be, not- withstanding our objections—these deficiencies may be supplied here- after. In the mean time, we should have preferred, and it would have been better for time book itself as well as the art, had the noble frag- ments of our elder poets been associated with the finest works of the greatest painters,—to say nothing of the propriety of making the relative chronology of the progress of painting and poetry correspond. Thus much, however, may be urged on the part of the editor, that while the whole realm of British poetry was before him where to choose, the garden of the sister art was less accessible ; he could not always cull the flowers he would have chosen. Novelty was an essen- tial feature in respect of the embellishments. Having delivered our critical conscience of its burden, let us enjoy the feast before us.
1 IThe landscapes are, as might have been expected, the most satisfac- tory. A storm by WILSON, though it is neither so agreeable a subject or one so characteristic of him as might have been chosen—(a sweet calm valley, with a river gliding through it, would have been pre- ferable)—is a powerful work of art. A view in the garden of a villa on the banks of the Thames, with bright sunlight effect, by TURNER, iS one of his most sparkling and delicious bits of nature. Windsor Castle by moonlight, by HOFLAND, is impres- sive without gloom : a more full and mellow flood of moonlight never poured over a richer landscape. A funeral by water—a scene up the Thames—by EDWARD COOKE, is a lovely piece of art : the glow of the setting sun, contrasted by the sombre barges and funereal plumes, has a cheerful yet solemn effect. There is also a fine architec- tural landscape, the" Flight into Egypt," by MARTIN, free from his usual exaggeration ; and there is a pretty little view of Eton College, by STARK. ARNOLD'S" Echo and Narcissus" is too artificial a land- scape. CALLCOTT'S scene on the banks of the Nile, with Egyptian Temples reflected in the flood, and standing up against a bright clear twilight atmosphere, is beautiful. STANFIELD'S " Ruins in Greece!' is clever and effective, but rather theatrical: and HARDING has sacri- ficed a sea-piece to a bad group of ladies. COLLINS contributes a truly English scene of rustic children beside a cottage-door; rather heavy, but of sterling excellence. In poetical designs, EASTLAKE and Barons are foremost. The " Cave of Despair" is one of EASTLAKE'S best works ; and a brilliant gem it is. This and STOTHARD'S " Birth of Venus" have our pre- ference over all the rest. BRIGGS'S picture of the Romans introducing Civilization into Britain, is a noble effort of art, and befits a work like the present; its merits outnumber the funds. An interior of a
church, with a funeral, by WILKIE, is a rich piece of effect. in the manner of REMBRANDT : the gloomy light and the cold vacuity of the Falls combine with the solemnity of the rite to produce a powerful impression. This is another rare gem. " The Disconsolate," by NEWTON—a girl seated on a sofa with a letter at her feet, her face hidden by her handkerchief—expresses the sentiment of the story well. We may remark, by the way, that a great number of the subjects are of a painful or violent kind—such as shipwrecks, battles, funerals, and mourners. In addition to those we have already instanced, there is the "Widow kneeling at the Grave of her husband," a powelfully. effective picture, by Ilas:cocx ; another shipwreck by Pnour ; a combat by COOPER; the " Demon of War," by JOHN WRIGHT, &c. To be sure we have as a set-off, Pleasure's Banquet," by HART ; a wreath of Fairies, by PARRIS ; a jolly infant Bacchus, by Sir MARTIN SHEE,-11 very powerful picture ; a girl, by Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS, as an exemplification of the "happy age ; " a child and flowers, by ROTHWELL ; the rustic Dulcinea of Iludibras reading the Knight's letter, and L'Allegro, by M'CLISE, in the shape of a Taglioni- like figure springing out of a wreath of fairies and flowers before the pan- eled form of II Penseroso. To enumerate all the embellishments would be tedious ; but we cannot pass by unmentioned HERBERT'S "Lady Jane Beaufort caressing a Peacock ; " llowaito's beauty called " The Summer-flower ; " "La belle Pucelle," by INSKIPP ; a child at prayer, by UWINS ; a girl wreathing a chaplet of flowers, by PATTEN; and a Roman peasant praying to the Virgin, by PENRY WILLIAMS: they are all beautiful.
The engravings are mostly in the line manner, and exquisitely wrought. Some few failures wily serve as foils to the beauty of the rest.
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