FINE ARTS.
TEAT prodigious effort of British taste to give an air of architectural magnificence to the Metropolis, Trafalgar Square to wit, is approaching its consummation : the bronze foliage blackens the capital of the Nel- son column, and the statue stands at its base ready to be hoisted to the summit. Two of the most conspicuous absurdities, the lowest and the loftiest that London can boast, are placed opposite each other ; and in case the public should sicken at the sight, two capacious basins occupy the space between. The inauguration of the statue had been fixed for the anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar, just past ; but that delibera- tion which has marked the progress of the works, being equal to the precipitation with which they were determined on, the preparations were not completed in time ; and, with the consistency that has charac- terized the whole proceedings, Trafalgar Square is to be opened on the anniversary of the battle of Copenhagen. Meanwhile, the public have been freely admitted to see the stone colossus. The gates of the hoard were thrown open to the passengers last Friday and Saturday ; on which days it is estimated that a hundred thousand persons passed through the enclosure, stopping to stare at the statue on their way, in spite of the indefatigable exertions of the Police to prevent too close a scrutiny of its merits. To render the whole affair dignified and impressive, NEL- SON'S Agamemnons were made showmen of, and became mendicants on the occasion ; being privileged to hold the begging-box for contributions to enable the veterans to enjoy a treat on the day when their old com- mander is to be mastheaded in effigy. 'The statue stands seventeen feet high ; and is composed of three blocks of stone of a dull brownish tint, somewhat resembling bronze : there seemed to be a difference of opinion as to its being metal, stone, or wood; to which last material it is assimilated by the peculiar kind of sculpture. NEISON being a naval hero, the sculptor, Mr. BAILY, R.A., appears to have thought it necessary to seek for his models in the wooden walls of Old England ; and he has successfully unstated the style of carving peculiar to ships' figure-heads. This has enabled him to exhibit that noble superiority to the rules of art, and daring disregard of personal resemblance, for which the dockyard- carvers are celebrated : and though the necessity of the case has obliged him to set the figure upright instead of slanting, the feet are made to slope; so that NELSON seems to be in the act of sliding off the rounded top of the pedestal. The hero is dressed in his Admiral's uniform, wearing his cocked hat, and leaning against a coil of rope, his left arm resting on his sword ; the loss of his right being indicated by the empty coat-sleeve : if any should doubt whom it is meant for, These characteristics will assist them in forming a guess. To those who are so unreasonable as to think that a statue which is to be stuck up out of sight should nevertheless be fit to be seen, and that their inability to discern a likeness at the height from which it will be visible does not ab- solve the sculptor from the necessity of perpetuating the resemblance of NELSON, it may be hinted, that in a few years probably the combined ope- rations of weather and smoke will have reduced the :figure to a black shapeless mass: the most finely-modelledlimbs and features would soon have been obliterated, but the cocked hat and empty sleeve will remain. As, however, our Continental neighbours the French are fastidious in these matters, priding themselves on placing well-modelled and highly- wrought statues of NaroLzox on the tops of columns at Paris and Bou- logne, it would be prudent to cover up Baus's figure of Nnnson from view, until it can be put out of the reach of criticism ; lest foreigners, with their prejudices in favour of fine art, should ridicule our poverty of means and talent, from their inability to appreciate the economy of labour, material, taste, and skill, which is so strikingly shown in the coarse art of the Nelson Memorial.
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