ART.
THE ROYAL ACADEMY.
[FIRST NOTICE]
IF we had to characterise this Exhibition by one word, we should call it "respectable," and feel that we had acquitted ourselves with dexterity of a difficult task. That large section of the pub- lic who rejoice, as one of our lecturers once said, in the possession of "double-belied doors to their houses," and who regard the unfortunate people without such duplicate emblems as inhabit- ants of the outer darkness, will find everything in this exhibition to please them, and nothing to offend. Everywhere, from the first room to the last, do we find clouds of incense offered up to the genius of respectability. The cheek of the young person, that most tender of all sensitive plants, need never pale or redden, as its proprietor saunters through these eleven rooms. Nice sentiment, pretty painting, small ideals, and large prices would describe nine-tenths of the work here, and this year the absence of many striking pictures is more noticeable than ever. Leighton, Watts, and Poynter, the three greatest painters of the figure whom England boasts of, and each of whom sent a large picture last year, send only small contributions to this exhibition, in the same way Leslie, Marks, Alma Tadema, Albert Moore, and Marcus Stone all send comparatively unimportant contributions, while M. Tissot, whose pictures are always among the events of the exhibition, has deserted the Academy ; and Miss Thompson has wisely opened an exhibition of her pictures by themselves, where soldiers (in uniform) will be admitted free, and the ordinary public at the small price of one shilling.
There are several exceptions to the general falling-off in the quantity of important works. Mr. Millais sends two large pic- tures, a figure subject and a landscape, the latter of which is cer- tainly far superior to his "Over the Hills and Far Away" of last year. Mr. Armitage also contributes a large semi-historical picture, while Mr. Long's "Egyptian Festival" will be no doubt the centre of attraction to many throughout the coming season. We shall only mention this week a few of the most noticeable paintings in the first room. The first picture which strikes us after entering is M. Peru- " Finishing-Touches " (8). This artist, it may be remembered, had two very successful pictures in the exhibition last year, both female subjects. This represents a ladyreceiving the last tenches
which are to render her already fair face irresistible at the coming festivity, whatever it may be. She is already fully dressed, and stands half-concealed behind curtains, which she holds closely together round her neck, so that the powder which the hair- dresser is sprinkling over her head may not fall on her dress. 'The face is pretty enough, with that dollish, patch-and-powder sort of prettiness which we are accustomed to see in pictures, and the best that we can say for the painting is that it is not un- graceful. May we suggest to M. Perugini that a man heating curling-irons at the fire and another sprinkling powder over an elaborately-dressed head of hair are hardly worthy subjects for him to waste his skill upon, when he can do so excellently as his last year's pictures betoken ? Next to this (No. 9) there is a large picture by Eyre Crowe, A., one of the fresh Associates created last year, and the painter of a rather hard and unpleasant scene from "The Birds" of Aristophanes. "Sanctuary," for so is this work called, hardly needs a description more than the name. We know that there will probably be a young woman in a cathedral, and a mob, or a single ruffian, thirsting for her blood. So it is here ;—the young woman is in a very ugly red dress, half-prostrate, in the most orthodox position of terror, at the foot of the altar ; the mob are shouting and shaking their fists at her, behind a barrier about three feet high on the left-hand side of the picture. In due course of time we can imagine that they will all go home quietly to tea, and no one will be at all the worse. In fact, we mean that Mr. Crowe's picture will be called very nice by thou- sands of people, and produce no impression upon anybody. The painting, as is usual with this artist, is cold and hard, but .excessively careful, and the costumes of the various figures cor- rect. No. 14, "Harmony," is by Frank Dicksee. We are very glad to be able to give this picture our warmest praise. It is, for Ai work by a young man, the finest that we have had for years, and should Mr. Dicksee go on improving as he has done of late, there is little doubt but that he will soon take no inconsiderable place amongst our first painters. The advance he has made this _year upon any of his previous paintings is really wonderful. If we mistake not, this is to be the interesting picture of the year, and it well deserves to be so, for though the subject is in some degree one likely to catch the popular taste, yet there is deep feeling in the way it has been treated, apart from its skill in painting and composition. It represents a portion of a hall or chapel, it might be either, with marble floor and stained-glass window, and a girl playing the organ ; while a young man, presumably her lover, reclines in an embrasure of the window, watching her attentively. There is, as far as we can see, nothing but praise to be given to this picture. It does not aim at any very high art, but as a little poem in colour it may fairly challenge comparison with any modern work. Especially the warm, subdued light which falls through the rich window is very beautiful, and the painting throughout firm and good. The great beauty of the picture, we think, all will acknowledge to be in the faces of the two lovers. Here it seems to us that Mr. Dicksee has fairly met and vanquished a great difficulty. He had to showupon the man's face some trace of the double effect produced by the music and the girl who is producing It, and he has actually succeeded in giving such an expression, so .that though we can see that the music is producing its effect, that effect seems only to be heightening the love which the man feels for the player. To the face of the female figure Mr. Dicksee has given that expression of serene exaltation and :unconsciousness, which we are accustomed to call saintly ; and here, again, it appears to us that he is right. The music has raised the man's nature as much as it could, has changed his love from passion almost into devotion, but in the woman's and the musician's soul, the harmony has swept her clear of all emotion whatever,—she is lost in that sweetest heaven of all, a heaven of her own creating. Such at least would be the manner in which we should read the picture. There is another .of our younger painters who has a large work in this room, and that is Andrew Gow, whose picture last year we had occasion to praise so highly. He sends No. 19, "The Tumult in the House .of Commons March 2, 1629." The moment chosen is when Charles I.'s message for the adjourning of the House has been read, and'the Speaker is endeavouring to leave the chair, in which he is being held down by two of the Members. We are sorry to be unable to congratulate Mr. Gow upon this work, and the more so, as it is evident that great pains have been taken with the costumes, grouping, and accessories. But taken as a whole, there is no doubt that the picture is not satis- factory. The colour, always Mr. Gow's weak point,_ is cold and patchy, and the faces of the various Members of the House
more resemble those of comic actors in a burlesque than of any other people we have met. Certainly there could hardly be a picture having less of the seriousness of the matter with which it is concerned. We should not be in the least surprised if the Speaker were to get up and dance a cancan, accompanied by Messrs. Hollys and Valentine. No. 35 is a fine portrait of R. Mills, Esq., by Valentine Prinsep, who this year sends only por- traits. This is a head and shoulders only, painted in strong relief against a red background, similar to that which Mr. Prinsep put in his last year's picture. No. 37, "Loading the Blind," P. F. Poole, R.A. This is the only figure-painting by Mr. Poole, and we are sorry to say that we like it less than any of his former works. The blind in this instance are both girls, moving slowly hand-in-hand through one of his (Mr. Poole's) own peculiar at- mospheres, which are neither morning, noon, nor night. The figures are very large, in the centre of the picture, and there is a yellew glow on the landscape behind. We cannot help thinking that this work is quite unworthy of Mr. Poole's fame. Mr. Pettie, R.A., has a large work in this first room, entitled "Hunted Down," which will no doubt excite a good deal of attention from his numerous admirers. It is a half-naked Highlander, resting with drawn sword and panting breath, and apparently listening for the shouts of his pursuers in the distance. The face, with its expression of ferocity and terror, is fairly painted, but the picture is an unpleasant one, and the colour of the flesh particularly dis- agreeable, and we should say, unnatural, though never having seen a hunted Highlander, we cannot speak from experience. No. 52, "A Yeoman of the Guard," by J. E. Millais, R.A. This is a very masterly painting of a red uniform, several straps and buckles, and a curiously shaped black hat. There is, indeed, a man in the uniform, but he is so unimportant that we need not consider him in the enumeration of details. On the whole, a cake of red paint would be nearly as interesting and quite as bright as this picture, and it is a pity an artist who can do such work as Millais has done, and does now when he chooses, should stoop to this frip- pery. No. 56, "His Legal Adviser," by Erskine Nicol. This is another of those humorous pictures of which we have had so many from Mr. Nicol's brush ; a thoroughly bewildered client, apparently of the agricultural interest, consulting a shrewd old lawyer. There is little to notice about the picture, and it is neither better nor worse than this artist's usual productions. No. 62 is a thoughtful and rather fine picture, by Walter C. Horsley, entitled, "The Hour of Prayer on Board the Turkish Ironclad Memudyeh.' " The Turkish sailors are kneeling by the side of an enormous Armstrong gun, and looking out through the port- hole over the Bosphorus, towards the mosque whence the muezzin is calling.
In our next notice we shall deal with the second and third rooms, which contain the cream of the Exhibition.
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