708 



Fine Arts' Publications. 



[DEC. 



we have not given his name. It is F. 

 Mansel Reynolds. 



To prevent any disappointment that 

 might arise from a scarcity of English 

 Annuals this year, destiny 'has provided 

 us with a French one, a counterpart of 

 the Keepsake, to be entitled Le Keep- 

 sake Francois^ and has here sent us 

 eighteen very seductive engravings 

 very brilliant and eloquent apologies for 

 the introduction of an additional volume 

 per annum. These embellishments are 

 principally executed by English en- 

 gravers from pictures by French artists ; 

 so that this production will present a 

 union of art which it is presumed may 

 be interesting to its admirers in both 

 countries. Dieppe, by Harding and W. 

 II. Smith, is full of pleasing effect, 

 which might have been heightened. The 

 Ass and the Reliques, Xavier le Prince, 

 and G. Corbould, is beautiful in spite of 

 the artificial air that distinguishes it. 

 We are pleased to see, in the^portrait of 

 the Queen of the French, by Hersent 

 and Thomson, the countenance of a 

 gentle, elegant, and intelligent woman. 

 The Lake of Como is more affected than 

 Stanfield's compositions generally. The 

 correctness of the perspective as re- 

 gards the ^figures is questionable. It 

 is atoned for by the succeeding print 

 Lawrence's exquisite portrait' of Miss 

 Croker, as exquisitely handled by Thom- 

 son. A different order of beauty fol- 

 lows, Barnard Castle, in which Willmore 

 has well embodied the soft rich depth of 

 Turner's pencil. Curiosity, by Roque- 

 plan and Humphrys, is a light and 

 graceful group. Don Quixote, by Bon- 

 nington and Sangster, is far from coming 

 up to our imaginative portrait ; it is too 

 hard the leg looks as impenetrable as 

 the armour. Cromwell and his daughter, 

 Decaisne, and E. Smith, is bold, rich, 

 and animated. The Young Widow, 

 Ilochard, and E. Graves, is arch, ani- 

 mated, and beautiful, the eyes are most 

 satirically swollen : it is a curious com- 

 positionforcibly contrasted with the 

 Chevalier de Lauzun, and Madame de 

 Montpensier, E. Deveria, and F. Bacon, 

 the personification of fashion and forma- 

 lityyet, withal, beautiful. There are 

 six or seven more one or two equal to 

 those we have named and all to be in 

 one volume, so that we need not say it 

 will be a rich one. By the way, we had 

 almost forgotten to observe, that these 

 engravings are also to illustrate an Eng- 

 lish work, the Talisman, edited by Mrs. 

 A. Watts, which will consist of scattered 

 beauties, with a few originals ; and of 

 which we augur well from the editor's 

 assuraiice, that she will be guided not 

 by u distinguished names" alone, but by 

 " the intrinsic merits of the articles." 

 We have no fear that "the lady doth 

 protest too much ;" we wish certain 



elderly editors of the same sex would 

 follow her example. 



The Amulet, hitherto distinguished for 

 its fervid sentiment, pure precepts, and 

 moral feeling, merits an especial wel- 

 come. The character of the present 

 volume will recommend it universally 

 to the admirer of art for the increased 

 beauty of its embellishments ; to the 

 grave, for its refined moral touches ; and 

 to the gay, for its light, delicate, and 

 agreeable variety. It is a book for all 

 moods for summer as well as winter. 

 The frontispiece is the finest flower in 

 its wreath if we say, the finest in the 

 entire range of this year's culture of the 

 annuals, we shall not exceed the truth. 

 The subject is Sir Thomas Lawrence's 

 magnificent picture of the Countess 

 Gower ; and to this Mr. Finden has 

 done entire justice; it is rich, deep, and 

 brilliant. A single glance at the Resur- 

 rection will identify it as an effort and 

 a fine one of Martin's ; it is engraved 

 by H. Wallis. It is a relief after this 

 to look at The Orphans, by J. Wood 

 and C. Rolls a very touching and 

 graceful composition, conceived in the 

 true feeling. Cromwell at Marston 

 Moor, by A. Cooper, from a drawing 

 by an unknown artist, and engraved by 

 Greatback, is all strife and spirit ; Crom- 

 well is alive, and the horses are fear- 

 fully animated. The Florentine, by 

 Pickersgill and Edward Finden, is of 

 a high character ; the boldness of this 

 contrasts with the simple beauty and 

 purity of expression of the Village 

 Queen, by J. Boaden and C. Marr. 

 Sunset is one of Barratt's best it has 

 all the warmth of colouring. Florence, 

 by Turner and Goodall follows it. But 

 we must stop, and take a glance at the 

 literature. The Tempter, answering to 

 its title, attracts us first ; it is the story 

 of Ayoub the Mighty, an Arabian le- 

 gend full of moral power, eloquence, and 

 imagination. Dr. Walsh's Irish Le- 

 gends and Traditions are highly curious 

 and amusing but they must not delav 

 us from a delightful little sketch by 

 James Montgomery, Home, Country, 

 all the World. The Indian Mother, by 

 Mrs. Jameson, and Eastern Story Tel- 

 lers, by Mr. Carne, are among the best 

 articles in this year's annuals. Miss 

 .Tewsbury's History of a Trifler is most 

 pleasantly written ; and the Roman 

 Merchant, by Mr. Banim, is one of his 

 happiest sketches ; to our extreme satis- 

 faction it is not too intense. But we 

 come to The Dispensation, by Mrs. 

 Hall, the crown and charm of the vo- 

 lume. This equals Mrs. Hall's best 

 we are sensible of the compliment con- 

 veyed, but we cannot diminish it by a 

 word. The characters are finely drawn 

 and finely grouped the incidents at 

 once romantic and natural. Imagina- 



