604 



Fine Arts' Publications. 



[Nov. 



tation of seeing any thing more sweetly and 

 skilfully executed. It is singularly soft 

 and delicate ; and the truth, simplicity, and 

 feeling, that characterize the little group, 

 are exquisitely preserved. What a pity it 

 is that the embellishments of the Annuals 

 are not of the si/e of this print ; the effect is 

 here precisely what it should be. It is a 

 little gem that at once " speaks for itself." 

 It is, perhaps, a disadvantage, in the 

 Illustrations of the Literary Souvenir for 

 1831, that one of the number should be so 

 surpassingly beautiful. It were hard, in- 

 deed, if the very exertions of the proprietors 

 to produce perfection should be turned 

 against them, and we should complain that 

 they have not been excellent in every thing, 

 because they have gone beyond ordinary 

 excellence in one instance. Yet something 

 like this will we fear be the case ; for there 

 are several prints among these illustrations 

 which it is almost impossible to afford a 

 glance at in the same portfolio with the 

 Lady Georgiana Agar Ellis, engraved from 

 Sir Thomas Lawrence's picture by J. B. 

 Watt. Perhaps were we to say that the 

 Annuals, either of this or of any preceding 

 year, have scarcely produced anything equal 

 to it, our opinion would not be unsupported. 

 This arises partly from the grace and splen- 

 dour of the composition ; the taste, bril- 

 liancy, clearness, and refinement of which 

 have been caught by Mr. Watt with the 

 skill and feeling of a master. Next to this we 

 like the Trojan Fugitives, J. C. Edwards, 

 from a painting by G. Jones, R.A., a very 

 picturesque group, eminently poetical in 



design, and ably executed. We should 

 have liked Robert Burns and his Highland 

 Mary better, had they been merely designed 

 as a pair of rustic lovers ; but notwith- 

 standing the resemblance to the features of 

 the poet, it is deficient both in fancy and 

 fervour, though softly and tastefully en- 

 graved by Mitchell. . There is something 

 pleasing at a first glance in the Sea-side 

 Toilet, by Portbury, from a picture by 

 Holmes ; but the effect decreases upon 

 looking nearer : the head appears to us too 

 mature for the figure. The Narrative, by 

 Greatbach, from a design by Stothard, is 

 far better ; the figures very gracefully 

 grouped in Boccacian order, sitting on a 

 declivity ; the faces, although so minute, 

 really lovely and distinct, and the whole 

 scene as attractive as a glimpse of Arcadia. 

 A Magdalen is a soft mellow engraving, by 

 Watt, from Correggio ; and the View of 

 Ghent, by E. Goodall, with its gorgeous 

 galley and gay figures, deserves mention 

 for the deep sparkling clearness of the 

 water. The Destruction of Babel, from a 

 painting by H. C. Slous, is too palpable an 

 imitation of Martin to be pleasing ; it is 

 conceived in a style that of all others re- 

 quires to be original to be relished. The 

 materials of the picture are full of poetry, 

 but the, effect altogether is not poetical. It 

 is magnificent in parts, but melodramatic 

 as a whole. The prints that we have not 

 particularized suffer very considerably by a 

 comparison with the beauty of some of 

 those (the Lawrence especially), that we 

 have named. 



WORKS IN THE PRESS AND NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



WORKS IN PREPARATION. 



A whole length portrait of Byron, at the 

 age of 19, never before engraved, will be 

 prefixed to the Second Volume of Moore's 

 Life of Byron. 



The Adventures of Finati, the Guide of 

 Mr. William Bankes, in the course of his 

 Eastern Journies and Discoveries, have been 

 arranged for publication by that gentleman. 



The Author of " Anastasius," Mr. Hope, 

 has a New Work, nearly printed, On the 

 Origin and Prospects of Man. 



The Biography of another of our Naval 

 Heroes, Lord Rodney, is preparing. 



Popular Specimens of the Greek Drama- 

 tists are advertised. An attractive feature 

 in the First Volume (^Eschylus) will be a 

 series of Engravings from the splendid De- 

 signs of Flaxman. 



A New Journal is to appear devoted to 

 Science and Natural History, conducted 

 by Faraday, Brande, Burnett, Daniell, Ure, 

 and others. 



Four Volumes of Mr. Croker's Edition 

 of Boswell are printed. Sir Walter Scott 

 and Lord Stowell have contributed much 

 information to the Editor. 



Knowledge for the People ; or, the Plain 

 Why and Because, is announced by the 

 Editor of Laconics." 



The Rev. T. F. Dibdin announces the 

 Sunday Library, or the Protestant's Manual 

 for the Sabbath-Day, a Selection of Ser- 

 mons from eminent Divines of the Church 

 of England. 



Mr. Dawson Turner is preparing for 

 publication the Literary Correspondence of 

 John Pinkerton, Esq. 



Captain Abercromby Trant is preparing 

 a Narrative of a Journey through Greece 

 in 1830. 



The Gentleman in Black, illustrated by 

 George Cruickshank, will soon make his 

 appearance. 



The Author of " The Templars" has a 

 new work in the press, entitled, Arthur of 

 Britanny. 



Dr. R. Wheatley has a work nearly ready, 

 entitled, The Errors of Romanism traced to 

 their Origin in Human Nature. 



Elements of Greek Prosody, from the 

 German of Dr. Franz Spitzner. 



Elements of Greek Accentuation, from 

 the German of Goettling. 



