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SOCIETY OF BRITISH ARTISTS, SUFFOLK STREET. 



BEFORE entering into a critical examination of the merits or demerits of this 

 or any other exhibition, it is but fair to inquire into its pretensions, for modest 

 mediocrity certainly does not require the same severe castigation as self- 

 sufficient incapacity. We will then briefly premise, that the Society of 

 British Artists is made up of certain disappointed painters, who, finding the 

 doors of the Academy shut against them, united to form a club who should 

 put to shame the close corporation at Somerset House, by exhibiting to the 

 world the injustice and jealousy of its members injustice in refusing to dub 

 them with the honours of those talismanic letters, R. A. ; and jealousy in 

 ousting their pictures lest comparison should be injurious to their own. Now 

 we are no admirers of the Academic body or their acts, far from it and we 

 should be heartily glad to see a thorough reformation in the house ; but in 

 this particular case or cases, as it may be, a visit to the gallery in Suffolk 

 Street will satisfy the most indifferent judge, that however many undeserving 

 members the Academy may contain, and however many eminent artists ae 

 excluded from its members, the Society here named does not contain a single 

 individual who has the remotest shadow of a right to complain of the hard- 

 ship of non-election. There are however some pictures of ability, though 

 produced by artists who are not members of the Society. We shall proceed 

 to mention a few of the most noticeable. 



No. 7. Boys of Terra Genesco, in the Abruzzi. F. Y. Hurlstone. This 

 picture has something agreeable in its subjects, and especially the expressions 

 of the countenances of the players at " II Giuco di Morra " are good. But as 

 a whole it scarcely can be said to rise above mediocrity, a character which 

 will apply equally well to No. 243, the Italian Shepherd Boy and his Wolf 

 Dog, by the same artist. There are eleven more pictures by Mr. Hurlstone, 

 of different degrees of badness, all bearing marks of haste in the execution. 



No. 21. A very fine Portrait of Mr. Carew the Sculptor, by Clint, The 

 composition and the colouring are good, and it has all the appearance of a 

 strong likeness ; though, not being acquainted with Mr. Carew's person, we 

 are not able to give an infallible judgment on that point. 



No. 31. The Camilies, West Indiaman, by G. Chambers. Though this and 

 two other pictures by this very talented artist are not, we think, very good 

 specimens of what he can do, yet if not considered with reference to others of 

 his own production, their merits will be admitted to be of a very high order. 



No. 34. Portrait of Edwin Forrest, Esq., Tragedian. I. G. Middleton. 

 We believe this to be amis-nomer, at least we could not trace the resemblance. 



No. 73. Two to One. W. Kidd. A very pretty little picture about three 

 inches by two, of two countrymen playing at draughts, one being deprived 

 of one eye. The expressions of the countenances are very good. 



No. 99. Another of the results of Mr. Pyne's visit to N. Devon. Pretty 

 but not striking. 



No. 132. The Valley of Mexico. D. T. Egerton. This picture has one 

 essential excellence novelty. The plains of Mexico have not yet been visited 

 by travelling artists in search of the picturesque, though the specimens 

 brought back by Mr. Egerton, of its capabilities, will probably send others 

 to explore its mines of wealth, though not for precious metals, at least di- 

 rectly. The scenery and general aspect of the physical features are highly 

 interesting, and the view very well chosen for its comprehensive character. 



No. 158. A Scene on the Tiber, by W. Linton. A glaring imitation of all 

 that is not good in Turner, or, at all events, is only good in the hands of 

 such a master of the pencil. 



No, 168. Landscape. E. P. Owen, M. A. Judging from the qualities of 



