1830.] 



E 347 ] 

 FINE ARTS' EXHIBITIONS. 



BRITISH INSTITUTION. 



THE exhibition of the works of living 

 artists, at the rooms of the British Institu- 

 tion, is this year, as usual, the first in that 

 procession of pictorial wealth which every 

 London season has of late years sent forth, 

 in number and value tenfold beyond that 

 which any other country of Europe can 

 boast. The exhibition which we are now 

 about to notice leads the way ; then comes 

 the Exhibition of Associated British Artists 

 in Suffolk Place ; next, the beautiful and 

 unique shew of the Water Colour Artists in 

 Pall Mall East ; then the selections from 

 the old masters at the same institution, to 

 which we are about to refer ; and lastly, (not 

 to mention innumerable individual efforts 

 which are brought forward in various ways) 

 to crown the whole, we have the Royal 

 Academy Exhibition THE exhibition par 

 excellence. The immeasurable sirperiority 

 of these collective displays over those of a 

 similar kind in other countries, indicating 

 as it does the very indifferent condition of 

 art generally, may be not very gratifying to 

 us as cosmopolites, and lovers of art in the 

 abstract ; but as Englishmen, and lovers of 

 our country, it is impossible not to feel, and 

 to be gratified in feeling, that in this, no 

 less than in every other department of intel- 

 lectual exertion, we transcend, beyond 

 question or comparison, all the rest of the 

 world. In every department of literature 

 in eloquence in all the ornamental and 

 useful arts of life in the domestic policy 

 which leads to comparative freedom and 

 happiness, and in the foreign policy which 

 gives us weight and influence in other coun- 

 tries in national and individual wealth 

 and finally in that moral worth and wisdom 

 which gives value and virtue to all these, 

 it is impossible not to perceive and to re- 

 joice in those germs of permanent national 

 prosperity and supremacy which the tem- 

 porary cloud that is now passing over us 

 cannot hide can scarcely even obscure. 



As we cannot but attach a high value to 

 the due appreciation of those arts the results 

 of which, while they stir and nourish, at the 

 same time refine and exalt the human mind, 

 we shall, henceforth, pay particular atten- 

 tion to all exhibitions that are worthy of 

 public notice in connection with our present 

 subject ; and we are happy to find that the 

 one now to be considered offers (together 

 with much to pass by unnoticed, and a little 

 to reprove) many points for just commenda- 

 tion. 



We shall, without further general re- 

 marks, proceed to notice the leading works, 

 in the order which we find them placed be- 

 fore us. 



No. 1. Italian Boys. A. Morton. 

 This picture, by an artist of rising merit, is 

 perhaps, upon the whole, the best picture in 

 these rooms we mean of course, among 

 those which put forth any variety of preten- 



sions ; for assuredly it is not equally good, 

 as a whole, with some smaller pieces of 

 minor pretensions, in point of subject matter 

 and the care bestowed upon it. It repre- 

 sents a group of Savoyard boys (why they 

 are called " Italian" we don't know its 

 effect, where it produces any, will be to ex- 

 cite associations mischievous to the preten- 

 sions of the work) collected together some- 

 what anomalously, as if for the amusement, 

 not of other people, but themselves. Their 

 <{ appliances and means" of trade, consist 

 of an organ, a learned poodle, a monkey, 

 and a cage of white mice ; and, setting 

 aside a dusky and muddy tone in the co- 

 louring, the whole are painted with consi- 

 derable knowledge of the resources of the 

 art with truth and spirit in the various 

 expressions with skill and taste in the 

 composition, and with great force of effect 

 in the management of the light and shade in 

 some of the details. The fault of the pic- 

 ture is the monotony in the faces, which are 

 all alike ; and its misfortune is, the com- 

 parisons it not merely suggests, but, as it 

 were, insists on, between certain wondrous 

 productions of a similar kind by Murillo, 

 which comparisons it is, in truth, little able 

 to bear. Nevertheless, looking at the work 

 with a view to itself alone, it has great 

 merit. 



JVo. 11. The Birth of Venus. Howard, 

 This piece of elegant feebleness, and 

 another near it by the same artist, (" Morn- 

 ing," No. 16.) will serve to keep alive for 

 a little longer the memory of, and perhaps 

 the admiration for, that class of purely 

 poetical creations (so called), which, having 

 no foundation whatever in the passions and 

 affections of the human mind, have no more 

 chance than they have claim to maintain a 

 permanent hold upon public sympathy, 

 Mr. Howard's poetical works will (we hope) 

 keep their ground in public favour so long 

 as their original inventor continues to sup- 

 ply them ; but (we hope) not a day longer. 



No. 13. The Sisters of Scio. Phalipon. 

 Though by a foreign artist, and, there- 

 fore, not exactly in place here, we cannot 

 deny a passing word of commendation to 

 this pretty little bit of pathos, an engrav- 

 ing from which formed the most pleasing 

 embellishment to one of this year's annuals. 

 Its merit is, to shew by concealing : on the 

 principle of Mr. Newton's "Letter" of last 

 year one of the most touching and effec- 

 tive strokes of art that we ever remember to 

 have seen. 



No. 18. The Guardian ; No. 24. Girl 

 of Normandy; No. 25. The Duenna. 

 G. S. Newton, A.R.A These three pic- 

 tures, though they are inferior to most of Mr. 

 Newton's late productions, are nevertheless 

 the gems of the collection ; and this, no less 

 for conception and sentiment, than for style 

 and execution. The first (The Guardian) 

 represents an aged man, turning the key (in 



2 Y 2 



