,1830.] 



Fine Arts 1 Exhibitions. 



349 



efficient, because the subject is ill-adapted 

 to the art. 



No. 146. Greek Girl. H. W. Pickers- 

 gill, R.A We do not remember to have 

 seen this clever picture before ; but the mere 

 fact of our feeling uncertain as to whether 

 or not we now look on it for the first time, 

 argues that the work is one which will not 

 add to the high reputation of its author. 

 Nevertheless, the picture is one among the 

 half-dozen very best in these rooms. There 

 is at once power and ease in the design and 

 handling ; a delicate individuality in the 

 expression, and richness, without gaudi- 

 ness, in the colouring ; but there is not in 

 the latter that depth and harmony which 

 we look for in a large work of this class from 

 a first-rate hand, as that of Mr. Pickersgill 

 now undoubtedly is. Not that there is 

 anything opposed to harmony in the colour- 

 ing of this work : its defects are negative 

 merely. 



No. 152. Lara. T. F. Green This 



is a striking, or perhaps we should say, a 

 staring picture. There is a degree of power 

 in it; but it has the grievous fault of em- 

 bodying only the repulsive points of its 

 original. If the effect of reading "Lara" 

 had been at all like that of looking upon 

 this imaginary representation of him, the 

 poet would have lost his pains. One great 

 secret of genius is, the power of extracting 

 pleasure from pain, or of subliming the one 

 into the other. The artist has in this in- 

 stance given us all the pain, but has let the 

 subtle pleasure that the poet has inextrica- 

 bly bound up with it. escape him. 



No. 163. The Sick Child. T. Webster. 

 This is one of those somewhat childish at- 

 tempts at drawing mere amusement from 

 pictures, which is a prevalent fault of the 

 present day, so far as the mere choice of 

 subject is considered. There is much 

 cleverness in some of the details of , this 

 little work, particularly in the whole figure, 

 air, and expression of the village Escula- 

 pius; but that which is intended as the 

 chief point of interest and attraction, " The 

 Sick Child," is an offensive mixture of the 

 painful and the disagreeable. 



No. 177. Battle of the Standard. J. 

 Wood. This little attempt at the display 

 of energy and grandeur on a small scale, 

 has considerable merit, quite enough to 

 make us regret that this artist should still 

 continue so decided an imitator almost a 

 copyist of Etty. 



No. 209. Interior of a Cottage, Ar- 

 gyleshire. A. Fraser The first view of 

 this picture is as dark and forbidding as 

 the actual scene which it so ably represents ; 

 but, like that scene, as you look at it more 

 closely, it comes out with much force and 

 truth. The picture is, in fact, painted with 

 knowledge, feeling, and manual skill ; and 

 it makes us regret that we have not more, 

 and more elaborate works from the same 

 source, and on similar subjects ; for, in this 

 nstance, though the theme is, in the ab- 



stract, common and trifling, there is no 

 charge of puerility against on the con- 

 trary it offers a desirable and interesting 

 illustration of actual life and manners. 



No. 240. Venus and Cupid. W. Etty, 



R. A This elegant little production is 



one of the most valuable and meritorious in 

 the present collection. The composition is 

 striking and effective, without being in the 

 least degree forced or theatrical ; the design 

 and its resulting expression (for, the face of 

 the Venus being hidden, the expression re- 

 sults from the general design) includes that 

 chaste voluptuousness which gives a classi- 

 cal air to the work ; and the colouring of 

 the flesh is, at least, equal to any of the 

 previous efforts of this accomplished and 

 elegant-minded artist. The fault of the 

 picture is, its affectation of an antique air, 

 which is shewn in the " geological speci- 

 mens" which are substituted in the place of 

 clouds, in the back ground. 



No. 248. Study of an Author. C. R. 

 Leslie, R. A. We notice this little por- 

 trait of Sir Walter Scott merely on account 

 of the name of the artist, for we cannot 

 think that it is at all worthy either him or 

 the illustrious person it represents. It is 

 feeble, meagre, and altogher unsatisfactory, 

 as relates to both parties. 



Le Debris. G. Lance. This will 

 probably be among the most popular works 

 in the exhibition, as it is certainly among 

 the most clever in point of mere execution. 

 It represents an after-dinner-table, covered 

 with the debris of a feast, which is left to 

 the enjoyment of a monkey, a mackaw, and 

 a black footman the two former of whom 

 are quarrelling for a portion of the spoils, 

 to the great amusement of the latter. The 

 glasses, salvers, fruit, table covers, and all 

 the adjuncts of the scene, are painted with 

 great skill : au reste, we cannot but think 

 it skill, in many respects, cast away. 



No. 326. Comus and the Lady. J. 

 Wood., This is a more elaborate and am- 

 bitious attempt than we remember to 

 have seen from this artist's pencil, and it 

 has also less the air of an imitation than 

 most of his other productions ; but we are 

 not able to congratulate Mr. Wood on 

 having caught the spirit of the scene. He 

 has failed, however, in company with every 

 one who has yet attempted the subject, which 

 is one of extreme delicacy and difficulty. 



No. 331. The Intruder. J. Ward, 

 R. A The " Intruder" is a dog who has 

 found his way into a shed peopled with a 

 cow and calf, a hen and chickens, &c. 

 We are sorry to be obliged to pronounce 

 this elaborate work of Mr. Ward s a piece 

 of falsehood throughout it is false in de- 

 sign, false in expression, false in colouring, 

 and false in general effect. There is no 

 doubt great cleverness, and great knowledge 

 of his art, mixed up with all these ; but 

 they are all overpowered by the obtrusive 

 mannerism which is displayed in the hand- 

 ling of this artist. The dog, however, and 



