1825.] 
president : the Duke of Sussex and many 
distinguished persons being present; who, 
in several instances, purchased pictues, or 
beeame, afterwards, subscribers to the funds 
of the institution. At the end of the season 
it appears, notwithstanding the extraordi- 
nary expenditure consequent on the first, 
fitting up and opening of their rooms, the 
society were enabled to pay one of the five 
thousand pounds expended for them in the 
building by Mr. Nash, and to have the satis- 
faction of knowing, that between three and 
four thousand pounds had been paid, to 
artists, for pictures, sold by them during the 
exhibition, for which no other market was 
open. 
Under these circumstances, they con- 
fidently look forward on the present year, 
for such further aid from the enlightened, 
wealthy and liberal part of the community, 
as may enable them to clear themselves 
from all pecuniary obligation, and permit 
them to reap that profit from the posses- 
sion of the premises, unshackled by rent or 
interest money, to which they are evidently 
entitled. The success of the sale last year, 
induced them to expect increased efforts on 
the part of the exhibiting artists ; nor have 
they been disappointed: for their walls 
will prove, not only that the members of 
the society have exerted themselves to the 
utmost, but that numerous and clever con- 
tributors, in every branch of art, have availed 
themselves of the opportunity here offered, 
of appearing advantageously before the 
public in their works, all of which are 
original. 
The venerable royal academician, North- 
cote, has both years contributed, by send- 
ing some of his finest works to aid this 
institution ; and Mr. Soane most generously 
sent them a donation of fifty guineas. The 
liberality and good feeling displayed by 
these gentlemen proves that they are really 
lovers of art on a broad basis; and we 
doubt not that, as time advances, other 
royal academicians will be found, either 
patriotic enough to aid the extension of 
that taste, which cannot be too widely 
diffused in a civilized country, or wise 
enough to accept the means of benefit 
offered to all who exhibit in these rooms ; 
but these first friends to a body, struggling 
with difficulties, and stigmatized in despite 
of their declaration as rivals, must descend 
with honour to posterity in the annals of 
British art. 
Want of room compels us now to aban- 
don the subject, which we shall resume next 
month, with an account of the pictures now 
exhibiting. We shall, therefore, only add, 
that the funds of the society have been 
lately assisted by donations of 100 guineas 
from the Duke of Bedford ; 20 from the Hon. 
Agar Ellis ; 10 from Mr: Hart Davis, m.v. ; 
10 from Mr. Windham, and several other, 
amateurs wliose names we do not recollect ; 
and that the walls of the exhibition are 
_ covered with a beautiful display of pictures, 
Fine Arts. 
263 
especially landscapes. In this delightful 
line of art, the Royal Academy never made 
any display to be compared with the 
Suffolk-street exhibition; but it must be 
also ceded, that the advantage in portrai- 
ture rests, and we apprehend will long” 
rest, with Somerset-House. In miniatures, 
however, the new exhibition enters boldly 
into competition, and they are here most 
admirably disposed. Martin, Haydon, 
Sharpe, Heaphy, Miss Sharples, &c., 
offer pleasing pictures; Glover, Hofland, 
Linton, Nasmyth, Wilson, Noble, &c., 
beautiful landscapes; Blake, Bradley, and 
others, unrivalled game; Collins, Parey, 
Miss Hayter, &c. &c., miniatures. The 
Hennings, father and son, sculpture ; and 
the print room has received a powerful 
accession, from the works of Mr. R. Lane, 
this year, who displays extraordinary power 
both in line engraving and lithography. 
THE DIORAMA, 
Ir is unnecessary for us to expatiate on 
the nature of this new and beautiful im- 
provement in ‘the art of perspective and 
picturesque illusion. The admiration of 
the public was sufficiently testified during 
the two previous exhibitions. Of these, 
the first has been generally admitted (the 
interior of Canterbury Cathedral in par- 
ticular) to have been pre-eminent. In that 
of last year, admirable as, upon the whole, 
it was, the view of Brest Harbour could 
not but be regarded as inferior to its com- 
panion, M. Bouton’s interior of the fine 
‘Cathedral of Chartres. The reason was 
obvious, in the very nature of the subject. 
In so large a body of water, how tranquil 
soever the state of the atmosphere, and 
however protected from the action of the 
tide, the imagination could not ‘dispense 
with some semblance, at least, of undula- 
tion ;—some little rippling and quivering of 
the reflected lights, especially, in an exhibi- 
tion, where motion was actually given to 
the smoke of the neighbouring forge ; and 
the eye of the spectator was, therefore, 
always most gratified when the rotary 
theatre in which he was seated, shifted him 
to the interior of that magnificent master- 
piece of gothic architecture, in one of the. 
galleries of which he could believe himself 
seated, an absolute spectator of the prostra- ” 
tion of those devotees, who were fixed in. 
prayer, in meditation, or confession, in its 
aisles, at its shrines, and by its oratories. 
The former of these pictures is now re- 
* moved, and has given place to another, 
which is, perhaps, as much superior in effect 
and interest, as its predecessor was inferior 
to its companion. 
. We had the advantage of entering at the 
time when Mr. Bouton’s picture was in ex- 
hibition, and were not sorry to find ourselves 
again, with all the superstition of the. real 
presence, in the interior of that noble edifice. 
Viewing it now, with the advantage of a 
more favourable light, from the state of 
the atmosphere, than we had formerly en- 
joyed 
