132G.] 



The Fine Arts. 



30j 



THE DIOIIAMA. 



Tlie Diorama, in the llegcnt's Park, 

 opened on the 'iOth of I'eliruary with two 

 new views ; the Interior of the Cliai)cl of 

 RoMlyn, by Monsieur Dajjuerre ; and the 

 City of Uouen, liy Monsieur lioiiton. The 

 latter commands not only the city, liut tiie 

 river Seine and the .surroundiii<,' country to 

 a Viust extent. It forms a grand and beaii- 

 tifid landscape, the water in wliich, from its 

 trutli to nature, merits tJie warmest praise. 

 Ml wiio have ever visited tliis dehghtful 

 I \hibition are aware tliftt it depends, for 

 much of its effect, upon mechanism. 'I'hus, 

 in the present instance, we have at times 

 tlic appearance of full sUnlif^ht — then a par- 

 tial obscurity — then the rayless gloom of a 

 storm — the gleams of returning sunshine, 

 a rainbow, 8:c. .Some of these elfcct.s of 

 light and shadow are very correct, and 

 altogether the skill and ingenuity displayed 

 i,re wonderful. 



We, however, have always given a de- 

 cided preference to the architectural paint- 

 ings at the Diorama. Depending less upon 

 meciianical device, they are complete 

 triumphs of art. All who recollect the 

 lovely moon-Iiglit view of Holyrood Chapel, 

 with which tlie exhibition closed a few 

 weeks ago, will be anxious to contrast it in 

 their memories with Roslyn Chapel, the 

 object of which, next to its grand architec- 

 tufid illusion, is to disjjiay the varieties of 

 atmosplieric effect ui)on llie interior of the 

 time-honoured structure, on a summer's 

 bright, but not cloudless day. Nothing can 

 be finer — nothing can be more complete, 

 than the artist's success. 



•rilF. I'CECILORAMA. 



A new exhibition, under this title, com- 

 bining in some measure the i)riiicii)les of 

 the Diorama with those of the C 'sraorama, 

 was opened at the Egyptian Hall, Picca- 

 dill)', on the 1 1th of February. The artist, 

 we believe, is Jlr. Stanfield, the celebrated 

 scene-painter. The seven views here dis- 

 ]dayed are in succession as follow : — The 

 City of Turin ; — Holy Island, or Lindcs- 



fame, with a shipwreck ;— the Exterior of 

 the Castle of Chilton; — London, in I50fl; 

 — the Interior of the Castle of (!hillon ; — 

 Netley Abbey ; — and the City of llouen. — : 

 We cannot dwell ujion the respective merits 

 of these ])ioces ; but we must be allowed to 

 observe that the subjects are well chosen, 

 and that, generally speaking, the )mintii(gs 

 are, as works of art, sujjcrior to those wtf 

 have been accustomfd to witness at the 

 Cosraorama. It is, however, we conceive, 

 upon Netley Abbey, and the City of 

 Uouen, that the celebrity of the exiiibition 

 will chiefly depend- These, by the ado])tion 

 of similar nuchanicU contrivances, will, 

 though upon a small scale, boldly com))Cte 

 with some of the pictures at the Diorama. 

 It is not unworthy of remark, that the view 

 of the City of Houun ajipears to have been 

 taken from nearly the same spot us that at 

 the Diiirania. The different effects of sun- 

 shine, clouds, a storm, and a rainbow, with 

 a beautiful refleetion of the heaverdy arch 

 upon the water, are, we consider, more 

 varied, aiul with a fidelity at least equal to 

 that which is achieved in the larger |>icture. 

 — In Netley Abbey, the effects of lirelight 

 and moonlight arc contrasted. Of the sort, 

 we have never seen any thing finer tlian 

 the sky and the stars. From a dilapidated 

 window of the abbey, the lull moon is seen 

 gradually rising aljove the hoii/.on, and 

 attaining her meridian height in the firma- 

 ment ; displaying, as she advances, the 

 varying effects of her rays on the extended 

 laniUcape, and on the walls and tlooring of 

 the consecrated jjilc. It is not possible, 

 wc think, for a spectiitor to be otherwise 

 than delighted with this view. 



THE MrSICAI. SISTERS. 



In another room of the Egyptian Hall, 

 two little girls, the one four and tlic other 

 seven years of age, have been for some 

 weeks exhibiting extraordinary skill in their 

 Iierformances on the harp and piauolortc 

 Not confined to simple airs, they ]>lHy 

 many of the more elalwrate pieces of the 

 first composers of the day. 



MONTHLY THEATRICAL REVIEW. 



king's theatre. 



A want I'f novelty has bi^en severely felt 

 at the Italian Opera since our last publica- 

 tion. The Donna del Lnrjo was revived, 

 and made a diversion for two or three 

 nights to the Crociato in Eqith), which has 

 lost nearly all its popularity from too fre- 

 quent repetitions. But the Donna, who, 

 when represented by Signora de Begnis, 

 was full of activity and vigour, seems now 

 to have lost all her powers and her dignity ; 

 and Madame Caradori, in spite of all her ex- 

 ertions and musical ability, is very little 

 more fit to perform the jiart than Signora 



M.M. Ncio Scries.— Vol. I. No. 3. 



Cornega is to act or sing that of Mulcolm. 

 Curioni resumed his former character in 

 that opera, and his spirited action finely 

 contrasted with the frigidity of those who 

 were to support him. 



Agreeably to the wishes of the subscri- 

 bers, who were beginning to express their 

 dissatisfaction, a new opera, " Teoholdo 

 e Isoiina," has been got up with great haste ; 

 and to accelerate its performance, the house 

 was not open to the public for a week. 

 Signora Bonini and Velluti perform the 

 principal characters in this^pera, the music 

 of which is bv Morlachi. It is s-iid that 



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