432 
this essentially and exclusively ideal nature, 
degenerate into impertinencies. 
British Institution. 
In the same class of art with “ New- 
ton’s Dutch Girl’’—mentioned in our last 
—is “Auld Robin Gray,” (150) by T. 
Kwicut; and it is scarcely inferior to 
them in truth of expression, though consi- 
derably so in its style and tone of colouring, 
and its general execution. It furnishes the 
most pathetic illustration we have ever seen 
of the most pathetic ballad in the world. 
The faces of the heart-broken maiden and 
the dying mother, are equal to, though some- 
what different from, the conceptions we derive 
from reading the ballad itself, or hearing 
Miss Stephens sing it; and the contrast be- 
tween these, and the old suitor and half-sel- 
fish, half silly father, are perfectly effective, 
without being in the least degree forced or 
extravagant. We would point to this pic- 
ture as one of rare merit, and, in its way, only 
second to Newton’s “ Letter,’? just de- 
scribed. Among numerous other merito- 
rious works, on subjects growing out of do- 
mestic life and manners, our limits will only 
permit us to particularize the following,— 
chiefly of the humorous class :—“ The 
Blackbird and its Tutor,” (72) and “ The 
Pimp,” (358) boih by A. Frazer; and 
finished with a mingled delicacy and spirit 
which it is not a little rare to find united ; 
“ The Cottage Toilet,” (135) and “ The 
Deserier,” (173) by R. Farr1er—the first 
very pretty and engaging, and ihe last full 
of humorous matter,—but neither of them 
equal to many of the previous works of this 
pleasing artist ;—“ Lviraordinary News,” 
(125) by T. S. GoopeE; in which the head 
of the old man who is reading is extremely 
well conceived and executed ;—“* The false 
Parcel,” (139) by W. Kirpp—which is 
very rich in colouring, neat without being 
finical in the finishing, and full of humour 
in the expressions—in which, however, there 
is great sameness; and, finally, a litile pic- 
.ture by P. C. Wonder, which is very clever 
in some respects, and is called “ Waiting 
for an answer’’ (139). The effect of light 
in this little scene is remarkably well ma- 
naged, and makes us the more regret the 
rawness in the colouring, and the seeming 
want either of care or skill in the rest of the 
execution. In the landscape department we 
have several charming works ; none of them, 
however, making pretensions to the highest 
rank in this class, unless it be two by Danby 
—a pair—the subjects, Moonlight, and Sun- 
set (56 and 67). There is an ideal air 
communicated to both these works, which 
lifts them aboye the aciual scenery with 
which we are familiar in our own land, but 
without removing them from our instant re- 
cognition and sympathy, as belonging to the 
domain of Nature. But we are inclined to 
think it will demand a more than ordinary 
habit of observation, to admit the exact 
truth of the features of nature here pre- 
Fine Arts’ Exhibitions. 
[APRIL, 
sented to us. The one, we imagine, will 
by many be pronounced rather too dark and 
indistinct, and the other too bright and gor- 
geous.—Not so with respect to two excel. 
lent productions by ConsTABLE (38 and 
348)— ihe first a landscape, including this 
artist’s favourite feature, of a Lock, and the 
other a charming cottage scene. Unlike 
the two scenes just noticed, the truth. of 
these will be recognised at once by every 
class of observers—itrom the most careless to 
the most subtle. The cottage scene in par- 
ticular is.as fresh as Ruysdael, and as true 
as Hobbima, with a look of English nature 
that is purely this artist’s own. But among 
the landscapes in this collection, there is not 
one that pleases us better, (if so well) than 
“ Cottage Children going to bed,’ (51) by 
Sir W. Beecury. his scene of simple 
nature (which we perceive, on a close inspec- 
tion, was painted no less than forty years 
ago—which accounts in same measure for 
the rich depth of tone that the colouring has 
acquired) is, to our thinking, worth any 
score of the portraiis of the ‘ nobility and 
geniry” that this so long fashionable artist 
has painted siuce. In the same delightfully 
simple class, though altogether different in 
style, is a coast scene by Couiins (22). 
WITHERINGTON has also a most agree- 
able picture, in which he seems to have 
adopted (not without great advantage to his 
style) some of Collins’s simplicity of expres- 
sion, and lively tint of coldwiing. It is 
called “ The Hop Garden,” and represents 
a party of rustics engaged in hop-gathering. 
The group in front is less laboured, and 
consequently more agreeable, than most- 
tat we have seen from the pencil of this 
artist—who, wiih great merit, is open to 
much and siriking improvements. The 
little boy in this group, weaving the patched 
and darned apron, is particulaily good. 
Epwarp LanpDsEER does not shine very 
conspicuously in this Exhibition ; for though 
all that he has contribuied is good, there is 
nothing very strikingly so: and there is 
great sameness in his subjects. No. 10— 
“ Highlanders returning from Deerstalk- 
ing,” is by far the best; and indeed we do 
not know that it could easily be improved 
upon. But we begin to grow tired of his 
eternal dead deer, especially when we call to 
mind the infinite variety of the subject mat- — 
ter that is open to this cleverest artist in his 
own line, that we possess. 
In the poetical class of the art we have 
scarcely any thing worthy of particular men- — 
tion. The only two that have left traces 
upon our memory are, 232, by Erry, and 
485, by CorBoutp; the first, including 
about equal proportion of the good and the 
bad of the artist’s peculiar style; and the 
second, blending with much of more pretti- _ 
ness and pretence, some delicacy of expres= — 
sion, and some poetical feeling. Finally, — 
in the class of Portraiture, we have one — 
capital production, by PIcKERSGILL, 
“ The Hookah-bearer” (78); and several 
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