1829.) 
[ 549 J 
FINE ARTS’ EXHIBITIONS. 
TuHE spring Exhibitions being in full 
play, the best thing the critic can do is to 
fairly confess his occupation ‘ gone,”’ for 
the time being : unless indeed he can invent 
a stenographical mode of performing his 
office. This not being our case, we can 
only pretend to glance at the various matters 
that ask our attention ; and this, chiefly with 
a view to make our readers acquainted with 
the general character of each of the various 
objects we have to place before them ; inorder 
that all may judge for themselves as to which 
of those objects it may be suitable to exa- 
mine, and which to pass by. 
Society of British Artists.—The most 
Striking and important of the exhibitions 
opened since our last is the collection of 
paintings at the rooms of the above-named 
society in Pall ‘Mall east; and by far the 
most important object in this exhibition is a 
picture by Mr. Roberts (the scene painter of 
Coyent Garden Theatre) on the subject of 
“ The Israelites going up out of Egypt.” 
This very clever and striking work has, no 
doubt, been snggested by the peculiar style 
of Mr. Martin, and much of its effect is pro- 
duced by means similar to, or rather the 
same with, those employed by the artist last 
named ; that is to say, by a certain arrange- 
ment of architectural lines, according to the 
exact .rules of perspective. These lines, 
being connected with other objects, and 
arranged with a view to certain preconceived 
associations and feelings, produce an effect 
of extent, of distance, and of architectural 
grandeur united, which nothing else can. 
But this is not the sole merit of Mr. 
Roberts’s work. He has displayed great 
skill in the management of his distances, 
and produged an extraordinary effect in this 
articular ; and he has evinced considerable 
knowledge of the mechanical resources of his 
art in various other respects. But, we are 
bound to add, that it is the mechanical 
resources alone of his art that he has em- 
ployed in the present instance, or even 
attempted to employ. His work addresses 
itself to the eye, and to that alone; and 
even that it appeals to in a manner, and to 
an effect, altogether vague and general, not 
to say visionary. 
We are sorry to report that this exhibition 
includes scarcely one other work claiming 
particular mention in a brief summary like 
that which we are this month called upon to 
give. There is one very clever, but not very 
agreeable picturc, by Stanfield; a gentle- 
man’s seat; a very charming view of a pic- 
turesque Vale in the county of Cumber- 
land, by Hofland—a work of great merit, and 
some few good portraits. But, upon the whole 
the present exhibition is decidedly inferior 
to any that have preceded it; and this, no 
less in its positive than its negative defi- 
ciencies—no less in the bad pictures that it 
includes, than. in the good ones that it 
lacks. We do not of course mean to state 
that there would be any difficulty in pointing 
out several very meritorious ‘works if our 
limits would permit; but we do mean to 
state, that none could be pointed out worthy 
of a detailed critical description. 
In the sculpture room of this exhibition 
we notice several busts, and some groups 
and single statues, of great; and indeed 
striking merit ; and to these we may possi- 
bly be induced to return hereafter. 
Haydon’s Eucles.—Next in importance, 
perhaps, to the above, is Mr. Haydon’s un- 
finished picture on the subject of Eucles. 
We scarcely know whether to approve or 
condemn this new experiment, of placing a 
picture before the public eye, in a state in 
which no eye but that of the painter himself 
can pretend to judge of it, because none can 
imagine what it is even intended to be wken 
finished. The outline and grouping can 
alone be criticised—the general effect, or the 
individual expressions, not even guessed at. 
With respect to the former of these, the 
composition, it strikes us as being worthy of 
very considerable praise. The whole busi- 
ness and interest of the scene are clustered 
and gathered around the principal figure, 
Eucles, in a yery judicious and effective 
manner. Every feeling, every action, every 
expression, seems‘ to spring from, and 
centre itself in him ; while he, on the other 
hand, is utterly absorbed and lost in the in- 
ternal struggle between death and life, which 
is on the point of ending in favor of the 
former at the moment represented in the 
picture. He has reached the threshold of 
his own dwelling—his wife and children are 
rushing out to meet and greet him—the 
people are crowding round to hail and 
honor him—and he himself is uttering the 
accents of victory—when death gains the 
mastery, and he is falling to the ground as 
the last words quit his lips. The only 
figures in this scene that are in a state to be 
judged of are those of Eucles, and of a man 
who is rushing ferward to receive him as he 
falls. The Eucles we cannot entirely 
approve of, either in regard to design, ex- 
pression, or coloring: the first is forced and 
unnatural; the second is not either very 
forcible or very distinct; and the last is 
heavy and unpleasant, speaking of it as a 
single object. But the figure which is 
rushing forward to catch Eucles as he falls, 
is executed with great power, and produces 
a most lively and spirited effect upon the 
scene. We have no hesitation in saying 
that if Mr. Haydon finishes the whole work 
in a manner corresponding with this figme, 
it will be the very best he has ever painted. 
The Montgomery Gallery.—An exhibi- 
tion has been opened in Regent-street under 
the above title, and it consists of ten large 
pictures, each taken from some one scene in 
each of the ten cantos of “ The World 
