550 
before the Flood.’’ It was a hazardous 
attempt to describe “ the world before the 
flood ;”’? but to paint it—to place its visible 
forms before the bodily eye—is one still more 
hazardous ; and we cannot pronounce that 
the attempt has been attended by success, 
Some of the scenes depicted have an imagi- 
native air about them that has its birth in the 
general truth of nature, and therefore appeals 
(however vaguely) to the almost instinctive 
feeling of that truth which pervades the 
human mind. But there is a falsehood in 
the details, and a heavy, unmeaning, mono- 
tonous character in the general effects, which 
render the set of works of little or no value, 
either as illustrations of the poem, or as in- 
dividual scenes, bearing their own intrinsic 
merit upon the face of them. Upon the 
whole, therefore, we must pronounce the 
exhibition a striking instance of much time, 
and some talent, nearly thrown away, unless 
indeed the pictures have been executed to 
some ‘* order,” or with some express view 
with which we are unacquainted. 
British Diorama.—F our new views have 
been just opened to the public at this place. 
They are executed with some skill, and the 
effects of light and shade are managed in 
them with great success; but the pictures 
themselves are, with one exception, of com- 
paratively little value. The village of 
Verex, by Stanfield, is worth the other three 
ten times told. It is painted with that inti- 
mate and intuitive feeling for the truth, 
which this distinguished artist possesses in a 
degree not surpassed by any of his cotempo- 
raries, and not equalled by more than three 
or four of them. The other scenes consist 
of a view of York Minster, first by twilight, 
and in its late form and character, and 
afterwards during the catastrophe which 
destroyed so much of its unequalled beauty ; 
a view of the interior of an old Church in 
Normandy, Saint Sauveur’s ; and a view of 
the temple of Apollinopolis in Egypt. The 
view of the Cathedral is by Stanfield; and 
we must pronounce it an entire failure under 
both its aspects, but particularly the burning. 
Nothing can be worse managed than the 
effects sought to be preduced; and we 
cannot persuade ourselves that Mr. Stanfield 
has had eyen the direction, much less the 
execution of them. The other two scenes 
are by Roberts. The interior of the ruined 
church is good, particularly when illumined 
by the artificial sunshine. Nothing can be 
more complete than the illusion in this case. 
The temple is not so good; but it is, 
perhaps, better worth looking at than any of 
the other scenes, if we may receive it as an 
authentic representation of the place. 
Panorama of Pandemonium.—The only 
other exhibition that we can notice this 
month is Mr. Burford’s new Panorama, 
representing Pandemonium as described in 
Milton’s Paradise Lost. This picture has, 
no doubt, been suggested by Mr. Martin’s 
productions ofa similar kind, and chiefly by 
his illustrations of the same poem; but it 
Fine Arts Exhibitions. 
[May, 
has great merit nevertheless, and great origi- 
nality ; and many portions of it are executed 
in a manner, and with an effect, that the 
original inventor of this style of composition 
might in vain hope to surpass. It is true 
that in many parts the colouring is altoge- 
ther gratuitous; and in others it is worse 
than so, for it is impossible; that is to say, 
the various tints that we see blended together 
could by no possibility have existed in con- 
tact and combination with each other. But 
the truth is, that panoramas are painted for 
effect. None of them—not even the very 
best that has been offered to public notice, 
and gained public admiration, since their 
first invention—could haye borne a criticism 
founded on any of the received rules of art ; 
and therefore the panorama which produces 
the best popular effect is the best panorama. 
On this principle, the present will compete 
with most of its predecessors; and will 
assuredly deserve all the praise and admira- 
tion thatit gains, provided the former be 
not awarded to it on mistaken grounds. 
NEW ENGRAVINGS. 
Martin’s Deluge, Danby’s Passage of 
the Red Sea.—The press of other matter, 
at this busy season of the year, makes it 
absolutely impossible for us to do justice to 
the new engravings that have reached us 
within the last few weeks. The works, on 
account of which we chiefly regret this, are 
two superb mezzotints, one from “ The 
Deluge”’- of Martin, and the other from 
Danby’s fine picture, ‘“‘ The Passage of the 
Red Sea.’’ Perhaps, in order to entirely 
neutralize and put to shame some of the 
most plausible among the adverse criticisms 
that have been pronounced on these two dis- 
tinguished artists, nothing more is needed 
than to look at these engravings from.two 
of their principal works. It is conceived by 
many that the peculiar effects ofiihose works 
are, in a great measure, produced by the © 
singular and novel (and as it is alleged, the 
unnatural) mode and tone of theircolowring. 
If so, to engrave them: would be at once to 
get ridof this fertile source of popular appro- 
bation. But is there, in point of fact, any 
striking difference felt, or any remarkable 
deficiency observed, in the engravings now 
before us, as compared with the coloured 
works from which they are taken? We deci- 
dedly answer no: so far from it, we conceive 
that, in some respects, the peculiar merits of 
the works are not increased, but made 
more manifest, by thus divesting them of 
that adventitious effect which colour alone 
can give to a pictorial representation. It is 
one of the most decisive criteriafordetermin- 
ing the merit of a poetical composition, to 
try if it will bear translating into a foreign 
language, or even into prose: if it will, the 
great essential of all poetical composition— 
the chief material—the thought, the senti- 
ment, and the imagery—are there. And 
precisely thus it is with compositions of the 
nature of Martin and Danby’s best works: 
